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

Construction
This is an impressive-lookin' kit! Big box, big, heavy tubes and nose, matey, thick, ya bilge rat, 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, matey, and in good shape.

T' instructions were clear and well laid out. Blimey! Arrr! 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! Ya scallywag! I ditched t' Gorilla-Lock retainin' system in favor o' Kaplow Klips- this be pretty much a necessity, as I replaced t' NCR motor mount tube with a Loc tube, arrr, 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, shiver me timbers, but that was all.

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

Finishing
Finishin' is pretty routine. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' BT spirals are pretty shallow and can be hard t' get filled, shiver me timbers, but that's t' toughest part. Ya scallywag! Paintin' is all-white (gloss), arrr, 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. Avast! They don't cover with clear-coatin' as well, they tend t' be very thick, shiver me timbers, etc. Well, 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, 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. Aye aye! With perfect weather (no wind, and clear blue sky), I had no excuse t' delay.

What followed be t' most beautiful flight I've ever had. Begad! Blimey! T' Archer was fast off t' pad, but climbed slowly enough t' watch and appreciate. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! 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. 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). Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Recovery is via a 36" nylon chute, and it seems adequate, even for me 42 ounce (empty) version.

Recovery was text-book, me bucko, although one fin sustained minor damage on landing. Avast! 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, and I'm impressed with t' ruggedness o' t' components, me hearties, and t' finished product. This is one brawny-lookin' beast!

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

T' problems with t' kit are few. Avast, me proud beauty! There is o' course t' non-standard motor mount tube t' contend with, shiver me timbers, but that is an easy (but annoying) fix. Blimey! I'm nay a fan o' bondin' dissimilar parts for structural parts, ya bilge rat, like t' Archer's plastic centerin' rings and thick paper body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5