Brief:
I bought a Black Brant II from Cosmodrome because I loved t' Estes Brant kit when it was available, matey, and I got tired o' waitin' for t' Estes re-issue.... Aye aye! besides, t' Cosmodrome kit is 50" tall... A bit cooler than it's counterpart.

Construction:
T' rocket went together smoothly and smartly (3.5 Hrs) with 5min. epoxy used for t' entire build. Begad! I replaced t' steel shock cord that was included in t' kit with aircraft cable o' t' same diameter after it be almost severed by crimpin' (with a hammer) t' ferrule onto it. T' instructions called for heavy sandin' o' t' 3/16" plywood fins t' a knife edge (about 75% o' t' fin area!). I deviated from this, me hearties, and only sanded a 1/4" knife edge on t' leadin' edge. Ahoy! (It's nay t' scale, but it be easy). T' inclusion o' motor retention is a much appreciated bonus.

Finishing:
I decided t' paint t' rocket true t' scale, me hearties, so I put several coats o' primer on, me bucko, then several coats o' gloss white, and then spent 3 hours maskin' t' white areas off. Ahoy! T' included detail sheet for paintin' was very helpful, matey, but it's still took a while t' mask such an intricate pattern. Ahoy! After 3 coats o' black paint t' rocket was unmasked. Ya scallywag! Simply stunning. Ya scallywag! T' included decals were nicely done, and made t' completed rocket very authentic looking.

After readin' some comments about t' balsa NC o' t' Brant nay bein' heavy enough t' reliably pull t' chute out o' t' rocket, arrr, I decided t' give it some extra pull by addin' a 12" chute t' t' NC eyelet. Ahoy! This would also help in recovery, as t' only other complaint I've read about this rocket it that t' included chute is just a little too small.

Flight:
I selected a F52-5T for t' maiden flight. wRASP simulation showed an 1170 ft. flight with maximum altitude at 6.1 seconds, and a maximum velocity o' 314.6 ft/sec. Blimey! True t' t' simulation, me hearties, t' rocket zoomed off t' pad straight as an arrow t' an estimated 800 or 900 ft., matey, me bucko, me hearties, and deployed perfectly at max altitude.

Recovery:
T' rocket drifted on for ever.... Aye aye! right into a rocket eatin' tree. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' extra 12" chute was a little too much. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' kit chute alone would have done just fine. Arrr! (My friend scaled t' tree and removed t' rocket for me... if you're wondering).

Summary:
Overall, shiver me timbers, I'll give t' Cosmodrome Black Brant II a 5 o' 5 rating. Blimey! T' balsa NC is prone t' damage (I knocked t' pointy tip off (1/8") while transportin' it), shiver me timbers, but that be t' only negative comment I can think of. Ahoy! Super Kit!