Brief:
This is a boost glider featurin' a aft ejected pop-pod. Avast! Blimey! Propulsion is handled by 18mm motors. Avast! Blimey! Pod returns safely on a parachute, matey, while t' German themed plane glides on towards its secret mission. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Manufacturer rates this at a skill level 3.

Construction:
This kit has a bunch o' parts. Quality is top notch.

T' list o' parts is as follows:

• 1 Instruction CD
• 1 12 1/2” BT-20 tube
• 1 3 7/8” BT-20 tube
• 1 2” BT-50 tube
• 1 1”BT-21 tube
• 1 6” BT-55 tube
• 1 2 1/2” BT-20 tube
• 2 4” T-2+ tubes
• 1 Pre-weighted BT-20 nose cone
• 1 Pod Small Parts Bag containing:

• 1 Thick 20-50 cardboard centerin' ring
• 1 Thin 20-50 cardboard centerin' ring
• 2 20-55 laser-cut plywood centerin' rings
• 1 5-20 motor block
• 1 Motor clip
• 1 Motor clip hold-down ring
• 1 12” piece o' Keelhaul®©™® cord

• 1 1” BT-20 tube coupler
• 1 12” parachute kit
• 1 Laser-Cut Glider Parts Bag containing:

• 2-Balsa main win' sections
• 2-Balsa win' tip sections
• 1-Balsa rudder
• 1-Thick balsa 21-55 centerin' ring
• 1-Basswood landin' skid

• 1 Resin cast jet engine insert
• 1 Package red nose weight clay
• 1 Package gray balance clay
• 1 Resin cast canopy
• 2 Craft sticks
• 1 Canopy maskin' sheet
• 1 Large sheet vinyl maskin' material
• 1 Laser-cut win' dihedral jig
• 2 1”x 1/4”x 1/4” balsa blocks
• 1 Waterslide decal sheet
• 2 Clear self-adhesive trim tabs
• 1 Tube markin' guide sheet, me hearties, glider nose shroud sheet, matey, glider parts
• Guide sheet and root/tip sandin' guide

Scott Branche, me hearties, t' designer o' this kit, ya bilge rat, thought o' everything. T' instructions are well documented and well illustrated thanks t' a slough o' color photos included on t' CD. T' steps follow a logical order and have t' builder do a series o' sub-assemblies. Aye aye! Each sub-assembly is ordered in such a way where t' builder is constantly movin' forward with t' build, thar be no "slack time". Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Despite t' large number o' parts, ya bilge rat, me bucko, matey, they get used up smartly and efficiently. Arrr! Arrr!

T' templates are accurate, and t' laser cut win' jig helps with sandin' joint bevels and with win' dihedral. T' jig is little fiddly t' work with but does assist in these areas. Ya scallywag! I'd much rather see it included in t' kit than to be without, as it helped tremendously.

T' laser cut balsa is high quality, and t' resin cast parts are excellent. Very nice, laser cut, lite plywood center rings were used for t' pop-pod. Ya scallywag! I be pleasantly surprised by t' inclusion o' those, arrr, as they should hold up very well. Ahoy!

T' tubes are good quality and are all standard sized, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, save one. Aye aye! There is an odd sized tube (BT-21) that makes up the nose o' t' glider. It allows a baffled pop-pod t' slide through t' glider rather than t' glider being "hitched" t' t' pod, shiver me timbers, like most booster gliders. Ya scallywag!

Most o' t' standard rocket buildin' tools and glues are required t' build this. However, me hearties, matey, arrr, one tool used that is nay typical o' a low power rocket build is a hole punch. Aye aye! You will need one for this to build t' pop pod. Begad! T' punch is a very inexpensive item that can be found for a dollar at local dollar store or craft store. Arrr! Ya scallywag! When I spoke t' Scott personally, shiver me timbers, he said he be even considerin' includin' one o' them with t' kit! I'll tell you, matey, it's t' only t' he did leave out besides a knife, glue, and skill. Ya scallywag! This is about as complete o' a kit as you'll find, shiver me timbers, and all for a reasonable price. Ya scallywag! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty!

Finishing:
Finishin' be t' hardest part o' t' entire process. There is plenty o' win' surface t' fill and sand, shiver me timbers, and the paintin' can be tricky. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I followed t' instructions carefully durin' this procedure. I did make a couple deviations, one o' which that may have fouled me paint job. Arrr! Avast!

I used Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish wood filler, me hearties, rather than use multiple coats o' primer t' fill t' balsa. No problems there, me hearties, as me finished glider finished out at t' nearly identical weight t' some o' t' prototypes. Begad! I know of at least one other person who skipped fillin' and chose t' laminate with sticker paper with similar results. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' choice is up t' you. Arrr!

T' other deviation I made, matey, was t' t' use Rustoleum paint instead o' Krylon, matey, which is recommended per the instructions. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This proved t' be a mistake. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I didn't wait long enough for t' paint t' dry before applyin' t' orange maskin' material that is included with t' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' maskin' material is included if you want t' follow t' camouflage pattern that is detailed on t' instruction CD. Avast! Blimey!

