Brief:
Scale model rocket o' a Cold War deception with parachute recovery.

Construction:
T' instructions were printed on t' front and back on several sheets o' letter sized paper. Begad! They included hand drawn illustrations which were nay fancy but which were certainly clear enough. Begad! Also included were two addenda printed on small scraps o' paper. Ahoy! Avast! One detailed t' stripin' process for t' balsa transistion and t' other simply mentioned that the thrust rin' which was nay mentioned in t' parts inventory was also included. This rin' is mentioned in the instructions and I would nay have noticed t' absence in t' inventory. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' instructions are peppered with sarcastic comments throughout. Avast! Some people may find that annoyin' but I found them t' be amusing.

T' actual build commences with t' motor mount. Arrr! Begad! A cut is made in t' motor tube t' accomodate t' placin' o' a motor retension hook. I then found somethin' new t' me. Ahoy! I was instructed t' cut t' "reinforcement band" out of t' wrap sheet and glue it around t' motor tube just below t' cut for t' hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Apparently, this is t' help resist any tearin' that t' hook would cause durin' ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! If this works out, ya bilge rat, I may well adopt it as a modification on future rockets.

Two centerin' rings are provided. One o' them has a notch for t' motor hook. Aye aye! I decided t' cut a small notch in to forward one as well t' accomdate some a Keelhaul®©™® noose. Well, blow me down! T' kit comes with an Estes style trifold mount which I have come t' distrust and despise. Avast, me proud beauty! After cuttin' the notch, it was a simple matter t' slip t' rings t' t' designated spacin' and glue them in place. Avast! I will note that the forward ring, ya bilge rat, t' one I cut a notch in, ya bilge rat, seemed just about right. Avast! Begad! T' aft rin' was very loose. After gluin' t' rings in place, matey, I set aside this assembly t' dry for a while.

Since I be nay yet ready t' go t' bed, I decided t' cut out the fins and try t' seal them. Well, blow me down! All that is provided is a sheet o' balsa and a template t' cut out. Avast, me proud beauty! SInce t' fins are simple right triangles, this did nay pose too much o' a problem. Avast! I cut out t' template, traced t' outline onto the balsa with a pencil and cut them out with a razor knife. Begad! Blimey! T' template thoughtfully included a little arrow t' make sure I get t' grain in t' right direction.

Since I am out o' Elmer's and thar be no place open at this hour, arrr, I decided t' try somethin' I have nay done for a very long time. Aye aye! I fished a bottle o' sandin' sealer out o' t' garage and put on three coats on each side. Aye aye! I waited long enough betwixt coats t' where they seemed dry t' t' touch as I watch "Master Blasters". Ya scallywag! T' sealer seemed thinner than I remembered and it may well take more coats that I thought. This ia a reflection o' t' sealer, not t' balsa.

After I had gotten 3 coats o' sealer on t' fins and finished shudderin' at t' public face o' rocketry as presented on TV, matey, I decided t' end me troubles by drinkin' t' rest o' t' sandin' sealer. Begad! Begad! At t' last minute, I remembered that I am supposed t' preach in t' morning and merely closed t' lid, arrr, decidin' that more benefit would accrue from installin' t' motor mount. Aye aye! Begad! I test fitted it and found that it was neither too loose nor too tight. Ahoy! It be just right. I used a long swab t' run a rin' o' glue around t' interior, pushed t' motor mount part o' t' way in and then swabbed in another rin' o' glue. Begad! I then pushed the mount in t' rest o' t' way. Well, blow me down! T' instruction make a point o' emphasizin' that t' after bulkhead needs t' be recessed a full half inch into t' BT t' maintain stability. Aye aye! I measured it t' make sure, applied a bead o' glue and called it a night.

When I got back t' work, it was time t' tackle t' fins. Aye aye! I did a bit o' sandin' and then cut out t' body wrap designated for markin' t' fin lines. Begad! T' fit was t' most perfect I have ever had with this method. Well, blow me down! Begad! I marked t' tops and bottoms o' t' t' fin lines, removed t' wrap and drew in t' lines against a door.

Next came t' actual mountin' o' t' fins. Begad! Bein' lazy, impatient etc. I opted t' use CA. A trick I learned recently is t' use a safety pin t' perforate t' root edges and the BT where t' join will be made. This is t' allow t' glue t' form rivets. I need a few more flight tests (catastrophes) before I decide how effective this is but it is no trouble t' do and I adopted t' procedure on this model.

When t' perforations were made, arrr, I glude t' fins on with CA. Blimey! In addition t' t' wrap around fin guide, matey, ya bilge rat, this kit also provides a handy template against which t' set t' BT as t' fins are place t' aid in alignment. T' mountin' of the fins went off without a hitch.

