Brief:
Upscale o' an Estes vintage exotic kit.

Construction:
2 17" cardboard body tubes, 3 cardboard tubes for landin' leg pods, arrr, steel springs for t' shock-absorbing landin' legs, me hearties, high-quality, me hearties, laser-cut balsa fins and motor mount "exoskeleton," reflective, heat-resistant coatin' inside 24 mm motor mount, steel engine retainin' hook (long enough for a BP E-motor), resin main nose cone and landin' leg pod nose cones, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me bucko, laser-cut balsa centerin' rings and nose cone screw-eye attachment, Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, nylon parachute, snap swivel, chute protector, shiver me timbers, water-slide decals, me hearties, ya bilge rat, reflective peel-and-stick decal. Avast, me proud beauty!

When I pulled t' instructions out o' t' bag, I be intimidated! They consisted o' a many-paged, stapled booklet o' legal-sized pages. Aye aye! However, me bucko, t' instructions were very clear. T' assembly instructions were broken-down into very small steps, each well-illustrated, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, which explains why t' instructions were so long. Avast! Frankly, matey, I greatly prefer t' be walked-through a construction process with such detail, matey, especially when it comes t' a model as complicated as this one. T' order o' t' steps was logical. Blimey! Begad! I wouldn't change a thin' about them.

Much has been said in other reviews about t' unique motor mount/fin interface. Ya scallywag! Blimey! In me case, t' pieces for the MMT-exoskeleton fit together like a precision jigsaw puzzle. Begad! Blimey! T' illustrations clearly showed t' up-down orientation o' t' pieces, but they only fit together in one way anyway, which made it "idiot-proof." After t' fins were attached t' t' MMT, arrr, arrr, and t' assembly be slid into t' body tube, I noticed that thar was a little bit o' play t' the fins; i.e., if I rotated t' MMT, t' fins would skew a bit from perfect 120 degree angles. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! In all honesty, if that play had nay existed, it probably would have been impossible t' insert t' MMT. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! After applyin' glue, arrr, and slidin' the assembly in, I rotated t' MMT until t' fins appeared t' be perpendicular t' t' body tube, at least to "eyeball" standards. Ahoy! Blimey! It was nice t' nay have t' brace t' main fins while t' glue was drying. Blimey! Blimey! BTW, me hearties, t' shock cord attaches t' t' MMT exoskeleton.

Speakin' o' glue, I used white wood glue throughout t' build, except for CA gel t' glue t' screw-eye bulkhead to t' nose cone, as well as t' glue t' landin' leg pod nose cones t' t' cardboard sprin' housings. Blimey! Begad! I used the double-glue method t' attach t' auxiliary fins, arrr, linin' them up by eyesight with t' main fins, and usin' long strips o' green maskin' tape t' hold them in place while t' glue set. Arrr! Thin fillets o' white glue were applied t' t' fins and t' t' launch lugs. Ahoy!

Finishing:
I taped off t' shoulder o' t' nose cone, and t' landin' legs (to prevent paint from gettin' into the "springy" works o' t' landin' leg pods). Begad! Arrr! I hit t' whole model with an initial coat o' Kilz primer. Avast! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! After sandin' with 380 grit, me hearties, thar be just a little bit o' balsa grain visible, so I applied a second coat. Unfortunately, t' Kilz did somethin' at that point which it has never done before, ya bilge rat, matey, in that it left tiny bubbles on one side o' one main fin, shiver me timbers, me hearties, as well as on all o' t' auxiliary fins. Well, arrr, blow me down! T' bubbles smartly popped, o' course, leavin' pits in t' finish. Sandin' did nay remove t' pits (well, shiver me timbers, I could have sanded down t' bare wood, arrr, but considerin' t' amount of "lumber" on this model, that smartly exhausted me!). Ahoy! Aye aye! I tried another coat o' Kilz, but t' problem grew worse. Avast! I mitigated t' problem by applyin' a couple o' coats o' white glue, ya bilge rat, usin' cardstock t' scrape t' glue into a smooth film, then lightly sanded. Avast! Aye aye! I applied two more coats o' Krylon glossy white, shiver me timbers, sandin' betwixt coats. T' pits in t' fins were much better, although still visible up close. Arrr! Arrr! I gambled that t' application o' t' decals would help to hide them.

