Summary:
A fantasy futuristic single pilot space fighter. Ya scallywag! It has a unique fuselage shape, me hearties, flies on 29mm motors (F50 be t' only motor recommended by t' kit maker) and has aft ejection parachute recovery. Blimey! Blimey! This rocket was named in a contest sponsored by EMRR. T' name was a combination o' t' top three vote getters with IPFI bein' t' abbreviation for InterPlanetary Fighter Interceptor, shiver me timbers, Strikeship t' operational usage, ya bilge rat, and Lightnin' it’s nickname. Begad! Well, blow me down! It joins other kits in t' Fat Cat space fleet (P.T.S. Begad! Shaman and O.G.M. Begad! Roanoke)

PRO: unique design, quality components, shiver me timbers, and stable flight on an F50.

CON: none

CONSTRUCTION:
T' kit came in a cardboard box from t' manufacturer with sub-kits o' groups of components in separate sealed plastic bags. All o' t' components were present, and thar be no damage. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Even though this is a unique design, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, it was accomplished usin' standard components common t' t' rocket kit industry. Begad! The imagination behind this design is t' be commended! T' instructions are printed on four double-sided pages usin' a 4-color ink jet printer. Blimey! Avast! Each step has explanatory diagrams with notes and arrows. Aye aye! Aye aye! Two pages are devoted t' finishing suggestions and decal location guides. Ahoy! T' instructions are adequate for an experienced mid-power modeler. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! However, me hearties, novices t' mid-power should probably make this kit a later addition t' their fleet after they have built several mid-power kits. A few notes that I made while assemblin' are added here as additional comments for future builders, and nay as criticism o' t' kit maker.

Step 1: Assembly o' t' engine mount: If you wish t' add positive engine retention, you should do so at this step prior t' assembly. Avast! Begad! I put a retention clip in one end o' t' motor mount for when I use an RMS motor and left the other (flush) end free for friction retention o' SU motors. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I also soaked in some CA into t' inside o' t' motor tubes at both ends which makes t' motor tube less likely t' wear after numerous launches and make t' motor tube easier to clean after a launch.

Step 2: Assembly o' t' forward fuselage: When gluin' t' two body tubes together, minimize t' glue in t' aft 1.5 inches until after t' centering rings are installed. Blimey! Begad! I did not, me hearties, me hearties, and it was harder t' install t' forward centerin' rin' without a lot o' sandin' t' get it t' fit over a healthy glue fillet. There is a possible “gotcha“ in this step. Ya scallywag! Avast! In Step 2, make sure you line up t' two centerin' rings so that t' front fuselage will be parallel t' t' aft fuselage when assembled. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' two centerin' rings have two side-by-side holes cut for t' inner parallel body tubes. Well, blow me down! These two holes on the two centerin' rings were cut so that t' distance from t' edge o' t' hole to t' outside o' t' centerin' rin' be slightly different on one side compared t' t' other. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I did nay realize this till after they were glued on the body tubes, and t' 50-50-90 rule (If given a 50-50 chance o' gettin' something wrong, you will get it wrong 90% o' t' time) came into effect so that t' two centerin' rings did nay match exactly in their orientation when glued onto the body tubes. Avast! If nay caught, it would have resulted in gluin' t' forward fuselage into t' aft fuselage in Step 10 and havin' a slightly crooked rocket. Aye aye! Blimey! I caught this before gluing, arrr, and used a long length o' 3” quantum tube as an alignment reference tool t' test-fit and sand t' opposite outside edges o' t' two centerin' rings t' ensure parallel alignment o' t' forward fuselage t' t' aft fuselage.

Step 3: Do nay glue t' two body halves together now! That is done in Step 10. Avast! I didn’t read this step #3A carefully enough and actually glued t' aft body tube t' t' front fuselage assembly here. Ahoy! It did nay ruin t' kit t' do this, but it was inconvenient in a few o' t' followin' steps.

Step 4: Sub-step C says t' seal t' leadin' edges o' t' wings, fins and rudders with CA. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I did t' trailin' edges as well.

Step 5: T' attach t' wings t' t' body tube, me bucko, t' instructions say t' rough up t' surface with sandpaper t' create a better bondin' surface. Blimey! Blimey! I attached the wings with outdoor wood glue and later filleted with 30 minute epoxy. Note that you should wait t' fillet till after step 6 when you attach t' fins and rudders.

Step 6: T' fillet with 30 min epoxy, ya bilge rat, arrr, I used Popsicle sticks t' get an even concave fillet and a damp paper towel t' wipe up excess. Well, blow me down! Don’t forget t' fillet t' win' joints too.

