Brief:
I obtained t' Big Rage along with a batch o' other Quest kits in an on-line auction. My original intention was t' use these as gifts and give-aways. However, t' Big Rage kit be damaged a bit in shippin' -- t' main body tube was crushed -- and I didn't feel right givin' it as a gift! I decided t' repair and build it. Blimey! Avast! I tried t' get a replacement tube for t' kit, t' no avail. Instead, Quest sent me an entire replacement kit! 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, finished with a glossy blue wrapping, and t' payload section tube, ya bilge rat, me hearties, 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. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' special color is . Well, blow me down! Begad! . Arrr! . bright pink. Avast! Begad! Really nauseatin' bright pink. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Ugh! T' plastic was nice and sturdy, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but in t' case of t' nose cone was poorly molded. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I had t' use several clamps and rubber bands t' get t' cone halves and tip t' stay together durin' gluing. Begad! The internal parts, parachutes and t' like were quite acceptable. Begad! Ahoy! As is usual for Quest kits, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' shock cord is anchored with a Keelhaul®©™® cord. Avast, me proud beauty! In t' case o' the Big Rage, arrr, 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. Arrr! Ahoy! I'll rate t' components 4 out o' 5.

T' Big Rage's instructions were very nicely done. Avast, me proud beauty! A beginner would have no problem followin' them. Blimey! T' partially crushed body tube made for a short detour. Arrr! I happened t' have some coupler stock for t' T-35 body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! I "blocked out" t' crushed section with t' coupler, forcin' t' crimp out o' t' tube, shiver me timbers, me hearties, ya bilge rat, then wrapped t' tube (after some sanding) with CA - soaked silkspan. Well, blow me down! . Ahoy! I have one minor complaint about t' instructions. Ahoy! 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. Begad! Aye aye! 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. Ahoy! I also scored and sanded t' lower surface of the launch lugs t' increase t' gluin' surface. Aye aye! 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, arrr, ya bilge rat, which is a task I took on myself) t' Big Rage went together quite nicely. I'll rate it a 4 out o' 5.

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

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

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

Recovery:
T' Big Rage was fairly easy t' recover. Begad! T' bright pink parts did make it fairly visible on t' ground. Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5