Brief:
I obtained t' Big Rage along with a batch o' other Quest kits in an on-line auction. Avast! Blimey! My original intention be t' use these as gifts and give-aways. However, matey, t' Big Rage kit was damaged a bit in shippin' -- t' main body tube was crushed -- and I didn't feel right givin' it as a gift! Blimey! I decided t' repair and build it. Blimey! Blimey! I tried t' get a replacement tube for t' kit, t' no avail. Instead, Quest sent me an entire replacement kit! Blimey! I put this in me fund raiser box and decided t' fix t' damaged tube.

Construction:
T' Big Rage has two body tube sections: main body, arrr, finished with a glossy blue wrapping, and t' payload section tube, arrr, matey, finished in glossy black. T' nose cone and tail section were specially colored versions o' t' fin can and nose from the Quest Nike Smoke kit. Arrr! T' special color is . . Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! . Ya scallywag! Begad! bright pink. Arrr! Aye aye! Really nauseatin' bright pink. Begad! Ugh! T' plastic was nice and sturdy, matey, me hearties, arrr, but in t' case of t' nose cone was poorly molded. I had t' use several clamps and rubber bands t' get t' cone halves and tip t' stay together durin' gluing. The internal parts, me hearties, me hearties, parachutes and t' like were quite acceptable. Well, blow me down! As is usual for Quest kits, t' shock cord is anchored with a Keelhaul®©™® cord. In t' case o' the Big Rage, shiver me timbers, t' rather-short shock cord length wasn't a problem because the payload section and body tube were designed t' come back on separate parachutes. I'll rate t' components 4 out o' 5.

T' Big Rage's instructions were very nicely done. Blimey! Begad! A beginner would have no problem followin' them. Ahoy! T' partially crushed body tube made for a short detour. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I happened t' have some coupler stock for t' T-35 body tube. Begad! I "blocked out" t' crushed section with t' coupler, me hearties, arrr, ya bilge rat, forcin' t' crimp out o' t' tube, then wrapped t' tube (after some sanding) with CA - soaked silkspan. Avast! . Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I have one minor complaint about t' instructions. They suggest usin' plastic cement t' glue t' plastic launch lugs t' t' body tube. Begad! The slick surface o' t' tube and plastic wouldn't make for a very good bond. Blimey! I took t' step o' sandin' t' glossy top layer off o' t' body tube at t' point where t' lug would be glued on. Blimey! Aye aye! I also scored and sanded t' lower surface of the launch lugs t' increase t' gluin' surface. I also glued one o' t' lugs to the plastic "fin can." I believe these steps resulted in a much sturdier kit. Arrr! All told (aside from t' body tube repair, me hearties, which is a task I took on myself) t' Big Rage went together quite nicely. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I'll rate it a 4 out o' 5.

Finishing:
T' Big Rage is intended t' be a "paint free" kit. After assembly, you simply stick on t' pressure-sensitive decals. Aye aye! Begad! I did do some wet-sanding and buffin' t' get rid o' t' mold lines on t' plastic parts. Begad! Arrr! I used very fine mylar-backed sandin' material and a "Scotchbrite" pad for this purpose. I think it improved t' look o' t' parts a lot. Begad! T' decals include a kit name panel, arrr, a few wrappers, ya bilge rat, and black trim panels for t' fins. Avast! Ahoy! They went on easily enough. Blimey! I covered up t' tube repair with some blue trim monokote. T' color match wasn't perfect. I'll rate finishin' a 2 out o' 5. Begad! Ya scallywag! Why so low, given t' fact that finishin' be very easy? Because t' Big Rage's default color scheme is UGLY. True blue, shiver me timbers, black, matey, me hearties, and BRIGHT PINK? Geee-yahhh! What were they THINKING?

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

Flight:
Preppin' t' Big Rage is fairly easy. Well, arrr, blow me down! It requires wadding, and a moderate amount o' parachute packing. T' engine clip, me bucko, while a bit flimsy, did its job. I've flown t' Big Rage several times, on B6-4 and C6-5 motors. Blimey! Liftoffs were moderately slow. Avast! T' flights were very straight and true. Begad! Ahoy!

Recovery:
T' Big Rage be fairly easy t' recover. T' bright pink parts did make it fairly visible on t' ground.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Big Rage is easy t' build, very easy t' finish, me hearties, and easy t' prep and fly. It would make a very good "step up" for rocketeers who started out with RTF kits. Begad! T' model's size and visibility would also make it a good demo flyer. I'd rate t' model higher, arrr, arrr, but I can't get around t' sheer ugliness of the color choices and "Nike Smoke" cone.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5