Okay, me bucko, ya bilge rat, My daughter and I have flown t' Check-Six on two occasions and thought it about time t' give a launch report. Begad! Ya scallywag! She asked for and o' course received this kit for her 9th birthday in January. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! (Yep, arrr, she picked it out and helped build it too...)

Last Month: We flew it once with a standard Estes D12-5. Aye aye! Nice flight, shiver me timbers, t' weight o' t' rocket gave it a real nice coast due t' t' momentum. Avast! Begad! I'm bilge-suckin' at estimatin' heights but it was probably up around 850 or 850 feet. Begad! Overall, matey, a nice first flight, me daughter was extremely pleased and this little rocket is BUILT. Begad! T' only issue we had was that t' provided launch lug be too small. Arrr! Removed it and temporarily taped a replacement in place. Begad! Aye aye!

Last night: Permanently, me bucko, ya bilge rat, or so I thought, arrr, matey, me hearties, replaced t' removed launch lug. I drilled some holes for epoxy rivets in t' airframe and used an 1/8 Estes Launch Lug with 5 minute epoxy.

Today: Flight 1 on another D12-5. Begad! Bad idea. Major cato, a rather large fireball erupted about 4 feet off t' ground (after reviewin' t' video tape several times. It was t' first video where we caught a cato. If you haven't seen one in slow/step motion on your own video, shiver me timbers, you'll be in for a treat when you do. Begad! Fast motion on t' VCR you do nay really see much, slow motion ignition, arrr, liftoff, fireball, me bucko, separation, shiver me timbers, lots-o-smoke). Avast! Avast! About then, ya bilge rat, I was really wonderin' exactly how strong this little rocket really was...

Well, t' jury is in. Begad! After t' cato exactly 0% damage t' t' airframe. Begad! The chute sustained a couple minor burns and a dislocated shroud line. Well, blow me down! Also, the Keelhaul®©™® line connectin' t' payload bay t' t' main airframe be broken or burned through. Ahoy!

Well, arrr, me bucko, we spent all o' about 5 minutes replacin' t' chute and replacin' the broken connector line with a piece o' steel leader. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

Flight 2: Prepped a 24mm RMS E11/5J. Loaded up t' rocket, and hit t' pad again. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 5.4.3.2.1... Begad! T' E11 lit and t' rocket was OFF. Avast, me proud beauty! With a nice lift off, lots o' nice blackjack smoke and it was gainin' speed, me bucko, straight up through burn-out, coastin' up t' a very respectable altitude, matey, could nay see t' rocket after t' trackin' smoke (delay element) disappeared until t' chute had opened. Well, blow me down! Again t' momentum really carried t' rocket t' quite an altitude. Ya scallywag! Very cool flight. Arrr! Due t' a light breeze, me hearties, I had over 1/4 mile walk from t' pad. Recovered it without so much as a scratch other than loosin' t' launch lug again. Begad!

Thoughts about t' Check 6:

1. Aye aye! Begad! It does seem a little pricey at first. Avast! But... Begad! We have all spent 12 - 18 bucks for an 24mm Estes rocket. Ahoy! Such rocket with t' violent cato this check six experienced would have most likely resulted in a pile o' misc. Avast! Begad! scraps. This would have obliged me t' purchase a replacement (but o' course, me daughter would have been really bummed, right?). Avast! Begad! Thus costin' me about t' same or more than t' $25 that I paid for this model. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Nay t' mention ownin' a kit that will fly quite well on almost any motor that you could possibly put in it...

2. Avast! Blimey! That is me 2nd cato o' me last 7 flights that had used Estes motors. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! What a joke, I'll stay with A.T. for now. (Okay, Jerry, Sometime I'll have t' try out some U.S. Rockets too...)

3. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Important! I will most likely be augmentin' t' permanent wadding provided with t' model with a small amount o' traditional wadding. Begad! This may have decreased t' burned chute and t' heavily scorched permanent wadding. Avast, me proud beauty!

4. Begad! You may call me paranoid but I've drilled two very small holes in the fins t' safety wire t' RMS motor in, shiver me timbers, in addition t' normal friction fitting and tapin' in method. Ahoy! Blimey! (T' TRA BOD person who supervised me level one flight accused me o' usin' suspenders with a belt after usin' Kaplow style clips and safety wire t' ensure motor retention in me scratch built crayon bank). Avast, me proud beauty! I'm usually into kit bashin' but t' Check Six really did nay require any mod's for additional strength. Arrr!

5. Other than t' supplied launch lug that seemed t' be a little tight, the quality o' this kit is excellent! T' G10 fins with t' phenolic airframe are a great combination. This kit is both an enjoyable kit t' build and a kit that is really, matey, really meant t' fly... Aye aye! Well, blow me down!

