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". Aye aye! Ahoy! T' kit comes with a unique and well made rectangular light fabric chute. This is the second CYCLINE3 kit I have built, matey, t' first bein' t' simply named #002b.

Construction:
This comes in an Estes type retail package, matey, ya bilge rat, a plastic bag with peg ready header card. Begad! Includes a 1.6" BT60, rounded plastic nose cone, me hearties, me bucko, 24mm engine tube, rail buttons, shiver me timbers, fabric chute, 12 foot elastic shock cord, brass snap-swivel, very nice quality black flame sticker, arrr, shiver me timbers, (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, arrr, and are some o' t' best I have ever seen. They explain why each o' t' methods o' construction are suggested. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! One thin' out o' t' ordinary in t' instructions is that it calls specifically for Polyurethane glue for construction, me hearties, which I was unable to locate. Blimey! I used other methods for t' construction which I will describe below. Arrr! Well, blow me down!

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

This kit calls for a very unique method o' creatin' an engine tube centerin' rin' with Polyurethane glue. Blimey! Like t' other Cycline3 kit I built, me bucko, 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, as well as two cardboard centerin' rings, all pulled from a Mean Machine kit. I also added a 30" piece o' Keelhaul®©™® 100# test cord. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

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

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

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

I skipped primer on this one, t' fly it t' same day. Begad! Blimey! 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, ya bilge rat, and in t' flight video CD it came with. Avast! Nose cone gloss black, me hearties, and t' rest metalic silver. Aye aye!

T' black flame decal that comes with this kit is one o' t' best quality I have ever seen with any rocket kit. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down!

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

This rocket if built right, arrr, shiver me timbers, should do just what mine did, and leap off the pad straight as an arrow. T' flight was flawless. Blimey! Aye aye! Nay a bit o' twist, spin or weather-cocking. Blimey! Aye aye! 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". Begad! It's sort o' a peach color, ya bilge rat, very light and very strong. Well, me hearties, blow me down! It is pre-assembled and has heavy stitchin' and thick but light shroud lines. If purchased alone, t' chute is easily worth at least o' what they charge for t' entire kit. Arrr! Arrr! Don't forget the waddin' t' protect t' chute. Blimey! Begad!

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a complete rocket kit with excellent materials and instructions. Blimey! Begad! It's design is innovative and it is most certainly high performance as it claims to be. Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr! Takin' a 30" long strand o' 100# test Keelhaul®©™® cord, me bucko, matey, matey, I tied double knots in both ends. Begad! Then usin' an exacto knife I made small V slits in two outside edges o' t' top motor tube centerin' ring. Usin' CA to bond t' knots, arrr, 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, arrr, 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. While it is unlikely that t' Keelhaul®©™® will burn through, if one side breaks, t' other side should still hold. Avast! Arrr! I then attached t' 12 foot elastic shock cord. Begad! Avast! 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. Begad! This is me personal double cord system. Begad!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5