Brief: T' Harpoon is a scale model o' a US Air-Launched Anti-Ship Missile, matey, T' Launch Pad's kit is an excellent first mid power and scale rocket.

Construction: I was so glad when I finally got me hands on me AGM-84 Harpoon. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! One o' t' members o' me club be goin' down t' t' US and was kind enough t' brin' it back for me. Avast! I received t' Harpoon with all pieces present, in good condition, and good quality. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I have heard some nay so great things about TLP's balsa wood, me bucko, but I found t' wood for t' Harpoon great, with a little help from CA.

T' instructions were clear, shiver me timbers, arrr, but I wish they would have included more help and info on how t' get t' little hat that sits on top o' a FatBoy style nose cone, straight and in t' middle, matey, matey, that be tricky, ya bilge rat, but I think mine is close enough for me standards. That was t' only real "gotcha" for this rocket, t' fins aligned great, ya bilge rat, and everythin' fit together perfectly.

Finishing: T' only thin' that really disappointed me in t' beginnin' with t' Harpoon was t' lackin' o' decals. Arrr! But, now I know that it much easier for t' consumer t' use his or her own techniques. Begad! Well, blow me down! I just painted t' bands that go around t' rocket, and for all o' t' small pinpoint rivets that are suppose t' be on t' rocket, matey, I used a decal pack that I got from a local hobby store (East Coast Model Center) that be 1/5 rivet decals, perfect, went on with ease, and made t' rocket look great. Begad! Still ponderin' what t' do for t' small amount o' letterin' that will go on t' rocket. Just a note, I am nay a perfectionist, or a great scale buff, arrr, me Harpoon was just sports scale, me hearties, but I like how it turned out.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Flight: T' recommended motors for t' harpoon are a D12-3, E15-4, and a RMS F24-4 (24mm). Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I plan on usin' all o' t' recommended motors, me bucko, but instead o' t' E15, matey, an E18 (reload).

T' day for t' maiden flight for t' Harpoon finally came. Begad! First flight would be on a D12-3. Everythin' be setup, pictures were taken, me hearties, and after makin' sure t' wind was perfect, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, that t' launch rod was perfect, me hearties, and that everythin' was perfect, it was ready t' launch. Begad! I pushed t' launch button and t' Harpoon lifted off. Blimey! T' flight was perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Harpoon flied straight as a rail, nice altitude on a D, and then right at apogee t' ejection charge fired, and t' nice mylar parachute deployed, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and t' Harpoon drifted down. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Perfect flight and recovery.

Second flight, same day. Ahoy! Begad! I was goin' t' fly me LOC Aura on an Aerotech E engine, that was t' plan, but when I launched that on a D, ya bilge rat, t' stock streamer didn't slow it down enough and it broke a fin off, me bucko, so I thought I would fly it in t' Harpoon. Avast, me proud beauty! Everythin' was set, and was readied again. Aye aye! Begad! I hit t' launch button, and t' Harpoon lifted off t' pad, ya bilge rat, t' igniter clips didn't come off, me hearties, it soared... Avast, me proud beauty! wait a minute (my exact thoughts). Ya scallywag! Begad! T' Aerotech igniter clips didn't unattach themselves from t' Harpoon, me bucko, when it was about ten feet off o' t' pad, t' leads ran out o' slack, which caused them t' pull on t' harpoon, shiver me timbers, me bucko, causin' it t' go horizontal. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' leads did finally come unattached. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Harpoon sailed directly away from us and over t' small hill we launch on. Begad! Amazin' sight. Begad! Then t' realization set in. Begad! T' slow walk started towards t' crash site. Begad! Aye aye! As we got closer t' it, arrr, we noticed that t' parachute had deployed. Avast, me proud beauty! Good sign. Arrr! Begad! It landed in some alders, matey, me bucko, pretty good sign, but then we notice what we thought be t' nose cone, was actually t' top six inches o' t' rocket's body tube smashed.

Damage report. Ahoy! First six inches o' t' rocket are destroyed. Avast, me proud beauty! T' nose cone was completely smashed t' bits, one broken fin, arrr, arrr, and all fins had small slits from t' alder branches. It is fixable, it will be fixed, and it will fly again, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and hopefully soon. I contact TLP and they were great enough t' help me by givin' me t' length o' t' rocket, matey, help me with a parts list, shiver me timbers, and are sendin' me a replacement 'little hat' that goes on t' t' top o' t' nose cone t' give it t' scale.

Recovery: One thin' I really enjoy about t' Harpoon is its green mylar parachute, it's easy t' see, me hearties, easy t' pack, matey, arrr, and has a snap for easy removal from t' Harpoon. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' 18" seems t' be fine from t' tests I have conducted (throwin' it off me deck). Begad! T' recovery system is a snap t' put together, shiver me timbers, but instead o' usin' t' shroud line material t' connect t' nose cone t' t' swivel, I just tied t' shock cord t' t' nose cone, me bucko, and put t' swivel 10" or so down, ya bilge rat, didn't want t' trust that thin string).

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Summary: This rocket looks awesome, that be t' best thin' I feel about it. It is a nice lookin' rocket, me bucko, me hearties, t' right size, ya bilge rat, nice motors size, ya bilge rat, nice scale touch, and a nice finish. Ahoy! T' only thin' I would say that I disliked about t' rocket would be that little hat that goes on top o' t' nose cone. Other than that, shiver me timbers, all o' t' pieces went together easily. Aye aye! A good first mid power or scale rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5