Brief:
This is a new Skill Level 1 kit from Estes designed t' fly on t' new C11 motors. Arrr! Ya scallywag! It is a tall, matey, BT-60 based 3FNC design with through-the-wall fins, arrr, and a 24mm motor mount.

Construction:
T' kits parts were all in excellent condition. T' BT-60 has 3 slots on one end o' t' tube for t' TTW fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Die cut fins were high quality, as were all t' other parts. Begad! Avast! Elastic shock cord be longer than expected, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but still a bit short. Begad! Nose cone was excellent w/o any flashing. Begad! Bonus: A BT-60 t' BT-55 plastic transition piece comes attached t' t' nose cone, arrr, but is nay needed in t' kit. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! 18" parachute is pre-assembled.

T' instructions & assembly were very straightforward and clear. Aye aye! Blimey! Construction be easy, shiver me timbers, and took little time. Blimey! Blimey! It is a cool lookin' kit which was fun t' build with me 2 year old daughter (who picked t' kit out at t' store). Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' TTW fins fit extremely well, me bucko, and went on w/o a hitch. Well, blow me down! Blimey! No special tools or techniques were needed. Avast! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I did a mod on t' shock cord usin' Keelhaul®©™ strin' around t' motor mount, and runnin' it up t' body, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, finally tyin' it together with t' elastic shock cord. Blimey! Blimey! T' motor block instructions are intended t' accommodate t' standard 24x70mm "D" motor casing, and can be easily modified t' accept t' larger (94mm) "E" engines, which is how I did it.

Finishing:
Finishin' be standard stuff, although I let me chief construction assistant be t' director o' finishing. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I primed t' kit (after fillin' a couple tube grooves), then painted it gloss white. Blimey! Blimey! T' remainder be done w/ markers by me daughter in whatever color she chose. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Its quite a sight! Blimey! :). T' 'normal' fill/prime/paint would be straightforward for this kit.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
It flies nicely on C11-5's. Avast! I used that twice as I was usin' a small field. Begad! Begad! Straight boost t' about 400 feet, with deployment just past apogee. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' 18" chute is probably a bit big if you're usin' a D or E engine. Avast! A D12 would do nicely. Ya scallywag! An "E" would send this out o' sight. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! (much like it does t' a modified Blue Ninja).

Recovery:
Pros: C11's make for fun flyin' on smaller fields. 18 chute is good for that. Blimey! Ahoy! Keelhaul®©™® mod should keep cord burnout away for a while.

Cons: Use 12" chute for bigger motors.

Overall, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' kit flies nicely and recovers easily.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
A fun t' build, ya bilge rat, sturdy, arrr, big rocket (for skill level 1) that can be a great afternoon project. Avast! Arrr! Also can be modified for t' more adventurous. Blimey! Aye aye! Another outstandin' point: Its fairly inexpensive. Ahoy! List is about $12. Well, me hearties, blow me down! With me Michael's 40% coupon, this only cost be $7. Its worth every penny. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Let t' kids paint it! Its a nice big canvas for it!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5