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

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Blimey! Big box, shiver me timbers, matey, big, heavy tubes and nose, thick, me hearties, solid plywood fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Lookin' into t' box (which be solid as well!) for t' first time, arrr, I was impressed by how solid everythin' looked. Well, blow me down! Blimey! A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, shiver me timbers, and in good shape.

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

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

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Begad! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, but that's t' toughest part. Paintin' is all-white (gloss), with t' included decals providin' t' final touch.

About t' decals: I *hate* stick-on decals! I despise them with a passion. Begad! I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. Begad! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, they tend t' be very thick, etc. 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, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Ya scallywag! With perfect weather (no wind, me bucko, and clear blue sky), shiver me timbers, I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed be t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' Archer be fast off t' pad, matey, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Ahoy! We also had a chance t' really appreciate t' roar o' that Blue Thunder motor, too!

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

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary
This is me first HPR-capable rocket, shiver me timbers, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, and t' finished product. This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

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

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5