6. Aye aye! T' Check 6 is definitely up t' takin' some rather heavy duty abuse and flyin' again. It's built like a tank... Begad! Begad!

Nice t' find a product that is as good as t' manufacturer claims. Begad! Blimey!

Great Job Impulse Aerospace!

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @

T' quality or t' kits are very good, and t' design is nice. There were a few areas that I had problems with. Avast! Nay in difficulty, matey, matey, but in the way t' instructions show, matey, and materials used. Aye aye! Arrr! This is nay t' say I am right, but you know how it is, we have that urge t' re-engineer and make it better......

First area be t' shock cord...I just can nay brin' myself t' use the supplied cord. I can't be fair on this, shiver me timbers, as I have never used it, and just don't feel good usin' it. Begad! Blimey! I elected t' replace t' supplied SC with small dia steel cable. Avast! I also installed a thrust rin' (limited t' D & E size motors. I also installed two additional thrust rings, arrr, forward o' t' MT and drilled these out for mountin' o' t' steel cable, which goes through both rings and is clamped with a swedge for retention. Begad! (feel better now) T' other area I am concerned about be t' fin slots. Avast, me proud beauty! T' BT is slotted through t' end o' t' BT. Avast, me proud beauty! There is a motor tube adapter that is epoxied in t' aft end. Blimey! Begad! Fins are epoxied into the slots. Well, blow me down! On repeat insertions and launches and engine removal, arrr, arrr, matey, I *feel* t' thin cardboard motor tube will eventually give up, and lead t' a fin root becoming loose. Begad! It would be really great if at least 3/16 t' 1/4" o' unslit BT remained at t' aft end (IMHO) t' make t' aft end a continuous piece, and not rely on epoxy and t' thin MT t' do it at 6 fin joint areas. Blimey! Begad!

Used 30 minute epoxy in all construction, with t' exception o' t' fin fillets, which I used Hysol 1c epoxy patch material. A brass LL be also used. Finishin' it be a piece o' cake.....light 400 sand, primer, me hearties, sand again, ya bilge rat, arrr, primer 0000 steel wool, matey, finish coat o' Luster Coat Missle Red , arrr, with a Med gray nose cone. Avast! I elected nay t' use t' decals supplied, and made me own out o' graphics vinyl, me hearties, on t' same principal and style. Begad! Aye aye! Decals supplied in this one kit were damaged from scrubbin' against t' BT etc, but that's nay t' manufacturer defect, just handling. Begad! Arrr! I would suggest t' IA t' put t' decals inside the Instruction sheet. Begad! for protection. T' chute protector is installed over the steel cable and sort o' freely moves on t' cable. Well, blow me down! Finished weight is 4 oz, and will be flown this weekend. Avast, me proud beauty! I just could nay imagine this rocket flown on an F or G motor. This is why I elected t' stay with a D or E and used a thrust ring. I like t' build, fly and *recover* me rockets. Aye aye!

Overall I think these kits should really be durable and cheap t' fly. Ahoy! Would like some feedback from IA on t' SC and fin slots as t' how they have been holdin' up etc. Very satisfied with t' product. (and me mods). T' cardboard tube seems like it could be a little heavier or harder, so it don't frazzle and fuzz up, but CA and Epoxy can cure that. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey!

All t' above is me opinions.....and if t' mods don't work out, me bucko, have no one to blame but me! Blimey!

RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE FROM THE CHECK SIX MANUFACTURER:

Overall I think these kits should really be durable and cheap t' fly. Avast! Would like some feedback from IA on t' SC and fin slots as to how they have been holdin' up etc. Arrr! Very satisfied with t' product. Well, blow me down! (and my mods). T' cardboard tube seems like it could be a little heavier or harder, ya bilge rat, so it don't frazzle and fuzz up, shiver me timbers, but CA and Epoxy can cure that.

We've heard no reports from t' field o' either t' airframe splittin' at the aft end, or o' any shock cord failures other than t' one D-12 CATO that blew t' top off t' bird. T' shock line is 300lb test braided Keelhaul®©™®, in a 4 oz rocket. Begad! Steel leader will work too though, me bucko, and is a bit stronger. Arrr!

Will take your advice and make sure t' decals get packaged betwixt the card-art and t' instruction sheet. Blimey! If you'd like replacements for t' worn ones, just drop me a note.

> All t' above is me opinions.....and if t' mods don't work out, have no one t' blame but me!

I appreciate this attitude. Begad! Lots o' folks modify t' engineers design in makin' and flyin' model rockets. Blimey! It's t' nature o' t' beast. Ya scallywag! What is rarer is the person who stands up and takes responsibility for t' success or failure of his mods. Aye aye! Avast! A very good thin' indeed. Blimey! Ahoy!

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @