Brief:

An entry level rocket that suffers from some quality control problems. At first glance, t' lackluster packagin' had me thinkin' "Siesta" instead, but once I delved into t' project, matey, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, thar was plenty t' like about this single stage 4FNC rocket.

Construction:
T' package was t' typical plastic "hangin' bag" that allowed most o' t' components t' be seen without openin' t' bag. Ya scallywag! Blimey! As a plus (or minus, me bucko, in this case) t' balsa fins were wrapped inside t' instructions, me hearties, along with t' decals, for protection. Blimey! It be apparent that Custom had their sights set on t' market that Estes abandoned when t' latter went t' those ho-hum prebuilt plastic rockets. Avast! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Custom's offerin' featured real balsa that required actual construction, arrr, which is loads better at teachin' kids and/or beginners about proper construction techniques. Aye aye! Aye aye! So far, so good.

T' plastic nose cone had t' most castin' flash I have ever seen, but it was easy t' remove with an Xacto cutlass in a few seconds. T' first quality control problem was here: t' nose cone be way too loose in t' body tube, arrr, and would fall out every time it was pointed down. Avast, me proud beauty! This could be easily fixed with maskin' tape, but that detracts from t' overall finished look. T' second glitch was t' fin stock. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! These fins were o' t' poorest quality I have ever seen. Blimey! They were warped, shiver me timbers, grainy, me bucko, and really flimsy, me hearties, me bucko, me hearties, though at least t' die-cut fins popped out with ease. Well, blow me down! No way would this thin' fly straight. Begad! Custom also took a page from Estes' playbook and included a really short piece o' flat elastic shock cord, and utilized Estes' method o' mountin' with t' tri-fold paper and glue. Arrr! Well, arrr, it has worked millions o' times, arrr, and this is a low power rocket, arrr, so why not? And t' body tube was slightly crimped on one end, but I had other plans for this end by this point. Begad! T' rest o' t' components were excellent.

T' instructions were among t' easiest I have ever seen, though I didn't really use them. I especially liked t' paintin' instructions t' best, because this kit be designed for a beginner, ya bilge rat, and gave a couple o' good tips. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I decided at first t' build this rocket usin' t' same materials and techniques that a kid would use on his or her first rocket, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but t' warped fins and loose nose cone smartly made me change me mind. Aye aye! Arrr! While it might fly, it certainly wouldn't fly straight, so some modifications were in order.

First o' all, I placed t' fin stock betwixt a paint can and a large dictionary for a few days, and this flattened them out satisfactorily. I decided against maskin' tape for t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, and instead mixed balsa sandin' dust with 30 minute epoxy, shiver me timbers, let it set up a while, shiver me timbers, and slathered it onto t' shoulder o' t' nose cone and into a deep depression at t' tip, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, which was originally covered by t' castin' flash.

I built t' motor mount per t' instructions, matey, ya bilge rat, which went together surprisingly well. At least Custom has these parts down pat. Ahoy! Once everythin' dried, ya bilge rat, matey, matey, I attached t' fins with Elmer's School Gel. Ya scallywag! This particular adhesive dries quickly, but remains tacky enough t' move things around if needed. Blimey! A decent choice for a beginner.

Once t' fins were tacked on, I drilled small holes at t' root edge through t' tube, shiver me timbers, arrr, arrr, then used several thin coats o' 30 minute epoxy t' attach t' fins with epoxy rivets and t' seal t' horribly grainy fins. Avast, me proud beauty! T' result is a bulletproof fin attachment and a much smoother surface. Begad! T' shock cord was mounted accordin' t' t' instructions, arrr, me bucko, but I substituted much thinner paper and attached another 100 cm (about 3 feet) o' flat elastic shock cord.

Prior t' painting, however, arrr, I decided t' repair t' crimped body tube by cuttin' t' end o' t' tube into sections, me bucko, matey, then folded t' flaps down t' create a boat tail. Begad! I then filled in t' gaps with slow dryin' CA and balsa dust, me bucko, matey, arrr, then again coated t' whole thin' with epoxy. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! Once sanded and painted, this added a lot t' t' looks o' t' rocket.

Finishing:
Once t' nose cone was sanded down, t' entire rocket be sealed, sanded, me hearties, and painted gloss white. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' nose was painted Calypso Blue that was left over from a model car me son built, and t' water based decals were attached. Arrr! T' whole thin' was then coated in several thin coats o' clear enamel.

Other than t' miserable fin quality and loose nose cone, shiver me timbers, t' rest was easy t' finish. I would prime t' whole rocket next time with Krylon gray primer, me bucko, then apply t' white gloss paint, ya bilge rat, but it still worked out well, and barely any spiral is visible on t' body tube. Ya scallywag! T' decals, arrr, which didn't look good t' me on t' packaging, look dynamite on t' actual rocket. Well, matey, blow me down! Once t' defects were addressed, shiver me timbers, this turned out t' be a good rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! But t' defects in t' original materials made me decide on a 3 1/2 rating.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Custom recommends usin' really low powered 18mm motors for t' first flight, arrr, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but I refuse t' purchase 18mm A motors. Ya scallywag! Why? Well, matey, I built a 13mm t' 18mm adaptor in a few second with stuff already in me parts bin. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Since 13mm motors are cheaper than 18mm motors, me bucko, and thar are 4 t' a pack instead o' 3, matey, me bucko, me hearties, it makes better economic sense. Begad! O.K. Avast! so I'm cheap. Ahoy! Begad! But if you buy this stuff in bulk, me hearties, me bucko, it adds up. Ya scallywag! Anyway, me bucko, with an A10-3T on board, t' rocket will fly decently high with a slow takeoff. Ya scallywag! Perfect for a small field. T' prep is easy, ya bilge rat, just add some wadding, stuff in t' very long streamer, ya bilge rat, arrr, and attach t' nose. Arrr! Put it on t' launcher and fire away. Avast, me proud beauty! Recovery is excellent on this long streamer. But if you are goin' t' use a C6-7, matey, me bucko, shiver me timbers, you'd better have a big field, some assistant trackers, shiver me timbers, and no wind. Ya scallywag! This one really gets up thar in a hurry! T' only con be t' weak motor retention clip, matey, ya bilge rat, which is more like a Quest clip than Estes, in that it has absolutely no springiness t' it. Avast! But t' motors stay in, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and I give t' flights a solid 5.

Recovery:
T' extra long plastic streamer is a nice touch. Avast, me proud beauty! I would definitely add at least double t' shock cord that Custom provides. Blimey! This rocket is durable, and should be around for many launches, me bucko, IF you keep t' power low!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I like t' fact that somebody is addressin' t' gap Estes left when they abandoned beginnin' rocket builders. Ya scallywag! Avast! They now only feature kits that go together with no skill, and kids don't learn anythin' from that. This one required some real rocket construction techniques, and t' shabby quality o' t' fins and nose would ironically help a kid learn how t' build a better rocket by overcomin' obstacles. I would nay recommend this as a first or second kit due t' t' poor quality pieces I found inside, but it would be great for someone who has built a couple and may be lookin' for a challenge. Begad! Don't let t' dull packagin' addlepate you- this is a great rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5