Brief:
This is an Estes Rascal Kit #1897 and is silver in color. It is a pre-assembled kit where t' only thin' you need to do is attach t' parachute t' t' rocket. Aye aye! Blimey! T' parachute is 12" in diameter, arrr, me hearties, me hearties, and t' kit uses an Estes (rubber band) shock cord attached t' t' launch lug inside t' rocket body tube. Ahoy! No paintin' is required. Avast, me proud beauty! T' package says it will go t' 1200'.

Construction:
T' Rascal uses a body tube 0.976" in diameter and has four fins and a plastic nose cone. Well, blow me down! T' shock cord is approximately 16" long, includin' t' length inside t' body tube. Well, blow me down! It uses a metal engine retainer clip as in most of t' Estes rockets, so no friction fit o' t' rocket engine is needed. Ya scallywag! T' 12" parachute is plastic.

Since this is a pre-built rocket kit, matey, ya bilge rat, arrr, it has almost no assembly requirements. I thought t' instructions were good. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Only t' parachute needs t' be attached t' t' nose cone. Avast! Ahoy! T' nosecone fit nicely, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, nay loose. Begad! I modified it by usin' a fishin' snap swivel attached t' t' parachute t' connect it t' t' nose cone so it would be able t' twist on the way down after launching. Well, blow me down! This keeps t' parachute shroud lines less twisted. Blimey! T' snap swivels can be bought in any number o' places--I got mine at Wal-Mart. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, blow me down! T' rocket is sturdy. Well, arrr, blow me down!

Finishing:
There is no finishin' required, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I suppose one could clear coat t' rocket if they desired.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' Rascal has a number o' recommended motors. Begad! Ya scallywag! They are: A8-3, B4-4, shiver me timbers, B6-4, C6-5, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and C6-7. Avast, me proud beauty! I don't like t' fly my rockets so high that I have trouble recoverin' them, me bucko, so I've only used t' A8-3, arrr, B4-4, matey, and B6-4. Aye aye! T' A8-3 flew nicely to I would estimate somewhere about 250', me bucko, matey, and t' B engines would send it up t' somewhere around 550'. Begad! I never measured the altitude so these are just estimates, ya bilge rat, but t' package says it'll go t' 1200 feet. I put about 4 sheets o' Estes Waddin' in it, and t' rocket used a metal motor retention clip. Arrr! Ya scallywag! It flew straight with a nice parachute deployment and soft landing. I flew it ten times, arrr, shiver me timbers, but t' shock cord separated on t' 10th flight. Well, blow me down! Avast! It always flew well for me. Begad! No "Cons" for flight characteristics.

Recovery:
I got 9 great flights, me bucko, however, on t' 10th flight, ya bilge rat, t' rubber shock cord separated at t' launch lug inside and the rocket came down in 2 sections. Blimey! T' rocket body developed some wrinklin' at t' top o' t' engine mount from hitting the ground. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! It will fly again, arrr, but it is a little unsightly. I suspect t' decals wrinkle ever so slightly on the extreme edge (of t' decal) from t' ejection charge heat inside t' rocket body, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but I could be wrong. Ya scallywag! This is the only "con" with t' rocket: t' shock cord separatin' after multiple flights. Avast! Aye aye! That be t' one thin' that needs t' be improved. Ahoy! Begad! I plan on usin' t' Estes tri-fold method o' securin' a new shock cord o' 1/8" elastic about 3' long. Aye aye! Arrr! I thought t' recovery time be OK with t' present 12" parachute. Well, blow me down!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very good rocket that needs no assembly except for attachin' t' parachute. Begad! You can literally be launching in minutes. Begad! It looks nice in silver, ya bilge rat, flies well with decent altitude, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and recovers nicely. Arrr! It's been a good rocket in my stable. Aye aye! In fact, me hearties, shiver me timbers, it's t' rocket I've flown t' most. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' shock cord will get brittle and break eventually, and it broke on mine on t' 10th flight. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! I would say start checkin' it before you fly it after t' 6th flight. Blimey!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5