Brief:
This is a single stage 20" tall rocket with 3 fins by CYCLINE3 which is described as an "Ultra High Performance Mid-Power Rocket". T' kit comes with a unique and well made rectangular light fabric chute. Aye aye! Avast! This is the second CYCLINE3 kit I have built, t' first bein' t' simply named #002b.

Construction:
This comes in an Estes type retail package, matey, a plastic bag with peg ready header card. Includes a 1.6" BT60, rounded plastic nose cone, arrr, arrr, 24mm engine tube, rail buttons, shiver me timbers, fabric chute, 12 foot elastic shock cord, brass snap-swivel, very nice quality black flame sticker, me hearties, (6) page 8.5 x 11 manual and a CD-Rom of flight videos which include this rocket. Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down!

T' instructions with this kit are very good, and are some o' t' best I have ever seen. They explain why each o' t' methods o' construction are suggested. Avast, me proud beauty! One thin' out o' t' ordinary in t' instructions is that it calls specifically for Polyurethane glue for construction, shiver me timbers, which I was unable to locate. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I used other methods for t' construction which I will describe below.

T' shape o' t' fins, I only happen t' know by personal experience, are the same as were on t' Estes Astron Sprint (OOP) from t' late 70's. Begad! This is a nice choice for fin shape, yet considerin' that these must be cut and shaped from balsa fin stock that is nay die-cut, me bucko, this is nay a kit for a beginner. Avast! The Balsa is good quality, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and with a lot o' patience, ya bilge rat, usin' a razor saw, me bucko, shiver me timbers, several sizes o' exacto cutlass blades and a sandin' block, shiver me timbers, I be able t' come up with nice lookin' fins. Avast! Begad! For someone who has never made fins this shape, me hearties, shiver me timbers, this could be a challenge. Aye aye! For t' more experienced builder, ya bilge rat, it's nay hard really, with time and care. Blimey! Begad!

This kit calls for a very unique method o' creatin' an engine tube centerin' rin' with Polyurethane glue. Like t' other Cycline3 kit I built, it does nay come with a thrust ring or engine clip. Aye aye! With this rocket, I decided t' add a 24mm thrust rin' and D length engine clip, arrr, shiver me timbers, as well as two cardboard centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, all pulled from a Mean Machine kit. Well, blow me down! I also added a 30" piece o' Keelhaul®©™® 100# test cord.

This kit, just as t' other Cycline3 kit I built (#002b), is designed t' be (4) ounces. Even with me modifications o' engine tube rings, ya bilge rat, recovery and addition o' a thrust rin' and clip, ya bilge rat, both me Cycline3 #002b, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and this Cycline3 #004 Poison Arrow, me bucko, only came t' 3.5 ounces each. Begad! Begad!

When mountin' t' fins, me bucko, me bucko, I went a little out o' t' way, me bucko, arrr, in ways not suggested by t' instructions. Avast, me proud beauty! First I sanded off t' glassine layer from the body tube all t' way around t' fin area. Begad! I then traced where t' fins would be located, me bucko, and usin' a very sharp exacto pin (like a map pin), I made (7) small holes in t' body tube where each fin would mount. Arrr! Then usin' a medium CA, me bucko, I made a nice bead on each fin root, placed them and lined them up with an Estes fin alignment guide and clips. After t' CA dried, me bucko, me bucko, me hearties, I used DAP Woodweld yellow wood glue for fillets. Well, blow me down! It is me thinkin' that t' tiny holes in the airframe will allow t' CA t' seep in, matey, makin' little "rivets" sort of. Ahoy! This is a technique I gleaned from EMRR recently, when readin' other reviews. Begad! Arrr!

I added me own launch lugs instead o' t' rail buttons which were provided.

Finishing:
T' Cycline3 kits suggest usin' primer, shiver me timbers, then sandin' and then usin' flat paint for t' color, followed by decals, then a gloss coat. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' reason bein' as they state, that flat paint does nay tend t' run like gloss paint. Ya scallywag! That's very true, and nice attention t' detail. Begad!

