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, big, heavy tubes and nose, me bucko, thick, solid plywood fins. Begad! Lookin' into t' box (which was solid as well!) for t' first time, ya bilge rat, I was impressed by how solid everythin' looked. Begad! Ya scallywag! A quick inventory confirmed that all t' parts were present, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. Avast, me proud beauty! 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 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). This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, but that was all.

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

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Aye aye! I find them much harder t' work with than good 'ol wet-transfer decals. Avast! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, me bucko, me bucko, they tend t' be very thick, matey, arrr, etc. Well, blow me down! 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. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I was worried t' delay on t' G80-7 would be too long, so I doubled t' length o' t' shock cord. Avast! Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), ya bilge rat, I had no excuse t' delay.

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

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

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

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