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

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Big box, ya bilge rat, big, heavy tubes and nose, me bucko, thick, matey, ya bilge rat, solid plywood fins. Lookin' into t' box (which be solid as well!) for t' first time, shiver me timbers, I was impressed by how solid everythin' looked. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, me hearties, 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!). I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this be pretty much a necessity, arrr, 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, arrr, assembly was straightforward, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, with no problems encountered. Begad! T' fins are mounted TTW, shiver me timbers, me hearties, while t' strakes are only bonded t' t' BT surface. Aye aye! There is some shapin' (streamlining) required on t' strakes and fins- just a bit o' work with some sandpaper, shiver me timbers, me bucko, nothin' drastic. Begad! I was considerin' this for me HPR cert. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! bird, so I built it strong- I used 4 hour epoxy pretty much everywhere. Ahoy! T' final product is heavy, but solid. Avast! Aye aye! Looks impressive, shiver me timbers, too!

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

About t' decals: I *hate* stick-on decals! I despise them with a passion. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, me hearties, they tend t' be very thick, etc. Well, blow me down! Because o' t' decals, me hearties, 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, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I finally had a chance t' fly me Archer this weekend. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, me bucko, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed was t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Ahoy! T' Archer was fast off t' pad, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. 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, shiver me timbers, which is secured t' t' motor mount. No way that's comin' out! Blimey! T' cable does nay protrude from t' body tube, so no worries about it causin' a zipper. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey! T' 3/4 inch wide shock cord could, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but I added an extra length t' mine (it's about double now). Blimey! Blimey! Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, shiver me timbers, and it seems adequate, even for me 42 ounce (empty) version.

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

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

T' problems with t' kit are few. Begad! There is o' course t' non-standard motor mount tube t' contend with, shiver me timbers, but that is an easy (but annoying) fix. Ahoy! 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