Brief
This is a big, shiver me timbers, fantasy-scale Surface t' Air Missile kit, designed mainly for F and G motors.

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Big box, shiver me timbers, big, heavy tubes and nose, thick, solid plywood fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Lookin' into t' box (which was solid as well!) for t' first time, me bucko, me bucko, I was impressed by how solid everythin' looked. Aye aye! Arrr! A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, arrr, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. Begad! I did deviate from them a bit- I glued t' upper section o' BT t' t' nose, matey, and made a cargo bay (a suggestion I read from Bob Kaplow- thanks, Bob!). Avast! I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this was pretty much a necessity, as I replaced t' NCR motor mount tube with a Loc tube, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, so I can use Aerotech SU motors (Darkstars aren't available in Canada anyway). Begad! This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, me hearties, but that was all.

Otherwise, matey, assembly was straightforward, arrr, with no problems encountered. Avast! Blimey! T' fins are mounted TTW, shiver me timbers, while t' strakes are only bonded t' t' BT surface. There is some shapin' (streamlining) required on t' strakes and fins- just a bit o' work with some sandpaper, shiver me timbers, nothin' drastic. I was considerin' this for me HPR cert. Well, blow me down! Blimey! bird, so I built it strong- I used 4 hour epoxy pretty much everywhere. T' final product is heavy, arrr, but solid. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Looks impressive, too!

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, matey, but that's t' toughest part. Paintin' is all-white (gloss), me hearties, with t' included decals providin' t' final touch.

About t' decals: I *hate* stick-on decals! I despise them with a passion. I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, me hearties, they tend t' be very thick, etc. Avast! Ya scallywag! Because o' t' decals, I'm dockin' NCR half a point on t' construction rating- it's me only real beef.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight
Well, me hearties, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I be worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, matey, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Ya scallywag! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), ya bilge rat, I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed was t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. T' Archer be fast off t' pad, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! We also had a chance t' really appreciate t' roar o' that Blue Thunder motor, me bucko, ya bilge rat, too!

Recovery
T' "waist-band" type elastic shock cord is attached t' a length o' steel cable, matey, which is secured t' t' motor mount. Aye aye! Aye aye! No way that's comin' out! T' cable does nay protrude from t' body tube, so no worries about it causin' a zipper. Avast! T' 3/4 inch wide shock cord could, but I added an extra length t' mine (it's about double now). Ya scallywag! Begad! Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, arrr, and it seems adequate, even for me 42 ounce (empty) version.

Recovery be text-book, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. Ya scallywag! I may replace t' 36" chute with two 24" ones, me bucko, just t' be safe.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
This is me first HPR-capable rocket, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, me hearties, and t' finished product. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

This is an awesome kit, me bucko, for high-end mid power, or low end HPR. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! It be t' beefiest rocket I've seen, yet it is also sleek. Arrr! Flight performance is solid. Begad! Begad! It looks great, ya bilge rat, and flies great.

T' problems with t' kit are few. Avast! There is o' course t' non-standard motor mount tube t' contend with, but that is an easy (but annoying) fix. Begad! I'm nay a fan o' bondin' dissimilar parts for structural parts, like t' Archer's plastic centerin' rings and thick paper body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5