Brief:

An entry level rocket that suffers from some quality control problems. Blimey! At first glance, me hearties, t' lackluster packagin' had me thinkin' "Siesta" instead, me bucko, but once I delved into t' project, arrr, me hearties, 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. Arrr! Begad! As a plus (or minus, in this case) t' balsa fins were wrapped inside t' instructions, ya bilge rat, along with t' decals, matey, for protection. Arrr! 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. Custom's offerin' featured real balsa that required actual construction, shiver me timbers, which is loads better at teachin' kids and/or beginners about proper construction techniques. Begad! So far, shiver me timbers, so good.

T' plastic nose cone had t' most castin' flash I have ever seen, me hearties, but it was easy t' remove with an Xacto knife in a few seconds. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' first quality control problem was here: t' nose cone be way too loose in t' body tube, and would fall out every time it was pointed down. This could be easily fixed with maskin' tape, but that detracts from t' overall finished look. Ahoy! T' second glitch was t' fin stock. Well, blow me down! These fins were o' t' poorest quality I have ever seen. They were warped, grainy, and really flimsy, me hearties, though at least t' die-cut fins popped out with ease. Ya scallywag! No way would this thin' fly straight. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Well, blow me down! Well, it has worked millions o' times, me bucko, and this is a low power rocket, arrr, me hearties, so why not? And t' body tube was slightly crimped on one end, me bucko, shiver me timbers, 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, me bucko, because this kit was designed for a beginner, and gave a couple o' good tips. Ya scallywag! Begad! 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, but t' warped fins and loose nose cone smartly made me change me mind. Ya scallywag! While it might fly, me bucko, it certainly wouldn't fly straight, ya bilge rat, so some modifications were in order.

First o' all, arrr, 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, me bucko, and instead mixed balsa sandin' dust with 30 minute epoxy, let it set up a while, and slathered it onto t' shoulder o' t' nose cone and into a deep depression at t' tip, which be originally covered by t' castin' flash.

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

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

Prior t' painting, me bucko, however, arrr, I decided t' repair t' crimped body tube by cuttin' t' end o' t' tube into sections, ya bilge rat, 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, then again coated t' whole thin' with epoxy. Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Once sanded and painted, matey, me hearties, matey, this added a lot t' t' looks o' t' rocket.

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

Other than t' miserable fin quality and loose nose cone, me bucko, t' rest be easy t' finish. I would prime t' whole rocket next time with Krylon gray primer, then apply t' white gloss paint, but it still worked out well, and barely any spiral is visible on t' body tube. Begad! T' decals, shiver me timbers, arrr, which didn't look good t' me on t' packaging, look dynamite on t' actual rocket. Blimey! Arrr! Once t' defects were addressed, this turned out t' be a good rocket. Ya scallywag! 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, but I refuse t' purchase 18mm A motors. Why? Well, I built a 13mm t' 18mm adaptor in a few second with stuff already in me parts bin. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! Since 13mm motors are cheaper than 18mm motors, and thar are 4 t' a pack instead o' 3, arrr, it makes better economic sense. Begad! Blimey! O.K. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! so I'm cheap. Begad! Blimey! But if you buy this stuff in bulk, me hearties, it adds up. Avast, me proud beauty! Anyway, with an A10-3T on board, me hearties, t' rocket will fly decently high with a slow takeoff. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Perfect for a small field. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! T' prep is easy, shiver me timbers, me bucko, just add some wadding, stuff in t' very long streamer, shiver me timbers, and attach t' nose. Avast! Put it on t' launcher and fire away. Avast! Recovery is excellent on this long streamer. Aye aye! But if you are goin' t' use a C6-7, you'd better have a big field, some assistant trackers, arrr, and no wind. Aye aye! This one really gets up thar in a hurry! Blimey! T' only con be t' weak motor retention clip, me bucko, which is more like a Quest clip than Estes, arrr, in that it has absolutely no springiness t' it. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! But t' motors stay in, me bucko, me hearties, and I give t' flights a solid 5.

Recovery:
T' extra long plastic streamer is a nice touch. Begad! Well, blow me down! I would definitely add at least double t' shock cord that Custom provides. This rocket is durable, and should be around for many launches, 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. Aye aye! Blimey! They now only feature kits that go together with no skill, and kids don't learn anythin' from that. Arrr! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! 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, shiver me timbers, matey, but it would be great for someone who has built a couple and may be lookin' for a challenge. Begad! Blimey! Don't let t' dull packagin' addlepate you- this is a great rocket.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5