T' instructions called for sprayin' t' water-slide decals with clearcoat before applyin' them t' t' model. I did so, matey, usin' Krylon glossy clearcoat. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! After drying, arrr, I applied t' decals. Even after clearcoatin' them, a couple of t' smaller decals still tore, me bucko, although t' resultin' cracks in t' decals were hardly visible after shiftin' them back into t' correct positions. Blimey! T' mirrored decal, matey, which replaces t' red body decal from t' original kit, ya bilge rat, was a nice touch. Begad! As has been noted in other reviews, me hearties, care must be taken with this decal, me hearties, as handlin' it too much tends t' cause t' black printed "ribs" on t' decal t' crumble. This happened t' me, me hearties, arrr, shiver me timbers, although, shiver me timbers, again, it was barely visible, only upon close-up scrutiny.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I inserted a D12-3 and a E9-4 into t' Vega, and verified that t' CG was still in t' proper place (as identified in t' instructions).

T' maiden flights o' t' Vega were on Feb. Blimey! 14, 2009. Well, blow me down! At that point, matey, t' Vega be still in primer. Ahoy! I launched it twice that day, on a D12-3 and a E9-4. Blimey! Blimey! T' D12 boosted t' Vega straighter, due t' its more abrupt thrust profile. The thrust o' t' E9 tails off towards t' end o' t' burn, matey, arrr, which, in any kind o' wind, causes t' Vega t' "flop over" onto its side and t' fly horizontally for t' last few seconds o' flight, which is always unnerving. Blimey! During t' first flight, shiver me timbers, t' shock cord and parachute hung up on a landin' leg pod, arrr, so t' parachute didn't fully deploy. Fortunately, t' Vega landed in a loose tangle o' dried vegetation, arrr, cushionin' t' blow. Begad! Ya scallywag! She was undamaged. Durin' the second flight, matey, t' shock cord again hung up on a leg, but t' parachute fully deployed. Blimey! She landed horzontally, arrr, which kind o' defeated t' purpose o' t' shock-absorbin' landin' legs. Again, ya bilge rat, no damage, other than a landin' leg pod poppin' off o' a fin at t' glue line. Begad! Ahoy! T' sprin' was recovered, matey, matey, enablin' a complete repair.

T' Vega's third flight occurred on Mar. 21, arrr, 2009. Well, blow me down! By now, she had her "final" coat o' glossy white (more on that later). Arrr! She launched on a E9-4. Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Due t' t' almost nonexistent wind that day, ya bilge rat, she boosted straight up like an arrow. Blimey! Unfortunately, matey, t' parachute wrapped around a landin' leg again, me hearties, and she dropped straight as an arrow onto drought-hardened soil. One o' t' fins be snapped off at t' body tube joint, and two o' t' landin' leg pods popped off; one o' t' pod tubes buckled noticeably, as did t' lower body tube (right where t' mirrored decal was t' be attached). Back t' t' "shop" for an extensive refit. Ahoy! Ahoy!

Flight 4 occurred on Jun. Ahoy! 13, me bucko, me bucko, 2009. With t' (truly) final coat o' paint, me bucko, me hearties, cardboard reinforcement o' t' buckled body tube (covered by t' mirrored decal), me bucko, and t' full set o' decals, t' Vega be resplendent in her glory. Well, blow me down! I had reattached t' parachute t' t' nose cone screw-eye, rather than onto t' shock cord, halfway betwixt t' nose cone and t' top o' t' body tube, as specified in t' instructions. She be packin' an E9-4 again. Well, blow me down! T' Vega weathercocked, but achieved a safe altitude. Begad! Avast! She had her best recovery yet, me bucko, landin' on her spring-loaded feet, although fallin' over on her side immediately thereafter. Blimey! There was no damage.

Flight 5 occurred on Sept. 9, 2009. Begad! Avast! I had grown dissatisfied with t' "puffy"-lookin' mirrored decal, so had replaced it with a chrome-painted strip o' corrugated styrene (to give t' Vega a "ribbed" look, as though it had "radiator panels" for its "reactor"). Ya scallywag! I tried a D12-3 again t' see if this motor minimized weathercocking. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Nevertheless, shiver me timbers, t' Vega flopped over on its side at altitude, ya bilge rat, although she didn't fly as far away due t' t' shorter duration o' t' burn time. Begad! T' shock cord caught on a leg, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so she landed horizontally, matey, matey, although without damage. Avast, me proud beauty! This day, t' Vega also survived an assassination attempt (within inches) by t' power pod o' a Cosmos Mariner, me bucko, which ejected same upon impact.

Recovery:
Nov. 14, 2009: ZIPPER! I had used an AT E15-4. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I almost didn't get t' motor into t' MMT; t' motor retention clip caused a slight inner bulge, ya bilge rat, which I had t' trim away with a hobby knife. Begad! In t' process, a main fin fillet cracked; I did a field repair with CA gel. Blimey! Avast! In flight, t' delay seemed longer than 4 secs. Begad! Arrr! T' ejection charge also made quite a "bang." T' Vega drifted back towards our club's GSE, and would probably have landed on top o' us, had it not drifted right into t' side o' John Lee's U-Haul truck. Sometime durin' this eventful flight, t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord cleaved t' body tube in twain, matey, just below t' auxiliary fins. Begad! Blimey! A main fin also snapped off, as well as two o' t' landin' leg pods.

