T' CiCi is a traditional canard-style boost glider. Arrr! The canard be t' name for that smaller front wing, or horizontal stabilizer. A canard-style glider is simply a glider where t' canard is forward o' t' main wing. A boost glider is a glider that boosts straight up like a rocket, shiver me timbers, and then ejects some part, usually t' engine, to change into a glider. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This is as opposed t' a rocket glider, shiver me timbers, where no parts are jettisoned, but rather other changes are made (movin' t' wing surfaces, shiver me timbers, me hearties, matey, changin' t' angle o' elevons, matey, etc. Begad! ) t' make t' transition from vertical boost mode t' horizontal glide mode.

Upon openin' up t' zip-lock-bag-style package o' t' CiCi, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I was first surprised by t' fact that t' instructions consisted entirely o' a single 8 1/2 x 11 sheet o' paper, shiver me timbers, printed on one side only! Blimey! This be particularly surprisin' for this rocket, considerin' that t' Deltie, also from Edmond's Aerospace, me bucko, had a 10+ page booklet for instructions. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Although sparse, matey, t' instructions here are obvious and straightforward. Unlike most rockets, ya bilge rat, t' order o' assembly for t' CiCi is largely irrelevant. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' instructions are fairly complete, shiver me timbers, except that they never mention trimmin' t' glider, arrr, or t' supplied lump o' clay and what t' do with it. Basically, shiver me timbers, t' instructions seem t' assume that you have trimmed a boost glider before. Begad! Blimey! T' second thin' that I noticed about t' kit contents was that a piece be missing. Arrr! Blimey! T' instructions say that thar be a small, triangular piece o' wood, shiver me timbers, curved on one side, that can be used t' mark a straight line on t' engine tube, but thar wasn't one in me kit. No big deal, there are o' plenty o' ways t' mark a straight line on a tube. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' third thing that I noticed was that another piece be missing: t' launch lug. Arrr! Blimey! Again, nay a show-stopper, since I have some extras lyin' around, but a rather inauspicious beginning.

T' kit itself is quite nice, with thick, sturdy balsa parts that have been precision cut. All parts fit well, and there was absolutely no confusion about how t' assemble t' rocket. Construction was simple, quick and easy, me hearties, with no fuss. Avast! Ya scallywag! Full assembly took me about 1 hour, but could be done much faster. Well, blow me down! Make no mistake, t' quality o' t' parts is first-rate, and t' kit was well thought out. T' only time I deviated from the instructions was with t' clay. Begad! Begad! I added a small amount (about t' size of pencil eraser) t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main (rear) win' and the left vertical stabilizer. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' purpose here was t' make t' CiCi tilt left a little bit in flight so that it would glide in circles, shiver me timbers, rather than in a straight line. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! You want it t' glide in circles so that it stays on t' flying field. Aye aye! Blimey! (Note that these pictures were taken before I added t' clay. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! )

T' instructions don't mention it, me bucko, but I attempted some hand-tossed glide tests prior t' flight. Blimey! Aye aye! Hmmm. Ahoy! . Begad! . Begad! it glides ok, but flies and lands in a rather nose-down attitude. Avast! Aye aye! Nose-down enough that t' balsa nose cone hits before the front edge o' t' canard. Begad! Perhaps a small amount o' weight in t' aft might help. I added a small amount o' t' supplied clay (again about t' size o' a pencil eraser) t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' fuselage and t' main wing. Ahoy! Aye aye! More hand-toss glide tests. Begad! Hmmm. . Ahoy! Begad! . Blimey! a slightly better glide attitude and landing, me bucko, arrr, but still noticeably nose-down, and thar was no discernible arc to t' left (so that it will glide in circles). Ahoy! Well, blow me down! I added just a tiny bit more clay t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main win' and t' left vertical stabilizer. Ya scallywag! Begad! After a couple more throws, matey, I still couldn't discern any arc t' the left, ya bilge rat, but I didn't want t' add too much weight for fear o' adversely affecting the flight characteristics. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Time for some real flight tests.