When I shot me second color everythin' looked fine, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but when I removed t' maskin' material, it took t' bottom layer o' paint with it. Ahoy! T' result was somethin' akin t' skin peelin' after a bad sunburn. Well, blow me down! Nay pretty. Begad! I had waited at least 24 hours before addin' t' second color, shiver me timbers, but that wasn't nearly enough time for t' paint t' cure. Avast, me proud beauty!

I sanded t' whole thin' down t' t' filler layer, re-primed and painted. This time allowin' several days between coats. Avast! Begad! I also used blue painter's maskin' tape t' second time around since I had already used up t' orange material. T' orange mask has a pretty aggressive tack, but I can't blame t' peelin' problems entirely on that. Well, blow me down! I think it was a combination o' that, and t' paint nay bein' fully cured. Make sure your paint is fully dry before maskin' or addin' multiple coats. Avast! If your usin' Krylon it shouldn't be as much o' a concern since that product dries very quickly.

T' second time I had much better results. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I was very pleased with t' way it turned out. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' decals really brin' this plane t' life. Well, blow me down! They are by far and away some o' t' best decals I have ever worked with. Blimey! Be careful when sealin' t' decals with clear spray (dullcoat). Blimey! Ahoy! Very light coats are required so as nay t' wrinkle t' decals. Ya scallywag! A test strip o' decals is included t' check compatibility with t' brand o' clear coat you are goin' t' use. Use it! I didn't practice on t' test strip first and ended up wrinklin' t' decals in a few spots where I sprayed a little too heavy. Blimey!

Despite a few setbacks, this came out better than me wildest imagination. Ya scallywag! I was quite pleased!

Don't be bashful about fillin' and paintin' this bird. Well, blow me down! It's practically a requirement in order t' balance it and fly properly. T' manufacturer highly recommends doin' so, however, me hearties, just don't go overboard with it.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' manufacturer recommends a B6-2 for t' first flight. Arrr! This is a very good choice for most fields. I used this on my first flight and it boosted and separated as expected. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' pod recovered fine, ya bilge rat, but it didn't glide as expected. After separation, ya bilge rat, t' glider just did a hard spiral downward and crashed into t' avast field. Luckily, t' only damage was t' t' nose tube, ya bilge rat, arrr, which was pressed back into shape, ya bilge rat, arrr, reinforced with CA, and sanded smooth again.

T' boost is surprisingly very stable and straight with a barrel roll or two on t' way up. Begad! Nice and slow.

Recovery:
Included with t' kit are two self-adhesive plastic trim tabs. Only use these as a last resort, shiver me timbers, but you probably won't need them! I mistakingly thought I would need t' use one, me hearties, arrr, ya bilge rat, seein' that t' glider didn't balance laterally, arrr, one win' felt heavier. After several inconsistent (and nose battering) hand tosses later, I came t' t' conclusion I should add a tab t' one side. Begad! Arrr! Turns out, matey, it wasn't needed. Blimey! As much as it pains me t' say this about a boost glider, ya bilge rat, don't hand toss t' Fake Wulf, me bucko, you're wastin' your time!

After t' faux pas o' t' maiden flight was behind me, I threw caution t' t' wind and removed t' trim tab. T' followin' flights were spectacular. Begad! Aye aye! T' glider has a nice lazy glide, arrr, albeit a fairly short duration compared to competition standards. It's fun t' watch. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I have nothin' in me fleet that can even compare t' this. Well, blow me down! It's very unique in its design.

Out o' six flights total, thar was only one where t' pod didn't completely separate from t' glider. I blame this on a weak ejection charge. Ahoy! Begad! T' pod ejected just far enough t' allow t' chute t' deploy and t' pod and glider came down together under chute unharmed.

Use caution when decidin' t' use a C motor! My second flight on a C motor was it's last. Arrr! A very large field is required dependin' on how your bird behaves. Aye aye! I tried t' take out some o' t' turn on mine, me hearties, and that proved to be big mistake. Ahoy! It made a beeline for t' nearest treetops it could find and sailed right them, never t' be seen again.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: I am a boost glider fanatic. Avast, me proud beauty! When I first heard about this kit on T' Rocketry Forum, I be very anxious t' get my hands on one. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I be nay disappointed. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This kit is probably one o' t' best thought out, best valued, best quality, best packaged kits I have ever seen. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' manufacturer is a kit collector himself and it really shows. Ahoy! Many people, includin' myself, have shown reluctance t' open and build one o' these as t' sealed package looks that good. Do yourself a favor and buy one, arrr, or two, or three, me bucko, and build one. Avast! You'll be glad you did! Blimey!

CONs: I really can't find any fault with this kit. T' only thin' that I'm on t' fence about, matey, be t' mask material that is included. It seems a bit tacky for it's intended use, me hearties, but if you use Krylon and/or make sure your paint is fully dried, then it will most likely go as designed. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5