I skipped primer on this one, arrr, t' fly it t' same day. Aye aye! I'm nay one t' worry about a glass like finish. Avast! Begad! I painted this one as per t' prototype shown on the cover o' t' manual, and in t' flight video CD it came with. Arrr! Avast! Nose cone gloss black, ya bilge rat, and t' rest metalic silver.

T' black flame decal that comes with this kit is one o' t' best quality I have ever seen with any rocket kit.

Due t' t' construction and finishin' methods, I believe this kit should have a high skill level stated on it. Avast, me proud beauty! T' cuttin' and shapin' o' t' fins requires previous experience. Avast! Avast! I'm goin' t' have t' take off 1/2 a point due to this. Here I give a (4.5/5.0). Avast! Well, blow me down!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
This kit does nay state any specific recommended motors, arrr, it just states "24MM C Through F Power". Begad! Thank goodness for t' new Estes C11's. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I popped a C11-5 in for t' test flight before paint. Aye aye! A C11 put it so high that I did nay expect t' recover it. Begad! Aye aye! This is most certainly a "High Performance" rocket and a large field is recommended. Begad! I'm goin' t' try it on a D12, shiver me timbers, but only at a club launch where I can get some help trackin' it. Blimey! Well, blow me down!

This rocket if built right, should do just what mine did, and leap off the pad straight as an arrow. Avast! Arrr! T' flight was flawless. Nay a bit o' twist, shiver me timbers, spin or weather-cocking. Begad! Just straight as an arrow.

Recovery:
This rocket kit comes with a very nice quality, matey, somewhat unusual, rectangular shaped light cloth chute called a "Frankenchute". Avast, matey, me proud beauty! It's sort o' a peach color, shiver me timbers, me hearties, very light and very strong. Ahoy! Begad! It is pre-assembled and has heavy stitchin' and thick but light shroud lines. Ahoy! If purchased alone, t' chute is easily worth at least o' what they charge for t' entire kit. Ya scallywag! Begad! Don't forget the waddin' t' protect t' chute.

This kit comes with a 12 foot (not 12 inch) super long elastic shock cord, and an Estes type paper triple fold mount. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Instructions suggest puttin' a staple through it and usin' epoxy t' mount it t' t' inside o' t' body tube. Begad! Begad! I don't personally care for that method, arrr, so I modified mine, me bucko, as described below. However, me bucko, that method has been proven t' work, me hearties, and with t' 12 foot shock cord and nice strong fabric chute, it sure deserves a 5/5 here.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a complete rocket kit with excellent materials and instructions. Blimey! It's design is innovative and it is most certainly high performance as it claims to be. It comes with an excellent comprehensive instruction manual as well as a high quality recovery system.

I modified t' recovery system a bit, just out o' personal preference. Ahoy! Takin' a 30" long strand o' 100# test Keelhaul®©™® cord, arrr, I tied double knots in both ends. Aye aye! Then usin' an exacto cutlass I made small V slits in two outside edges o' t' top motor tube centerin' ring. Begad! Usin' CA to bond t' knots, I then secured both ends o' t' cord t' t' mount ring. Ahoy! Making certain that t' loop would be an inch shy o' bein' able t' come out o' t' top of t' body, me hearties, I added a snap swivel t' be able t' change chutes quickly, me bucko, and tied a knot about an inch from t' top t' create a second loop. Aye aye! Well, me hearties, blow me down! While it is unlikely that t' Keelhaul®©™® will burn through, if one side breaks, arrr, t' other side should still hold. Avast! Begad! I then attached t' 12 foot elastic shock cord. Usin' this method, t' shock cord will be t' only thin' comin' into contact with t' body tube, me bucko, and I do believe this will prevent a tube zipper, ya bilge rat, even in t' case o' a late and quick decent ejection. Ahoy! Aye aye! This is me personal double cord system. Well, blow me down! Begad!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5