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, arrr, big, heavy tubes and nose, thick, solid plywood fins. Lookin' into t' box (which was 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, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. Blimey! 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!). Blimey! Well, blow me down! I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this was pretty much a necessity, ya bilge rat, as I replaced t' NCR motor mount tube with a Loc tube, matey, arrr, so I can use Aerotech SU motors (Darkstars aren't available in Canada anyway). Aye aye! This required a bit o' sandin' o' t' inside o' t' plastic centerin' rings, but that was all.

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

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

What followed be t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Begad! T' Archer was fast off t' pad, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Aye aye! 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, arrr, arrr, which is secured t' t' motor mount. Well, blow me down! No way that's comin' out! T' cable does nay protrude from t' body tube, matey, so no worries about it causin' a zipper. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' 3/4 inch wide shock cord could, but I added an extra length t' mine (it's about double now). Blimey! Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, me bucko, ya bilge rat, 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, 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. Aye aye! Begad! This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

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

T' problems with t' kit are few. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! There is o' course t' non-standard motor mount tube t' contend with, ya bilge rat, but that is an easy (but annoying) fix. 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