Brief:
An exotic single stage rocket, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' [Nick Adams'] Interstellar Probe is reminiscent o' the original Estes Mars Snooper, looks fantastic, shiver me timbers, and flies great! Blimey! I got me kit from Don as a beta test kit. Begad! T' rocket stands a little over 24" tall, flies on 18mm motors, and recovers by parachute. T' kit is probably fairly rated a Skill Level 3, arrr, me bucko, but Don's instructions are very detailed with plenty of step by step illustrations that make buildin' t' kit very straightforward.

Construction:
This kit has a ton o' parts: a BT-50 body tube, an extra long 18mm engine mount that also serves t' hold t' aft tail cone, balsa nose cone, screw eye, 1/8" x 36" elastic shock cord, 15" Mylar parachute, 1/8" launch lug, 4 laser-cut fin/parts sheets, shroud templates, matey, lots o' centering rings, 3 hardwood dowels and toothpicks, me bucko, and some really nice multicolor decals. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! A "small parts" bag is also provided that is very useful for keepin' all t' little pieces in one place. Arrr! T' shock cord was long enough that I didn't have t' substitute it, although I did add an 8" length of Keelhaul®©™® at t' shock cord attachment point.

This is probably t' best set o' instructions I've ever seen. Ahoy! Avast! Don really went out o' his way t' make construction o' this kit a snap. T' instruction steps are numbered with tons o' helpful illustrations. Although construction begins with t' motor mount (install engine block and an engine hook for positive motor retention), me hearties, ya bilge rat, it isn't installed until later in t' build. Begad! While this initially seems weird, arrr, it makes perfect sense as you progress through the build. Blimey! It is one o' those changes that shows how much thought Don put into makin' this build as easy as possible. Begad! He even provides a laser cut part that's used t' assist with installation o' t' launch lug! Next, ya bilge rat, me hearties, usin' t' marking guide included in t' instructions, me bucko, about umpteen lines are drawn along and around t' main tube t' mark placement o' t' fins, me bucko, shrouds, arrr, exterior rings, etc. Avast, me proud beauty! T' body tube didn't require any finishin' t' fill in t' seam lines, and they were hardly noticeable after primer and paint. Arrr! Probably t' hardest part about this kit be t' installation o' t' three shrouds. Begad! Begad! I don't typically have a lot o' problems with them, but for many, matey, even one shroud is a challenge. This is another area though, where Don has taken extra effort t' beef up the instructions t' make installation o' t' exterior rings and shrouds go smoothly. Makin' sure t' shrouds slide easily on t' body tube, me bucko, minimizin' the amount o' glue used, and gettin' t' shrouds in place smartly is a must. After the exterior rings and shrouds are installed, me hearties, arrr, t' fins, dowels and toothpicks are glued on. Blimey! Ahoy! T' laser-cut fins were perfectly matched, as well as all o' the small parts that attach on t' upper shroud. Arrr! This is one o' those kits that will cause you t' appreciate laser cut parts! After removin' t' fins from the fin sheets and roundin' t' leadin' and trailin' edges, t' three main, ya bilge rat, aft, and forward fins were glued on and t' dowels and toothpicks added. Begad! Ya scallywag! The instructions actually indicated installin' t' dowels and toothpicks onto the fins before gluin' them onto t' tubes, but I decided it would be easier t' put the fins on first then add t' dowels and toothpicks. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about t' fins fallin' over due t' t' extra weight. Ya scallywag! At this point, I deviated again from t' instructions and finished t' rocket, shiver me timbers, arrr, except for decals, shiver me timbers, t' keep from havin' t' mask everythin' off. Afterwards, I picked back up with t' instructions and installed t' twelve small balsa vanes onto the tail cone. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! This goes pretty smartly t' way Don instructs t' place them. The motor mount was also installed durin' this step, me hearties, and then t' twelve small balsa pieces were added onto t' upper shrouds. Avast, me proud beauty! Whew! This isn't one o' those kits that you build in a couple o' hours. Nope, me bucko, this is one o' those kits that you savor over an entire weekend. Begad! A tri-fold shock cord attachment be provided in t' instructions t' connect nose cone and body tube. As is usual on any rocket I build, I installed a length o' Keelhaul®©™® in t' shock cord attachment with a loop at t' end t' attach t' elastic shock cord. Blimey! T' minimize abrasion from t' Keelhaul®©™® against t' body tube, I soaked in CA around t' top 1/2" o' t' body tube and tied t' Keelhaul®©™® so t' knot in t' loop meets t' lip o' t' body tube. Avast! Finally, me bucko, matey, t' launch lug, arrr, me hearties, screw eye and shock cord were attached, and t' separately packaged parachute was assembled.

Finishing:
I used Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish for all t' balsa pieces, but any balsa filler will work fine. Begad! All o' t' balsa was finished before attachin' it t' the rocket, arrr, and t' aft vanes and small parts were painted before attachin' them. There's way too much on this rocket t' try and do either o' those afterwards. Just be careful so you don't have glue all over t' place. Aye aye! I also used FnF to fill in t' seams around t' shrouds before painting. Arrr! Begad! Even cuttin' t' decals very close t' t' edges o' t' design, they laid down easily and were easy to work with. Avast! Even me wife thought it be a great lookin' rocket, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and she doesn't even like rockets!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Preparation for flight requires standard wadding. Begad! Ya scallywag! I only doubled t' parachute, rather than tri-fold, me hearties, for a looser fit in t' BT-50 tube. Avast, me proud beauty! My only flight so far was on a B6-4 but it went a lot higher than I thought it would. Begad! Begad! Wind be about 5 mph. Begad! It jumped off t' pad and flew perfectly straight with ejection right at the top. With a finished weight o' only about 2 ounces, this rocket should achieve some serious altitude on a C motor and will likely get pretty good altitude even usin' an A.

Recovery:
I had already resigned myself t' expect at least one o' t' dowels t' break upon landing, but t' 15" Mylar chute brought t' rocket down perfectly. Even though t' chute was a tight fit, me hearties, I'm glad I didn't drop down t' a 12" chute.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Interstellar Probe looks fantastic and provides t' builder with some definite satisfaction upon completion. Nick Adams deserves a big thank you for makin' such an excellent design available t' us all! It definitely turns heads as you approach t' launch pad. Aye aye! Kudos t' Don for t' excellent instructions too, and t' Terri for another face card with awesome graphics!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5