Likewise, t' launch lug presented little in t' way o' effort. Blimey! Begad! T' provided lug was sliced in half with a razor and then I put both pieces on a short length o' 1/8" rod. Begad! Arrr! I applied some glue t' t' lugs and then set them in place. T' lower half goes in t' crook o' a fin and t' upper almost at t' top o' t' lower BT.

While t' CA be settin' up, I worked on t' nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! This was a bit different from any I had worked on before. In t' first place, it comes with t' base hollowed out, ya bilge rat, weighted, me hearties, and then filled back in t' ensure stability. Well, blow me down! Judging by t' sarcastic tone o' t' instructions, shiver me timbers, I probably could nay be trusted t' do this myself without endangerin' all around me. It does take some o' t' guesswork out o' it and is a nice touch.

T' second new thin' was actually shapin' t' tip o' the nose cone. Aye aye! Blimey! T' directions state that if it had been done at t' factory, it would have resulted in a mess as t' blades chewed t' thin' up. Arrr! Blimey! That meant that I was supposed t' sand it t' t' right shape. Blimey! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! That involved sandin' the cylendrical tip into a spherical tip which should be well within t' skill set o' a decent rocketeer. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Needless t' say, it be nay in me skill set. Begad! Blimey! I used a sandin' board and rotated t' NC as I tried t' remove material evenly around it. It turned out better than I had expectedbut nay as well I had hoped. Ahoy! Blimey! For me, ya bilge rat, doin' it by eye be hard.

Now it was time t' do some early finishing. Well, blow me down! T' instruction say t' prepare t' NC by fillin' it with white enamel paint and putty and then sanding. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' next step is t' assemble, matey, but nay glue, t' entire stack and paint it white. Avast! Here I decided t' combine t' steps and try somethin' else I had read about. Avast! Several sources have said that Kilz spray primer in white is good for filling. Begad! I decided t' try it out. I assembled t' stack, took it outside and applied the first coat o' Kilz. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! It has nay yet had time t' dry but I already know its goin' t' need more. Aye aye! Arrr! T' balsa be a bit rough and still is. Begad! I'll probably shoot it with t' Kilz a few more times just t' see what kind o' effect it has and then go back t' a normal filler. Ahoy! Avast! Before I can do that, ya bilge rat, though, it has t' dry and I need some sleep.

After lettin' t' rocket dry overnight, I was surprised to see that t' Kilz had done a much better job than I expected. Aye aye! It completely covered t' wood and grain and t' only real problem was t' roughness o' t' balsa. Ya scallywag! It definitely needed some more fillin' but I was intrigued enough t' want to see how far I could go with just t' Kilz. Avast, me proud beauty! Accordingly, me hearties, after a bit o' sanding, I gave it another coat.

Actually, me hearties, I gave it 2 more coats and was amazed. Ahoy! T' Kilz actually did a very creditable job as a filler. Aye aye! Avast! I would not recommend usin' it as a "main" method but t' fix small imperfections, it is a delight. I was certainly satisfied with t' results and, ya bilge rat, after some sanding, me bucko, arrr, I went ahead a sprayed on 2 coats o' gloss white. Aye aye! Then it was time to play t' waitin' game again.

After waiting, me hearties, I had an upleasant realization about t' Kilz. Ahoy! Blimey! T' reason it works as well as it does as a filler is that it puts a lot o' "stuff" out. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! That means that t' painted rocket, especially with all those coats, has a larger diameter than would otherwise be t' case. Well, blow me down! That in turn means that t' beautiful wraps for t' top BT do not fit.

I'll back up here and say that in t' instructions, matey, arrr, Dr. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Z emphasizes that t' wraps need t' be carefully cut out. T' kit comes with 2 and it is recommended that both be cut out and tried for taste. In both cases, matey, I found that the wraps would nay close on themselves. Aye aye! Blimey! As a result, me bucko, I spent another evenin' sandin' through t' paint and primer, almost to t' BT. Ahoy! That improves t' situation but t' wrap still does nay close.

When he found out about it through a TRF post, Dr. Avast! Zooch himself immediately sent out a replacement by priority mail. Ahoy! It smartly arrived and things got stranger. I laid one of the old wraps right on top o' t' uncut new one. Arrr! Ahoy! It was exactly t' same size. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I cut it out anyway, givin' a bit o' a generous margin. Aye aye! I figured that if I used t' one with more white and t' diagonal black stripe, I could cut it down to the exact length and make t' seam less noticeable. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! After I made me marks, I tried it out and found that I needed to cut back exactly t' t' original lines. Blimey! I pulled out t' original wrap and, lo and behold, it fit. Blimey! All I can figure is that I did a lot o' wet sanding. Perhaps t' water caused t' painted BT t' swell. Aye aye! Aye aye! It's either that or I am in the Twilight Zone. Blimey! I applied white glue around t' periphery and laid t' wrap down. Aye aye! Ahoy! It is nay perfect but as close as is possible given me current skill set.