Step 7: T' attach t' metal shock cord anchor, arrr, an epoxy block is built up with about five applications o' 5 minute epoxy. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' dams at t' front and back of t' lower fin worked pretty well, matey, arrr, me bucko, but did nay create a faired shape. Avast! I let the last application spill over and make more o' an aerodynamic shape at the front o' this fillet. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I also put a blob o' epoxy on both o' t' copper clips, and also dipped t' loop o' steel leader in epoxy t' make it less abrasive to the eventual attachment o' t' elastic shock cord. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' diagram in the instructions show t' launch lug bein' shorter than t' lower fin, but the launch lug provided in me kit be longer than t' fin. Either is OK. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' notch cut in t' aft o' t' body tube t' accommodate t' wire shock cord leader should be reinforced with CA for wear resistance. I also put a small radius in the notch t' allow t' wire leader t' smoothly transition in and out o' this notch.

Step 8&9: straightforward, no comments.

Step 10: Here be t' step that I did way back after Step 2 because I didn’t flip t' page first before doin' what I assumed be t' next step. I built t' rest o' t' model around an already assembled fuselage. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Nay a big deal, except t' nose is heavy from all t' nose weight, ya bilge rat, and it makes it slightly awkward t' handle. Make sure t' centering rings fit up and actually cause t' two sections o' fuselage t' mate in a parallel line. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Sand as necessary t' ensure this.

FINISHING:
T' spiral grooves are pretty big in t' provided tubes so some application of Elmer’s F&F is required. Aye aye! T' balsa, though very impressively thick, has fairly large grain, me bucko, shiver me timbers, which also needs t' be filled. Ahoy! Two pages o' diagrams are provided which show two suggested paint and decal schemes. Ya scallywag! Page 1 o' the finish pages also shows t' recommended balance point with t' motor installed. If too far back, t' kit maker suggested by phone consult addin' more nose weight by pourin' lead shot into both forward tubes and coverin' with epoxy. T' web site lists t' weight o' this finished rocket as 20oz. Aye aye! My finished rocket only weighs 16 oz, but I used healthy epoxy fillets everywhere. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It worried me a little that me rocket might nay be as sturdy as t' kit makers’ version, but it feels solid and well-built. Well, blow me down! I chose t' paint the rocket Krylon pearl gray which I felt would be a realistic space fighter color. I have yet t' add highlights and attach t' decals, so I will send a picture to Nick at some future time. Ahoy! Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' web site for t' kit maker does provide pictures of various paint schemes customers have used. Begad! One intriguin' scheme is this rocket decked out in police cruiser colors usin' decals from a Radio Controlled car kit.

FLIGHT:
T' instructions list only one engine as recommended; an F50-5. Blimey! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I contacted the kit maker and asked him about this. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I pointed out that Aerotech had a F50-4, F50-6, me bucko, and a F52-5, but no F50-5. Ahoy! Blimey! He agreed and said that any o' those motors should be fine.

So far, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I have only flown t' rocket on an F50-4 single use, and it is a good choice. Aye aye! Begad! T' use an RMS casing, thar be room in t' motor mount, but less expansion volume in front of the engine than with an F size SU motor, me bucko, arrr, which might lead t' a more violent rear ejection than with a single use motor (theory only, arrr, nay confirmed at this time). Avast! Ya scallywag! I have nay tried an RMS motor yet, but intend to. Ahoy!

Flight on an Aerotech F50-4T single use motor was straight and stable to somewhere betwixt 500 and 1000 ft. Ya scallywag! Blimey! My calibrated altitude eye just wasn’t up t' a more accurate altitude estimate that day. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! I wish t' kit maker had given an estimated predicted altitude in t' instructions, just t' give me an idea how high t' expect on t' recommended engine, but with his weight so much different than mine, matey, it would only be a rough estimate anyway. Arrr! Blimey! I may have to someday get out me trusty Estes Altitrack and see what I get for altitude.

RECOVERY:
T' provided 24” nylon chute is a good choice and t' rocket came down gently t' a soft landin' at t' sod farm.

OVERALL:
Everythin' considered, me hearties, it is a good kit that uses a unique design concept and excellent materials. Avast, me proud beauty! It is stable and recovers reliably. Avast, me proud beauty! I like the comprehensive decal set, shiver me timbers, and some o' t' extra details such as t' wooden gun mounts on each wing, ya bilge rat, and t' landin' strut for display (removed for flight).

RATINGS:
Construction: 5 out o' 5, ya bilge rat, me bucko, Flight/Recovery: 5 out o' 5, shiver me timbers, arrr, Overall: 5 out o' 5