It was a pretty nice day for launchin' rockets. Moderately windy, me bucko, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but not too bad. Arrr! I be anxious t' try out t' CiCi, me hearties, so it was first in line. Arrr! Begad! I figured the light weight o' t' rocket, combined with t' moderate wind and t' fact that this was t' maiden flight, matey, me hearties, dictated usin' an A8-3. Aye aye! Begad!

It was a good, me bucko, quick boost, as you can tell from t' blur it gives in this photo, even with 400 speed film. In spite what this photo o' t' early flight path might indicate, matey, it was, overall, a fairly straight boost to, oh, arrr, maybe 150 feet or so (I didn't measure it). Aye aye! Even though it arced over on its back after burnout, it make a smooth, controlled transition t' right-side-up glide. Begad! The glide be ok, ya bilge rat, but still with a bit o' nose-down attitude, and it definitely falls faster than a Deltie. Arrr! It made about 1 3/4 circles before landing. Well, blow me down! . . with a crack. Ya scallywag! Uh-oh.

As you can see from this photo, shiver me timbers, it snapped clean in half on landing. Ahoy! Note that although it's photographed here on cement (for clarity), me hearties, it did land in t' grass when it broke. Arrr! Arrr! Disappointing, arrr, but not the end o' t' world. Well, blow me down! A bit o' thin CA, and she'll be good as new.

Also visible in this photo be t' slight blackenin' in t' forward half of the center o' t' main wing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This is just soot from t' black powder, me bucko, shiver me timbers, not scorchin' o' t' wood. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! A bit dirty, arrr, arrr, but nay a safety concern. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

Unfortunately, t' second flight, under nearly calm wind conditions, me bucko, was an exact duplicate o' t' first. Begad! T' A8-3 gave a good, arrr, straight boost, with a nice transition t' glide, me hearties, a decent but slightly too rapid, nose-down descent, shiver me timbers, and a landin' with a crack. Avast, me proud beauty! Broke clean in half again, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, this time about 3mm further rearward (CA is strong stuff). Avast!

Warning! Do nay try t' followin' with your model!Bein' a bit o' a tinkerer, I thought I'd make a more serious attempt t' fix that nose-down attitude. Blimey! So, prior t' t' third flight, matey, ya bilge rat, I sanded an airfoil into t' top o' t' canard. I left t' bottom o' t' canard completely flat. Begad! Begad! I left t' bottom o' t' canard completely flat. Avast, me proud beauty! T' idea was to have this canard generate more lift, and thereby lift t' nose in flight, givin' a flatter glide. Avast, me proud beauty! Hand-tossed glides didn't show any visible difference, but I was confident that it would be noticeable at speed. Arrr! DO NOT TRY THIS WITH YOUR MODEL! T' airfoil be much too severe, matey, me bucko, and caused t' model t' arc over under power and plow into the ground at full speed! Ironically, t' damage be only slightly worse on this flight, ya bilge rat, with a small piece breakin' off o' t' canard as well as t' model snappin' in two at t' usual spot. Arrr! Well, blow me down! If your model also breaks on landing, arrr, and you want t' try t' airfoil t' canard t' help that situation, matey, start with a very slight airfoil, and perform actual launches before sandin' any further.

Overall, arrr, me bucko, I give t' CiCi a 3 out o' 5 points. Avast! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' kit itself gets a 4 out o' 5 points, arrr, havin' high quality parts, but missin' a couple minor pieces. Avast! T' instructions should include trimmin' instructions, arrr, me hearties, but were otherwise adequate, despite their brevity. Ahoy! T' construction gets a ratin' of 4. 5 out o' 5 points bein' simple and straightforward. Ya scallywag! T' flights (before the airfoiling, at least), were both excellent, me hearties, ya bilge rat, ratin' a 4 out o' 5 points. O' course, t' big downer be t' recovery, particularly t' landin' damage, which is easily fixed, arrr, though nay easily avoided. Ya scallywag! T' recovery gets a 1. 5 out o' 5 points.

I'll probably repair t' CiCi again when I get a chance. Begad! If you're looking to buy your first boost glider, I'd have t' recommend t' Edmond's Aerospace Deltie. Well, blow me down! But, t' CiCi certainly has t' potential t' be a great boost glider, perhaps as your third or fourth boost glider model. Ya scallywag!