Brief:
While this is technically just a basic three-fin/nose cone 18mm model, you have t' give Don a thumbs up for cool design on this one. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! With decals inspired by Lance Link t' Secret Chimp, t' kids will love this one. Arrr! Blimey!

Construction:
Parts arrived carefully packed in a Priority Mail box and were very good quality. T' parts list includes:

• Balsa nose cone
• BT-50 body tube
• Laser-cut balsa fins
• 18mm motor tube, me hearties, 20/13 block, shiver me timbers, metal hook, 50/20 centerin' rings
• Elastic shock cord
• Mylar streamer
• Waterslide decals

This would probably rate betwixt a skill level 1 and 2 kit on t' 5 scale, with t' only complexity bein' 3-piece fin assembly and maskin' for 2 colors. Ahoy! All told, me bucko, it's under an hour's build plus finishin' time, matey, makin' for a nice little weeknight project.

T' instructions were clear, arrr, easy t' follow, arrr, and well illustrated with computer drawings.

T' motor mount is standard assembly with a centerin' rin' as a motor block, matey, a metal hook, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and a pair o' 50/20 centerin' rings. Avast! Blimey! T' completed assembly goes into t' BT-50 single-piece body tube.

T' fins are really a cool design and nay just because o' t' shape. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! With all those curves and extended fingertips, thar's no way that you'd avoid hittin' a fin along t' grain direction at some point, so this design breaks t' fin into 3 pieces with grain goin' in different directions. Ya scallywag! I went one step further and laminated mine with computer paper and white glue, which eliminated t' grain fillin' work later. Arrr! T' completed fins go on the body tube, me bucko, shiver me timbers, which is marked with a wraparound guide.

Mount t' 1/8" launch lug and t' elastic (usin' t' tri-fold paper method), glue t' screw eye into the nose cone base, ya bilge rat, and construction is done.

Finishing:
I treated t' balsa grain on t' nose cone with a liberal smearin' o' Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and as noted earlier, went with laminated fins. I didn't bother fillin' t' body tube spirals as they were pretty light t' begin with.

Everythin' got a gray primer coat, followed by a white primer, then two coats o' Krylon gloss white. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' next day, matey, me hearties, I masked off t' main body tube area and hit t' fins and nose cone with Krylon blue. Arrr! I wanted a lighter blue to match t' decals a bit better, arrr, but I couldn't find a basic rattle can option that would match very well.

T' waterslide decals went on fine and were easy t' work with.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight, matey, I had a perfectly calm day so I went t' t' top--C6-5. Arrr! It boogied up a bit more smartly than I expected with those fairly large fins, and it had a very slight spin--maybe 3 rolls on t' way up.

Deployment was right at apogee.

Recovery:
T' kit features a nice mylar streamer so drift be minimal and findin' it in t' taller grass (3-4') was no problem. There was no damage at all. Avast! Havin' landed in t' blanket o' tall grass and weeds, I didn't get a chance t' really test out t' fin strength, me hearties, but I do feel pretty confident t' lamination is goin' t' prove t' be a valuable deviation from the standard construction.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: neat graphics, unique fin design, ya bilge rat, flies great.

CONs: none, shiver me timbers, really. Well, blow me down! I can't whine about potentially weak fins when I never actually broke anything.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5