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

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

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. 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!). Well, blow me down! I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this be pretty much a necessity, me bucko, 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). Aye aye! Blimey! This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, but that was all.

Otherwise, arrr, arrr, assembly be straightforward, with no problems encountered. Aye aye! T' fins are mounted TTW, me hearties, shiver me timbers, matey, while t' strakes are only bonded t' t' BT surface. Begad! 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. Well, blow me down! I be considerin' this for me HPR cert. Arrr! bird, so I built it strong- I used 4 hour epoxy pretty much everywhere. Well, blow me down! T' final product is heavy, me hearties, but solid. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Looks impressive, too!

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Aye aye! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, but that's t' toughest part. Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Well, blow me down! I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, arrr, they tend t' be very thick, etc. Avast! 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. I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Begad! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), me bucko, matey, I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed was t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' Archer was fast off t' pad, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Ahoy! 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, arrr, which is secured t' t' motor mount. Avast! Begad! 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. Ahoy! Arrr! T' 3/4 inch wide shock cord could, ya bilge rat, but I added an extra length t' mine (it's about double now). Blimey! Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, and it seems adequate, shiver me timbers, me hearties, shiver me timbers, even for me 42 ounce (empty) version.

Recovery be text-book, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. I may replace t' 36" chute with two 24" ones, arrr, 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, me bucko, and t' finished product. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

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

T' problems with t' kit are few. Ya scallywag! 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, shiver me timbers, like t' Archer's plastic centerin' rings and thick paper body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5