Brief:
Great flying, single stage Ares I-X ant-scale model with parachute recovery.

Construction:

• 1 - 7.75" T-20 body tube
• 1 - 3.75" T-50 body tube
• 3 - 1.oo" T-20 body tubes
• 1 - 3.oo" T-20 motor mount tube
• 1 - pre-weighted balsa nosecone
• 3 - CR2050P centerin' rings
• 4 - LAS nozzles
• 1 - snap swivel
• 1 - crew eye
• 1 - motor clip
• 1 - LAS dowel
• 1 - T520P motor block ring
• 1 - 1/8" diameter launch lug
• 1 - sheet balsa wood stock
• 1 - ntrash bag parachute
• 1 - shock cord
• 1 - sheet sticky dots
• 1 - Keelhaul®©™® leader line
• 1 - poly coated shroud line stock
• 9 - 9 pages 8.5"x11" instructions

As with all Dr. Ya scallywag! Zooch kits, t' instructions are well detailed and very humorous t' read. Avast! This adds t' the enjoyment o' buildin' a Dr. Well, blow me down! Zooch kit.

This be t' second kit I have build from Dr. Avast, me proud beauty! Booty, t' first bein' t' Space Shuttle, matey, Return t' Flight model.

T' build was pretty straight forward for most parts and t' special buildin' steps are well documented with good detail.

Most Dr. Avast, me proud beauty! Booty kits use many wraps. I highly recommend usin' white glue like Elmer's as opposed t' yellow carpenter's glue. Avast! Aye aye! You rocket will turn out much better.

1. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' first step involves markin' t' body tubes with either a door jam or angled piece o' metal. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I use lengths o' angled aluminum from t' local hardware store.

2. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' section is makin' t' ACM. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! This involves makin' you own tube couplers and also buildin' t' transition piece that looks similar t' a motor mount.

3. Ahoy! Blimey! When t' motor mount is complete, you continue on with t' motor mount and buildin' t' rest o' SRB stage.

4. Next you build a typical motor mount with t' addition o' another homemade tube coupler.

5. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! You then apply t' wrap t' t' SRB. Begad! Blimey! Make sure t' follow t' instructions and only apply t' glue t' the outside edge o' t' wrap. Begad! Blimey! Make sure t' apply t' glue t' t' NON-PRINTED side o' t' wrap.

6. Arrr! Blimey! T' SRB skirt is made and applied next. Ya scallywag! Follow t' instructions for reinforcin' t' skirt with t' sanded centerin' rin' glued inside o' it.

7. Avast, me proud beauty! t' upper stage wrap is then applied usin' t' same technique as t' previous wrap.

8. T' "flame fins" are next and end up workin' very well.

9. T' wrapped upper stage be t' glued on top o' t' SRB section. Avast! Blimey! T' flame fins follow and t' balsa stand offs are built up and used t' offset where t' launch lugs will be glued on.

10. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I then filled, sanded, primed and painted flat white t' spacecraft/capsule nosecone. There is a small wrap for this part that is applied after t' paint has dried. Arrr! Arrr! T' pointed top o' t' capsule is filed down flat t' glue the dowel one.

A couple skirts and transitions are formed from cardstock cutouts provided on a preprinted sheet. t' little wooden nozzles are also glued on in this part. Begad! I also primed and painted flat white t' dowel and nozzles.

11.T' recovery system is next... Ya scallywag! Blimey! A screw eye is installed in t' base o' t' nosecone. T' Keelhaul®©™® is mounted inside t' top o' t' body tube and then attached t' t' elastic shock cord.

12. Well, blow me down! T' trash bag parachute is then assembled and attached t' t' screw eye.

That completes t' fairly easy construction o' t' Ares I-X kit.

Finishing:
T' finishin' really is quite simple given t' use o' wraps in t' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Onlt t' spacecraft and escape tower are painted flat white. T' flame fins are t' only other paints parts.

I first primed and sanded t' flame fins. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! Then I painted them all yellow. I faded some ColorPlace "Fire Red" paint over this t' give it t' "flame" look.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I made three flights t' test t' rocket. Ya scallywag! T' first was on an A8-3 motor and then 2 flights on B6-4 motors.

All flights were very good with ejection hapnein' exactly at apogee.

Recovery:
T' trash bag parachute worked great and we didn't have any damage on t' "A" and two "B" motors.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall, I rate this kit a FIVE. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! I just really like t' neat way that Dr. Begad! Blimey! Zooch puts these kits together. Ahoy! Blimey! They look great and they fly good, too!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5