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". Ya scallywag! Begad! T' kit comes with a unique and well made rectangular light fabric chute. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! 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, arrr, matey, me bucko, a plastic bag with peg ready header card. Begad! Includes a 1.6" BT60, rounded plastic nose cone, 24mm engine tube, rail buttons, matey, fabric chute, 12 foot elastic shock cord, brass snap-swivel, very nice quality black flame sticker, shiver me timbers, (6) page 8.5 x 11 manual and a CD-Rom of flight videos which include this rocket. Ya scallywag!

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

T' shape o' t' fins, matey, 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. 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, shiver me timbers, this is nay a kit for a beginner. Avast! The Balsa is good quality, me hearties, and with a lot o' patience, usin' a razor saw, matey, me bucko, several sizes o' exacto cutlass 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, this could be a challenge. For t' more experienced builder, shiver me timbers, me hearties, it's nay hard really, matey, me hearties, with time and care. Well, blow me down!

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

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

When mountin' t' fins, matey, me bucko, I went a little out o' t' way, in ways not suggested by t' instructions. Blimey! First I sanded off t' glassine layer from the body tube all t' way around t' fin area. I then traced where t' fins would be located, arrr, and usin' a very sharp exacto pin (like a map pin), me hearties, I made (7) small holes in t' body tube where each fin would mount. Well, blow me down! Then usin' a medium CA, me hearties, I made a nice bead on each fin root, matey, placed them and lined them up with an Estes fin alignment guide and clips. Aye aye! After t' CA dried, I used DAP Woodweld yellow wood glue for fillets. Begad! 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, me hearties, arrr, when readin' other reviews. Avast!

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, matey, then a gloss coat. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' reason bein' as they state, that flat paint does nay tend t' run like gloss paint. Well, blow me down! That's very true, and nice attention t' detail. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty!

I skipped primer on this one, matey, t' fly it t' same day. 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. Nose cone gloss black, me hearties, and t' rest metalic silver. Ahoy!

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, me hearties, shiver me timbers, 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! Ya scallywag! I'm goin' t' have t' take off 1/2 a point due to this. Avast, me proud beauty! Here I give a (4.5/5.0). Blimey!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
This kit does nay state any specific recommended motors, it just states "24MM C Through F Power". Blimey! Well, blow me down! Thank goodness for t' new Estes C11's. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Ya scallywag! This is most certainly a "High Performance" rocket and a large field is recommended. Ahoy! I'm goin' t' try it on a D12, but only at a club launch where I can get some help trackin' it. Blimey!

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

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

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a complete rocket kit with excellent materials and instructions. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! It's design is innovative and it is most certainly high performance as it claims to be. Begad! Blimey! Begad! 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. Begad! Takin' a 30" long strand o' 100# test Keelhaul®©™® cord, I tied double knots in both ends. Begad! Then usin' an exacto cutlass I made small V slits in two outside edges o' t' top motor tube centerin' ring. Blimey! Usin' CA to bond t' knots, I then secured both ends o' t' cord t' t' mount ring. Making certain that t' loop would be an inch shy o' bein' able t' come out o' t' top of t' body, ya bilge rat, I added a snap swivel t' be able t' change chutes quickly, ya bilge rat, and tied a knot about an inch from t' top t' create a second loop. While it is unlikely that t' Keelhaul®©™® will burn through, if one side breaks, t' other side should still hold. I then attached t' 12 foot elastic shock cord. Ahoy! Blimey! Usin' this method, t' shock cord will be t' only thin' comin' into contact with t' body tube, and I do believe this will prevent a tube zipper, even in t' case o' a late and quick decent ejection. Avast! Blimey! This is me personal double cord system. Blimey! Blimey!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5