Brief:
This is yet another review o' this unique, crooked rocket. Ahoy! Hopefully, matey, this provides another perspective on its construction, ya bilge rat, finishing/decoration, and flight.

Construction:

T' FlisKits kits are professionally packaged and this is no exception. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' printed face includes is in full color, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, includes photos and specs, and a serial number--mine is #87. T' small parts are contained in a small Zip-loc bag. Arrr! Avast! My only minor complaint is that t' cardstock sheet with t' bottom shroud was rolled in t' BT-70 tube, arrr, and t' curve on t' shroud be backwards. Ahoy! Avast! It took a little more work t' roll it, matey, but this didn't really hurt anything. Begad! There are eight pages o' detailed instructions.

T' rocket consists o' a full length BT-50 tube that also serves as t' motor tube. Blimey! Around this is a series, arrr, o' shrouds, sections o' custom cut BT-70 tubing, shiver me timbers, and centerin' rings, me bucko, which form t' crooked outer shell. Ya scallywag! T' highlight o' t' components are t' seven laser cut rings, arrr, ya bilge rat, which include alignment tabs. Aye aye! T' middle six rings also include a hole that allows you t' align t' rin' set usin' a standard launch rod; this is an simple, but well thought out feature.

Templates are provided for all t' cutting, matey, shiver me timbers, and I recommend you take your time. Arrr! Assembly is a bit tricky as you are told t' insert t' thin centerin' rings halfway into each angular tube. Ya scallywag! I failed t' accomplish this. Well, matey, blow me down! Thus, shiver me timbers, t' intersection o' t' BT-70 sections is nay as clean as they could be, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but t' rocket still went together and is quite sturdy.

Motor retention is accomplished with both a cardboard rin' and a motor hook. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' motor itself is recessed into t' base o' t' rocket which I think gives it a cool look.

For t' nose cone, I formed t' shroud that came with t' instructions (shortened a bit so it wouldn't hang out) and glued it into an outer shroud that I decorated and printed myself. I used Devcon 2-ton, arrr, 5-minute epoxy, which be t' same epoxy recommended by Art Applewhite on his kits and will nay bleed through t' cardstock. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! While I was at it, me bucko, arrr, me hearties, I glued in t' nose cone's centerin' rin' usin' t' 5-minute epoxy. Arrr! T' nose cone's shoulder consists o' a BT-50 sized balsa coupler that is glued into a pre-cut hole in t' nose cone's centerin' ring. Arrr! A eyehook completes t' cone. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! There is a chunk o' clay t' provide stability, but unlike most rockets it doesn't go in t' nose. Ahoy! Instead, me hearties, t' fill t' top o' t' rocket betwixt t' top centerin' ring, arrr, t' BT-70, me hearties, and t' inner BT-50 tubes.

T' fins are all uniquely shaped and complete t' odd looks o' t' kit. Arrr! Avast! These are glued directly t' t' bottom cardstock shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I used white glue and added several layers o' fillets. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' fins still seem loose, as t' shroud does nay provide a firm base. Begad! If I was t' build it gain, I'd make a second shroud and epoxy it into t' first, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, similar t' what I did on t' nose cone. Aye aye! I just wasn't thinkin' at t' time.

While I was assemblin' t' body, I ran a section o' Keelhaul®©™ twine through t' BT-50 tube, tied it around t' tube, matey, and epoxied it t' a centerin' ring. I tied t' stock elastic cord t' this leader, shiver me timbers, and t' t' hook-eye installed in t' cone. Ahoy! Avast! I haven't yet assembled t' plastic chute that be provided with t' kit.

Finishing:
T' Spitfire requires finishin' like most rockets. FlisKits does have a set o' 'skins' that can be downloaded for free from their site. I printed t' skins on t' recommended Avery 5265 full-page label paper usin' me OfficeJet printer. Arrr! Blimey! T' sizin' o' t' skins was a bit off, but it was easy t' fill t' gaps with strips o' similarly colored stickers, matey, me bucko, which I conveniently had leftover since I didn't check t' printer settin' t' first time through. Blimey! One thin' about FlisKits is that they actually LISTEN t' their customers. Well, blow me down! Begad! By t' time o' this posting, t' wraps will be updated.

I decided t' make me own nose cone shroud with Wile E. Arrr! Begad! Coyote on it. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Since blank skin templates weren't yet available, I scanned t' template from t' kit. Aye aye! Begad! I had found a front view o' Wile E on t' net, but knew he wouldn't look right if he be simply pasted onto t' shroud. Begad! Aye aye! Therefore, I used a distortion filter in Adobe Photo Deluxe t' wrap Wile E over a sphere. Avast! Thus, when t' cone is formed, he be more-or-less straightened back out. I "borrowed" a few bits o' graphics from FlisKits t' complete me shroud, matey, which I printed directly onto cardstock.

I also added a bunch o' random stickers: band-aids, me hearties, extra metal patches/hatches, me hearties, drippin' green ooze (stole t' idea from Carl Tulanko), me bucko, and even me own "no BATF" sticker. I sealed t' edges o' t' stickers with white glue, matey, me bucko, as recommended and shot two coats o' clear enamel over t' whole thing.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
There is nothin' out o' t' ordinary about t' prep o' this unique rocket. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' C11-3 gave an arrow-straight flight with ejection at apogee - perfect! Blimey! T' ejection went off with an extra loud POP, since I guess thar was a lot o' shock cord and chute t' eject.

Recovery:
I used an Estes 12in chute that I already had assembled. Begad! This was a hard decision. Aye aye! On one hand I was worried about t' fins, on t' other hand t' BT-50 doesn't leave much room for a chute. Begad! Ya scallywag! However, matey, me hearties, t' recovery was fine with no fin damage.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
FlisKits is provin' t' be a highly innovative kit manufacturer. Arrr! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' Spitfire is about t' most unique kit I've seen. It is nay t' easiest build, but t' instructions are great. Blimey! Plus, ya bilge rat, as someone on TRF commented, lookin' a bit dilapidated may actually *help* t' looks o' this kit! :-) Despite its crooked, funny-lookin' profile, t' Spitfire flies as well as it looks. Blimey! I can't wait t' see what custom skins people come up with. Arrr! Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' only concern I have be t' attachment o' t' fins t' a paper shroud. Begad! In conclusion, me hearties, ya bilge rat, this would be a great addition t' anyone's fleet!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5