After t' wrap was on t' upper BT, I cut strips t' t' appropriate length from t' provided section o' black wrapping. Begad! Blimey! One be used t' wrap a diagonal line one revolution around t' transition section. Blimey! Blimey! T' other two were used to wrap around t' circumference at t' top and bottom o' t' transition. Avast! Blimey! In each case, me bucko, arrr, matey, t' directions indicated that a little excess would need t' be trimmed and that was handled with a razor.

Another decision had t' be made at this point. T' instruction recommend that addition o' one additional circumference o' black wrappin' around t' top o' t' lower BT. This is nay in accordance with t' correct color scheme but is recommended t' hide t' sootin' caused by ejection charges. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I elected t' give it a try. Arrr! Blimey! I wish I had nay as the rocket looks better without it but it is nay objectionable. A bit o' black paint be applied t' t' tip o' t' NC and the end was in sight.

With that, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' NC was glued t' t' upper BT. Blimey! T' upper BT was glued t' t' transition. T' eyescrew was set in the bottome o' t' transition with a bit o' white glue and t' Keelhaul®©™® and elastic were tied off. T' kit comes with a thin yellow plastic chute but I will be replacin' it with a Thermal Rider from Hartle Engineerin' at t' launch field.

T' buildin' o' t' rocket nozzle be t' final part o' the assembly. Ahoy! T' instruction say that this is an optional step, basically because it is a pain in t' backside. Ya scallywag! It was. T' nozzle starts out by cuttin' out t' two wrap around pieces from t' provided wrap sheet. Blimey! Well, arrr, blow me down! Each is then glued into a truncated cone usin' an overlay tab. Blimey! Each o' these steps is easy. Blimey! T' more difficult part comes in gluin' t' top cone to t' bottom cone, me hearties, keepin' them straight and preventin' any gaps. Avast! This is accomplished slowly, shiver me timbers, patiently and with a bit o' sandpaper t' knock off t' rough edges.

T' plans call for a novel way t' improve t' appearance of the nozzle. Aye aye! A thread is provided t' simulate t' banding. Blimey! T' process for doin' this invovles tackin' down one end with CA and waitin' for it t' set. Aye aye! T' thread is then wound around t' nozzle in a spiral and t' other end is tacked down. T' excess is cut off and then all is held in place by drizzlin' CA over it. Ahoy! Aye aye! This also strengthens t' nozzle.

I tried this procedure and be a bit skeptical with t' early results. Ahoy! Blimey! Because I be nay payin' sufficient attention, t' spirals are nay evenly placed. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Additionally, matey, me bucko, arrr, I thought it looked kind o' cheesy when I was done. Ahoy! Blimey! I was just about ready t' scrap t' nozzle or use t' extra one from me extra wrap set but decided t' press on. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! When t' CA was dried, t' whole thin' was painted with metalic steel. That made all t' difference in t' world and it really did begin to look like a real rocket nozzle.

PROS: Nice lookin' rocket, excellent customer service
CONS: Secret agents sneak into t' house in t' dead o' night t' play mind games with t' wraps. Avast!

T' final step is t' slip t' nozzle around t' protrudin' motor mount. This should be easy but mine be a tight fit. Begad! A little more sandin' and it slipped on and was secured with white glue. Now, ya bilge rat, I think, t' rocket is finished.

Finishing:
All o' t' finishin' be covered in t' previous section.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Dr Zooch never says much about t' motors except nay t' wimp out with an A. Arrr! That is good advice. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I started out with a B6-4. Avast! Even with those little bitty fins, me hearties, shiver me timbers, it took off and flew well. Ahoy! T' altitude surprised me, me hearties, arrr, especially with all the nose weight. It recovered well too.

Then I got stupid. There be a lot o' wind blowin' and I did nay want t' risk losin' this rocket on a C. I wimped out with an A8-3. Ahoy! Ahoy! Again it took off fine but did nay achieve much altitude. Begad! Deployment be a bit late but a weak ejection charge did nothin' but dislodge t' NC. It bounced and will need some repair work.

PROS: looks good and flies well
CONS: I wimped out with an A

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This be a fun build that was occasionally frustratin' as I tried t' learn some new skills but it be untimately rewarding. Dr. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Z cutomer service is first rate as well.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5