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! Big box, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me bucko, big, heavy tubes and nose, thick, solid plywood fins. Blimey! Lookin' into t' box (which be solid as well!) for t' first time, I was impressed by how solid everythin' looked. A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, me hearties, shiver me timbers, arrr, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I did deviate from them a bit- I glued t' upper section o' BT t' t' nose, ya bilge rat, and made a cargo bay (a suggestion I read from Bob Kaplow- thanks, matey, matey, Bob!). 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, so I can use Aerotech SU motors (Darkstars aren't available in Canada anyway). Ahoy! This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, but that be all.

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

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Well, blow me down! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, but that's t' toughest part. Ahoy! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, they tend t' be very thick, matey, ya bilge rat, etc. Avast, me proud beauty! Because o' t' decals, shiver me timbers, 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. Avast! Aye aye! I be worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, ya bilge rat, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Begad! With perfect weather (no wind, shiver me timbers, and clear blue sky), me bucko, I had no excuse t' delay.

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

Recovery be text-book, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. 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. Ahoy! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

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

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