Brief:
BT-50 based scale model o' t' AIM-4C Falcon that flies on 18mm motors and recovers on a streamer.

Construction:
This kit comes with paper tubes and rings. Ahoy! T' light BT-50 body tube appears to be t' same as Apogee's tubin' - weight, color, shiver me timbers, etc. Begad! T' scale nose cone is solid plastic and two ballast washers are provided t' keep t' rocket stable. You cut t' fins from two sheets o' basswood and thin strips o' balsa provide the fin details. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' recovery system includes a section o' Keelhaul®©™® twine, a section o' elastic, and a Mylar streamer. Ahoy! Blimey!

T' instructions are pretty good and are more than sufficient t' build this kit. Begad! T' most challengin' parts o' its construction were cuttin' t' small front fins from t' brittle basswood, arrr, and alignin' t' three sets o' fins (12 total). Aye aye! I be surprised when I saw calipers mentioned in t' instructions. Begad! Blimey! In order t' get a true scale model, I suppose, they specify t' fin placement to three decimal places! I rounded t' t' nearest 1/16". Avast, me proud beauty! Avast!

T' one problem with me kit was t' quality o' t' basswood. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Both pieces were warped and even though I tried t' straighten them, ya bilge rat, t' long fins re-warped after bein' exposed t' t' carpenter's glue (I used t' waterproof variety). Because o' t' length o' t' middle set o' fins and t' way t' fin stock was cut, me bucko, t' grain had t' be placed perpendicular t' t' body tube. Avast! Blimey! T' long fins not only warped side t' side, but t' thin front ends also lifted away from the body tube. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I managed t' minimize t' warpin' by soakin' t' ends in thin CA and pushin' them back in place until they dried. Begad!

Finishing:
T' basswood had quite a deep grain and required a lot o' filling. Ahoy! I used Krylon primer and paints t' approximate t' color scheme identified in the instructions. Arrr! Begad! T' kit also includes a full set o' decals. These are *very* small and are nay easy t' cut out or manipulate.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' kit relies on friction fittin' t' motor. Arrr! I should have scrounged a motor clip from t' ol' parts bin, but thought o' it too late. Begad! Blimey! T' recommended motors for this kit include: EST A8-3, arrr, B6-4, C6-5; APO C4-5, C10-7, D3-7, D10-7; AT D13-7. Aye aye! Blimey!

Since t' wind be fairly heavy, was blowin' towards t' trees AND this was the first flight o' t' day, matey, I decided t' try a B6-4. Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' boost was good with some weathercockin' but no sign o' any wobble. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' heavy plastic nose and weights did their job. Arrr! Avast! (Please excuse t' poor launch pic, but I just had to include it since it be t' first one I've caught.)

Recovery:
I was worried that t' provided streamer would nay slow t' model enough, me hearties, and my fears were well founded. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! I attached t' streamer about 8" down from the nose, as recommended. I noticed that another reviewer suggested another approach on a similar model the AA9, but decided t' stick with t' instructions. Aye aye! T' rocket came down nose cone first, with t' body fallin' parallel t' t' ground. Aye aye! One o' t' aft fins came part way off, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me hearties, and t' struts t' t' larger forward fins were destroyed. Easily repaired, but would probably happen again on t' next flight. I will probably try a small chute instead. Begad! If I were t' build another o' these kits, I'd also add some paper or light fiberglass t' strengthen t' fin joints. Aye aye! Ahoy!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
This kit is reasonably priced and t' resultin' rocket looks great. Arrr! I was disappointed at t' quality o' t' fin stock, which did affect t' looks o' the final product. Begad! Blimey! It doesn't appear, however, that others have experienced this problem with t' small Aardvark kits. Begad! T' streamer is insufficient and a small parachute should be substituted. Avast, me proud beauty! Despite these problems, shiver me timbers, I still like t' kit and will consider buyin' another in t' series. Avast!

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5