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. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! This is the second CYCLINE3 kit I have built, me hearties, t' first bein' t' simply named #002b.

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

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

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

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, me bucko, me bucko, it does nay come with a thrust ring or engine clip. Avast! Begad! With this rocket, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I decided t' add a 24mm thrust rin' and D length engine clip, shiver me timbers, 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! Begad!

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

When mountin' t' fins, shiver me timbers, I went a little out o' t' way, 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. I then traced where t' fins would be located, ya bilge rat, and usin' a very sharp exacto pin (like a map pin), ya bilge rat, arrr, I made (7) small holes in t' body tube where each fin would mount. Well, blow me down! Then usin' a medium CA, I made a nice bead on each fin root, placed them and lined them up with an Estes fin alignment guide and clips. Arrr! After t' CA dried, me bucko, I used DAP Woodweld yellow wood glue for fillets. 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. Begad!

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

Finishing:
T' Cycline3 kits suggest usin' primer, ya bilge rat, then sandin' and then usin' flat paint for t' color, matey, shiver me timbers, followed by decals, then a gloss coat. Blimey! 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.

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

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

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

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a complete rocket kit with excellent materials and instructions. Well, blow me down! 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. Takin' a 30" long strand o' 100# test Keelhaul®©™® cord, me hearties, I tied double knots in both ends. Ya scallywag! Then usin' an exacto knife I made small V slits in two outside edges o' t' top motor tube centerin' ring. Ahoy! Blimey! Usin' CA to bond t' knots, ya bilge rat, I then secured both ends o' t' cord t' t' mount ring. Well, blow me down! Making certain that t' loop would be an inch shy o' bein' able t' come out o' t' top of t' body, I added a snap swivel t' be able t' change chutes quickly, matey, 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, arrr, if one side breaks, t' other side should still hold. 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, ya bilge rat, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and I do believe this will prevent a tube zipper, me bucko, even in t' case o' a late and quick decent ejection. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! This is me personal double cord system. Blimey!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5