Brief:
Estes labels t' Crossbow has a basic builder series, ya bilge rat, simple t' glue and paint, matey, Intergalactic Cruiser, ya bilge rat, and flies up to 1600 feet. Aye aye! Overall it's a neat lookin' rocket when completed.

Construction:
T' nose cone included is balsa which is a welcome change over t' plastic cone. T' body tubes are excellent quality, and t' fins are laser cut. Arrr! My laser cut sheet be very rough on one side and actually had t' be filled to smooth out.

Typical Estes instructions were easy t' follow with no real surprises. Aye aye! One area I changed was t' motor hook. The design calls for t' hook t' be installed on t' outside o' t' body tube with a retainer rin' that wraps along the outside o' t' BT. Arrr! Ahoy! Since this is a minimum diameter design, it's really t' only way t' install a motor hook. So I decided t' nay install t' motor hook and go with friction fittin' t' motor. Well, blow me down! T' external motor hook is just ugly and ruins t' look for me. T' shock cord install is typical Estes and it works fine. Ya scallywag! However, t' included shock cord is a little on t' short side.

Finishing:
I sealed t' balsa nose cone and fins with two coats o' Minwax Poly. Arrr! I then brushed on a coat o' thinned lightweight filler on t' balsa and body spirals. Begad! After sanding, I sprayed two coats o' primer sandin' betwixt coats. Begad! Next up was two sprayed coats o' gray Krylon for t' color. Begad! I decided t' choose gray because I figured t' majority would use white. Blimey! Nice t' be a little different.

T' decals included with t' kit worked great. However, some o' t' decals shown on the pictures were nay included. No big deal really since t' decals left off t' included sheet are installed on the bottom. Arrr! Aye aye!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight I used a B4-4 and for t' second flight a B6-4. Ya scallywag! T' wind was 5mph or less and didn't bother the Crossbow at all. Ya scallywag! I friction fit t' motors, matey, shiver me timbers, and both times t' motor stayed with t' rocket. Begad! Both flights produced a very stable arrow straight boost with near perfect ejection. Ahoy! Ahoy! Both motors pushed t' Crossbow t' very impressive altitudes and did it in a hurry. Ahoy! T' 12" chute included is really too big considerin' me Crossbow weighs under an ounce. I would recommend a smaller chute, ya bilge rat, cuttin' a spill hole, me hearties, or usin' a streamer instead. Ahoy! If you decide t' use a C motor, matey, a streamer be t' way t' go if you want it back!

After two flights t' Crossbow doesn't even have a mark on it. Ahoy! T' Crossbow should hold up well t' many flights. Ahoy!

Recovery:
T' included shock cord is too short, and t' parachute is too big. Begad! Blimey! Really this design would work better with a streamer since t' weight is low and t' fin design would be hard t' damage.

T' chute included in t' kit is all white. Avast! Must be a lead paint issue that Estes avoided by providin' an all white chute. No big deal.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
I really like t' Crossbow, and it performs well. Aye aye! It looks great when finished.

PROs:

• T' design is really cool and is perfect for upscaling.
• Great looks, excellent flight performance.
• Decals that actually work.
• Balsa nose cone
• Laser cut parts

CONs

• Too small!
• Some decals shown on design nay included in kit.
• Exposed motor hook has got t' go.
• Shock Cord t' short, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, chute t' big.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5