I first saw Starlight Model Rockets advertised in NAR's Sport Rocketry magazine, arrr, but was then pleased t' see LongLongJonRocket.com start t' carry them, matey, so I could try one out. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' flight vehicle that I tried out is their F-32 Avenger. Avast, me proud beauty! T' winged-aircraft look is what caught me attention. Ya scallywag!

T' kit includes one 12" body tube which seems slightly thicker than typical Estes (but when I measured them I could nay see a difference). This body tube was completely pre-marked. Avast! T' 2 3/4" nose cone and pre-cut fins are balsa. Avast! Begad! There are two 18mm "jet" tubes that are 2 3/4" long. Begad! An 1/8" dowel is provided for some detail work. There is an 18mm motor tube with retainin' hook, thrust ring, and two centerin' rings. Arrr! Arrr! T' recovery system is made up o' an 12" ASP Mylar parachute, a 16" piece o' round (1/16") white elastic, arrr, and a shock cord mount. Aye aye! A 1/8" launch lug, some hardware, a decal sheet finish out t' kit.

CONSTRUCTION:

T' instructions are printed on a 3 sides o' two 8½ x 11" paper. Aye aye! There are many hand drawn illustrations t' assist in buildin' t' kit and t' placement o' t' decals. Avast! As mentioned above, me bucko, t' body tube is pre-marked with a few different colors, matey, arrr, so a markin' guide is nay needed.

T' F-32 assembles like most Estes, Custom, shiver me timbers, or Quest kits.

T' motor mount is assembled first and it used a wire motor hook, thrust rin' and two centerin' rings. Aye aye! T' thin round motor hook has a tendency t' "roll" in t' motor mount when bein' used. Arrr! I believe this is why Estes and Quest went with flat sprin' steel. Begad! Nonetheless, it is nice t' have a motor hook provided. Avast, me proud beauty!

T' nose cone is balsa and it first requires that an eye-screw be added into t' base. Well, blow me down! T' nose cone was really grainy. Begad! I found t' bottom transition edge (from nose cone t' shoulder) t' be very ragged and slight splintered. Nay terribly uncommon for balsa nose cone kits, me hearties, shiver me timbers, arrr, but it is tough t' sand. Ahoy! I found that by slidin' it into t' body tube, arrr, applyin' pressure and turnin' it against t' tube edge greatly helped reduce t' raggedness problem.

Havin' pre-cut balsa fins is a nice quality touch. T' body tube is pre-marked with different colors t' allow for very easy assembly. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions guide you t' use t' "double" glue technique. Glue is added t' t' root edge o' t' fin and then it is set aside t' dry. Blimey! Blimey! Starlight has even gone as far as colorin' t' root edge with black. Blimey! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Once it is dry, glue is applied t' t' root edge and it is placed in position on t' pre-marked line on t' body tube. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey!

T' 1/8" dowel is cut into two 2" and two 3" pieces. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' 2" dowels are glued t' t' end o' t' win' tips. Blimey! T' 3" dowels are glued on t' underside o' t' rocket on each side o' t' launch lug. Begad! These add detail t' t' rocket.

T' shock cord gets a knot tied in one end and it then weaved through three holes in t' shock cord mount. This is then glued inside, 1" down from t' top, o' t' body tube. T' opposite end is tied t' t' eye-screw in t' nose cone. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' parachute is assembled accordin' t' ASP's instructions.

Basic finishin' instructions are provided (sandin' sealer, me hearties, matey, sand, me hearties, repeat, matey, paint white). Well, blow me down! Then t' instructions describe applyin' t' water-slide decals. Blimey! Ahoy! However, shiver me timbers, me hearties, me hearties, thar be a supplemental note that said water-slide decals had been replaced with peel-n-stick ones. So I peeled-n-stuck on t' decals.

I used me typical multiple coats o' Plastic-Kote Primer and sandin' in-between. Ahoy! T' nose cone took a lot o' work. Ya scallywag! I then used Walmart Silver paint.

Overall, me hearties, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 3 points. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions are adequate for t' kit. T' hand drawings are nay t' same quality o' other kits, but certainly allow t' builder t' be successful. Well, blow me down! T' quality o' parts are good with t' exception o' t' nose cone and motor hook. Ahoy! T' pre-markin' is a very thoughful bonus. Ahoy! Havin' decals and Mylar parachute are nice features, matey, too.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

Starlight recommends t' A8-3, me hearties, B6-4, shiver me timbers, arrr, and C6-5.

My finished rocket weighed 1.5 ounces.

T' instructions indicate that you'll need 2-4 squares o' wadding. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I used 3, rolled me 'chute, me hearties, matey, and got everythin' ready.

T' first flight was on an A8-3. Excellent first choice. Nay terribly high, me bucko, shiver me timbers, arrr, but allowed for a nice flight. Recovery system worked fine, arrr, no damage. Avast!

T' second flight be on a B6-4. Blimey! Straight flight, very stable. It ejected at apogee. I be a fairly high flight for t' size o' rocket it is. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Descent rate is good. Avast! Avast! Upon collection o' t' rocket from t' field, arrr, I discovered t' first feared "Estes dent". Ya scallywag!

I know, me bucko, it probably isn't fair t' keep sayin' "Estes dent", shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but I think most understand what that is. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Too short o' a shock cord, matey, shiver me timbers, elastic stretches, snaps back. Well, blow me down! Begad! On balsa nose cones you get a "smile" from t' body tube. Blimey! With plastic nose cones you get a "dent" on t' top o' t' body tube. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Therefore, ya bilge rat, arrr, I now declare this t' be a "balsa smile" instead o' an "Estes dent". Avast!

So, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, back t' t' program. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' flight resulted in a "balsa smile".

T' third flight be also on a B6-4. Avast! Stable and straight. Ahoy! Blimey! At apogee it turned as if t' rocket (plane) was flyin' right side up. Avast, me proud beauty! Neat t' see.

T' fourth flight was on a C6-7. I purposely chose t' longer delay so it could drop some before ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! It looked great arcin' over, shiver me timbers, but it was way up there. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' ejection charge went off and t' parachute did nay fully open. Begad! I'm glad because I would have had t' walk a mile. Well, blow me down! A second "balsa smile" appeared.

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this rocket 4 points. T' F-32 is very stable and nice looking. Begad! T' short elastic shock cord caused damage. Aye aye! T' parachute is excellent and sized correctly for this rocket.

I give t' rocket an OVERALL ratin' o' 3 ½ points. Begad! Blimey! Looks and what you get with kit are very nice. Overall, it was a good experience, but in all fairness, shiver me timbers, t' rocket falls into t' "average plus" range for ratings.