Throughout these flights, matey, when t' chute deployed completely, t' descent rate and drift rate were just about perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! T' flame-retardant chute protector material has always done its job. Well, blow me down! It's a joy t' nay have t' worry about wadding!

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
Pros: high-quality materials, me bucko, me hearties, unique motor mount/fin interface exoskeleton; great instructions; great flyer (in low winds). Begad! IMO, arrr, this is one o' t' best upscales o' a classic kit on t' market.

Cons: be aware o' t' winds: this model carries a lot o' "lumber." T' motor mount may need t' be o' a thicker tubin' t' avoid t' inner retainin' clip bulge which caused me so much trouble with a composite motor (never an issue with BP motors). Avast! Blimey! IMO, a model this heavy needs some sort o' elasticity in t' shock cord; perhaps this would have prevented t' "zipper." T' decals have nay held up well, even after clearcoatin' as directed in the instructions.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
T' Vega has been reassembled since her last flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I intend t' extend t' ribbed "radiator" section to hide some o' t' cracks in t' airframe. Additional cracks will be hidden by decals (from Jimz Plans) printed on cardstock. I blew up some o' t' original Vega decals from Jimz site 170%, and printed them out on business-grade paper on a business-grade laser printer. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! They came out with vivid color and a glossy finish. Begad! Blimey! I smeared an even film o' white glue on their backsides, and applied them t' t' Vega; she looks better than ever. Arrr! Blimey! I had intended t' restore t' Vega for display only (she has always been one o' me favorite models from t' 70s, one I always lusted after in high school, but never acquired then). Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! However, I'll consider retrofittin' her with some sort o' "zipper-proof" shock cord setup, arrr, and may fly her again. Ahoy! Blimey!

T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". Well, blow me down! Arrr! The intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. Begad! We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' the referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Ya scallywag! Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. For more information, me bucko, use t' two links above.

Courtesy o' QModeling

"...this QModelin' kit is o' t' highest quality, me hearties, well designed, ya bilge rat, and included intelligently written instructions."
"...is 1.68 times larger than t' original Starship Vega sold by Estes Industries in t' 1970's."
"Its light-weight construction enables it t' fly nicely on an E30 or F21."
"With over 60 components and 4 sheets o' decals, arrr, t' Vega may appear daunting..."
"...the easy t' followin' instructions include numerous illustrations and are filled with hints and suggestions to make t' job go well..."
"More recent deliveries have been upgraded t' include a Top Flight Recovery lightweight Nylon parachute, Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, ya bilge rat, and Nomex® flash mitigation pad."
"T' nosecone and landin' gear pod nosecones are hollow cast urethane."
"All o' t' fins are made from 3/16" thick balsa wood."
"T' vertical portions o' t' ingenious motor mount are made from 1/8" thick balsa wood while t' rings are from 1/8" Masonite, all laser cut..."
"T' airframe tube is also laser notched for through t' wall construction o' t' large main fins."
"T' landin' gear uses real springs for shock dampening."
"T' assembly procedure is laid out in a logical 'divide and conquuer' stragety..."
"In t' end, me bucko, ya bilge rat, arrr, it took me about four hours o' assembly."
""T' six small fins (3 canards and 3 secondaries) are surface mounted."
"...worrisome be t' possibility that lack o' adhesion betwixt t' balsa fins and t' ureghane landin' gear nosecones may end up leavin' t' outboard sections o' t' main fins unsupported and easily broken. Avast! Avast! Blimey! Fortunately, Vega would have t' land almost on its side t' cause such damage."
"To provide an attachment point on t' tail endo fo t' hollow cast nosecone, t' kit comes with a Masonite disk and a screw eye."
"For those that like finishin' rockets, this bird presents a wealth o' surfaces t' sand, seal, and paint."
"Vega's first launch...the F21 power plant should have carried Vega little more than 1000 ft up... landed over 1/2 mile downrange."
"Landin' t' Vega with significant ground speed caused minor damage t' one o' t' landin' struts. Aye aye! Even with a 30" parachute..."

Overall, me bucko, t' article shows that this is an involved kit t' build, me hearties, great t' look at, and interestin' t' fly. T' author noted that he has also built other QModelin' kits and believes t' "Q" in QModelin' is for Quality (Just as QModeling says).