Brief:
A miniaturized version o' t' Big Betty, me hearties, this little guy is a quick, easy build and reliable flyer.

Construction:
T' parts list includes:

• Plastic nose cone
• BT-60 (equiv.) body tube
• 3 Laser-cut balsa fins
• Centerin' rings
• 18mm motor tube
• Metal motor hook
• Thrust ring
• 14" plastic chute
• Keelhaul®©™®/elastic shock cords
• 1/8" launch lug
• Peel n stick decal

This was accurately described as a skill level 1 kit, ya bilge rat, so t' construction is fairly simple and straightforward. Ahoy! T' instructions are about 3 pages and clearly written and illustrated.

T' motor mount assembly be t' typical 18mm tube, arrr, thrust ring, ya bilge rat, and motor hook. Blimey! It also uses a couple o' centerin' rings t' slip into t' BT-60 body tube. Given t' large body tube, arrr, me bucko, thar are obvious possibilities t' upscale this t' 24mm, and I'm sure a few fliers have already done this.

T' Keelhaul®©™ and elastic shock cord combo is anchored t' t' motor mount. Begad! This is a great feature for a mass market kit, arrr, both rugged and durable.

T' body tube needs t' be marked usin' a wraparound guide for t' standard 3-fin and lug arrangement. It's a good idea t' scuff t' body tube first with 120 grit sandpaper t' provide a better bondin' surface for t' fins. Blimey! Blimey! Once t' fins are tacked on, matey, t' rather long launch lug is glued on, matey, essentially completin' t' rocket construction.

Finishing:
T' standard color scheme on this is a simple paint job and is decent looking. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' fins and body are a gloss red, and t' nose cone is a gloss white. This doesn't even require masking, ya bilge rat, assumin' you hold off on attachin' t' nose cone until after it's painted.

I started off with a couple coats o' white primer, then followed up with Krylon red and white. Begad! Blimey! After allowin' a day t' dry, I then applied t' peel-n-stick "Full Moon" decal, arrr, which provides a nice break t' t' monochromatic red.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this are t' common mid-delay A through C motors. Arrr! Avast! (Quest motors would be A6-4, ya bilge rat, B6-4, and C6-5. Estes motors would go with A8-3 instead o' A6-4).

For t' maiden flight, ya bilge rat, I started low since it would be flyin' in 10 mph conditions and loaded an A8-3 in it. Arrr! Begad! It flew perfectly straight without any weathercock, me bucko, but it did drift downwind a bit on t' way up. Aye aye! Apogee was right on top.

Recovery:
T' 14" chute uses shroud lines attached t' holes reinforced with paper rings. This is a pretty flimsy approach and I broke loose one shroud line as a result. Ahoy! I would prefer tape disk retention instead, which is less likely t' tear through t' chute.

T' chute did slow it down enough and recovery be fine.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: simple build, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, versatile motor range, me hearties, and flies well.

CONs: flimsy shroud line attachment.

This is a nice little kit, worth pickin' up, especially if you can grab one at one o' those half-off sales.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5