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". Ahoy! T' kit comes with a unique and well made rectangular light fabric chute. Ahoy! 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, a plastic bag with peg ready header card. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Includes a 1.6" BT60, rounded plastic nose cone, 24mm engine tube, rail buttons, arrr, matey, fabric chute, me bucko, 12 foot elastic shock cord, matey, brass snap-swivel, me bucko, me bucko, very nice quality black flame sticker, (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, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, 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! Ahoy! One thin' out o' t' ordinary in t' instructions is that it calls specifically for Polyurethane glue for construction, matey, me bucko, which I was unable to locate. Avast! 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, matey, are the same as were on t' Estes Astron Sprint (OOP) from t' late 70's. Begad! Arrr! This is a nice choice for fin shape, me bucko, 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. Aye aye! The Balsa is good quality, and with a lot o' patience, usin' a razor saw, arrr, several sizes o' exacto cutlass blades and a sandin' block, me hearties, me hearties, I was able t' come up with nice lookin' fins. Ya scallywag! For someone who has never made fins this shape, shiver me timbers, this could be a challenge. Aye aye! For t' more experienced builder, 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! Arrr! Blimey! Like t' other Cycline3 kit I built, shiver me timbers, it does nay come with a thrust ring or engine clip. Avast! Blimey! With this rocket, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I decided t' add a 24mm thrust rin' and D length engine clip, matey, me hearties, ya bilge rat, as well as two cardboard centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, arrr, all pulled from a Mean Machine kit. Avast, me proud beauty! I also added a 30" piece o' Keelhaul®©™® 100# test cord. Ya scallywag!

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

When mountin' t' fins, me hearties, I went a little out o' t' way, me hearties, in ways not suggested by t' instructions. Aye aye! First I sanded off t' glassine layer from the body tube all t' way around t' fin area. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I then traced where t' fins would be located, shiver me timbers, me hearties, matey, and usin' a very sharp exacto pin (like a map pin), ya bilge rat, I made (7) small holes in t' body tube where each fin would mount. Arrr! Then usin' a medium CA, me hearties, arrr, I made a nice bead on each fin root, ya bilge rat, 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. Ya scallywag! 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, matey, when readin' other reviews. Well, blow me down!

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, ya bilge rat, then a gloss coat. Ya scallywag! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' reason bein' as they state, ya bilge rat, that flat paint does nay tend t' run like gloss paint. That's very true, and nice attention t' detail. Ya scallywag!

I skipped primer on this one, shiver me timbers, t' fly it t' same day. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I'm nay one t' worry about a glass like finish. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! 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, 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. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

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

This kit comes with a 12 foot (not 12 inch) super long elastic shock cord, and an Estes type paper triple fold mount. Begad! Aye aye! Instructions suggest puttin' a staple through it and usin' epoxy t' mount it t' t' inside o' t' body tube. Avast! Avast! I don't personally care for that method, so I modified mine, as described below. However, me hearties, 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. Well, blow me down!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a complete rocket kit with excellent materials and instructions. 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, me hearties, just out o' personal preference. Takin' a 30" long strand o' 100# test Keelhaul®©™® cord, shiver me timbers, 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. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Usin' CA to bond t' knots, arrr, I then secured both ends o' t' cord t' t' mount ring. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Making certain that t' loop would be an inch shy o' bein' able t' come out o' t' top of t' body, matey, matey, 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. Aye aye! While it is unlikely that t' Keelhaul®©™® will burn through, if one side breaks, t' other side should still hold. Begad! I then attached t' 12 foot elastic shock cord. Begad! Usin' this method, me hearties, t' shock cord will be t' only thin' comin' into contact with t' body tube, me hearties, and I do believe this will prevent a tube zipper, matey, even in t' case o' a late and quick decent ejection. Blimey! This is me personal double cord system. Begad!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5