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". Well, blow me down! T' kit comes with a unique and well made rectangular light fabric chute. Ahoy! This is the second CYCLINE3 kit I have built, ya bilge rat, t' first bein' t' simply named #002b.

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

T' instructions with this kit are very good, me bucko, and are some o' t' best I have ever seen. Arrr! Blimey! They explain why each o' t' methods o' construction are suggested. Aye aye! One thin' out o' t' ordinary in t' instructions is that it calls specifically for Polyurethane glue for construction, ya bilge rat, arrr, which I be unable to locate. 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, me bucko, are the same as were on t' Estes Astron Sprint (OOP) from t' late 70's. Aye aye! Begad! This is a nice choice for fin shape, arrr, shiver me timbers, yet considerin' that these must be cut and shaped from balsa fin stock that is nay die-cut, this is nay a kit for a beginner. Ya scallywag! The Balsa is good quality, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and with a lot o' patience, usin' a razor saw, several sizes o' exacto knife blades and a sandin' block, I be able t' come up with nice lookin' fins. Ya scallywag! For someone who has never made fins this shape, arrr, this could be a challenge. For t' more experienced builder, ya bilge rat, me hearties, shiver me timbers, it's nay hard really, with time and care. Ahoy!

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

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

When mountin' t' fins, I went a little out o' t' way, arrr, in ways not suggested by t' instructions. Well, blow me down! First I sanded off t' glassine layer from the body tube all t' way around t' fin area. Avast! I then traced where t' fins would be located, me hearties, and usin' a very sharp exacto pin (like a map pin), me hearties, shiver me timbers, I made (7) small holes in t' body tube where each fin would mount. Aye aye! Then usin' a medium CA, shiver me timbers, 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 hearties, I used DAP Woodweld yellow wood glue for fillets. Avast! It is me thinkin' that t' tiny holes in the airframe will allow t' CA t' seep in, makin' little "rivets" sort of. This is a technique I gleaned from EMRR recently, ya bilge rat, when readin' other reviews. Blimey! Blimey!

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

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

I skipped primer on this one, me hearties, t' fly it t' same day. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I'm nay one t' worry about a glass like finish. I painted this one as per t' prototype shown on the cover o' t' manual, and in t' flight video CD it came with. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Nose cone gloss black, and t' rest metalic silver. Well, blow me down!

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. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' cuttin' and shapin' o' t' fins requires previous experience. Ya scallywag! Avast! I'm goin' t' have t' take off 1/2 a point due to this. Here I give a (4.5/5.0).

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

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

This kit comes with a 12 foot (not 12 inch) super long elastic shock cord, and an Estes type paper triple fold mount. Aye aye! Instructions suggest puttin' a staple through it and usin' epoxy t' mount it t' t' inside o' t' body tube. I don't personally care for that method, so I modified mine, as described below. However, shiver me timbers, that method has been proven t' work, matey, arrr, 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. Avast! Blimey! It's design is innovative and it is most certainly high performance as it claims to be. Blimey! Blimey! 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. Blimey! Aye aye! Takin' a 30" long strand o' 100# test Keelhaul®©™® cord, arrr, I tied double knots in both ends. Blimey! Then usin' an exacto knife I made small V slits in two outside edges o' t' top motor tube centerin' ring. Blimey! Usin' CA to bond t' knots, matey, I then secured both ends o' t' cord t' t' mount ring. Begad! Making certain that t' loop would be an inch shy o' bein' able t' come out o' t' top of t' body, me bucko, I added a snap swivel t' be able t' change chutes quickly, and tied a knot about an inch from t' top t' create a second loop. Ahoy! While it is unlikely that t' Keelhaul®©™® will burn through, if one side breaks, t' other side should still hold. Ya scallywag! I then attached t' 12 foot elastic shock cord. Usin' this method, me hearties, t' shock cord will be t' only thin' comin' into contact with t' body tube, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and I do believe this will prevent a tube zipper, even in t' case o' a late and quick decent ejection. Well, blow me down! This is me personal double cord system. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5