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

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Blimey! Big box, big, me bucko, heavy tubes and nose, thick, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, solid plywood fins. Well, blow me down! Lookin' into t' box (which be solid as well!) for t' first time, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, 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. Avast! I did deviate from them a bit- I glued t' upper section o' BT t' t' nose, shiver me timbers, and made a cargo bay (a suggestion I read from Bob Kaplow- thanks, Bob!). I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this be pretty much a necessity, shiver me timbers, as I replaced t' NCR motor mount tube with a Loc tube, so I can use Aerotech SU motors (Darkstars aren't available in Canada anyway). This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, but that was all.

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

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Avast! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, arrr, ya bilge rat, but that's t' toughest part. Arrr! 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. Arrr! Begad! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, they tend t' be very thick, etc. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. Begad! I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Ahoy! Ahoy! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), me hearties, I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed was t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' Archer was fast off t' pad, shiver me timbers, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! We also had a chance t' really appreciate t' roar o' that Blue Thunder motor, matey, too!

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

Recovery was text-book, me bucko, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. Begad! Blimey! 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, matey, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, shiver me timbers, and t' finished product. Begad! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

This is an awesome kit, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, for high-end mid power, or low end HPR. Begad! It be t' beefiest rocket I've seen, yet it is also sleek. Flight performance is solid. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! It looks great, me bucko, and flies great.

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5