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". Arrr! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' kit comes with a unique and well made rectangular light fabric chute. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! This is the second CYCLINE3 kit I have built, shiver me timbers, t' first bein' t' simply named #002b.

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

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

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

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

This kit, me hearties, just as t' other Cycline3 kit I built (#002b), is designed t' be (4) ounces. Avast, me proud beauty! Even with me modifications o' engine tube rings, 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, I went a little out o' t' way, in ways not suggested by t' instructions. Ahoy! First I sanded off t' glassine layer from the body tube all t' way around t' fin area. Well, blow me down! Avast! I then traced where t' fins would be located, ya bilge rat, me bucko, matey, and usin' a very sharp exacto pin (like a map pin), I made (7) small holes in t' body tube where each fin would mount. 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. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! After t' CA dried, I used DAP Woodweld yellow wood glue for fillets. Well, blow me down! It is me thinkin' that t' tiny holes in the airframe will allow t' CA t' seep in, me bucko, makin' little "rivets" sort of. Ahoy! This is a technique I gleaned from EMRR recently, when readin' other reviews. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag!

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, matey, followed by decals, me bucko, ya bilge rat, then a gloss coat. Begad! T' reason bein' as they state, that flat paint does nay tend t' run like gloss paint. Arrr! Aye aye! Blimey! That's very true, and nice attention t' detail. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

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

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 bucko, arrr, I believe this kit should have a high skill level stated on it. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! 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. Ya scallywag! Here I give a (4.5/5.0). Blimey! Ya scallywag!

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! Ya scallywag! Thank goodness for t' new Estes C11's. Well, blow me down! 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. This is most certainly a "High Performance" rocket and a large field is recommended. 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.

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

This kit comes with a 12 foot (not 12 inch) super long elastic shock cord, and an Estes type paper triple fold mount. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Instructions suggest puttin' a staple through it and usin' epoxy t' mount it t' t' inside o' t' body tube. Ahoy! Blimey! I don't personally care for that method, arrr, 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, it sure deserves a 5/5 here. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey!

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. Well, blow me down! It comes with an excellent comprehensive instruction manual as well as a high quality recovery system.

I modified t' recovery system a bit, shiver me timbers, just out o' personal preference. Well, blow me down! 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. Ahoy! Usin' CA to bond t' knots, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I then secured both ends o' t' cord t' t' mount ring. Avast! Avast! 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, me hearties, me hearties, and tied a knot about an inch from t' top t' create a second loop. Avast! While it is unlikely that t' Keelhaul®©™® will burn through, if one side breaks, t' other side should still hold. Avast, me proud beauty! I then attached t' 12 foot elastic shock cord. Arrr! Blimey! Usin' this method, t' shock cord will be t' only thin' comin' into contact with t' body tube, me hearties, me bucko, and I do believe this will prevent a tube zipper, even in t' case o' a late and quick decent ejection. Begad! Blimey! This is me personal double cord system.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5