Okay, My daughter and I have flown t' Check-Six on two occasions and thought it about time t' give a launch report. Aye aye! She asked for and o' course received this kit for her 9th birthday in January. Ahoy! (Yep, she picked it out and helped build it too...)

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

Last night: Permanently, or so I thought, matey, replaced t' removed launch lug. Ahoy! 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. Bad idea. Begad! Blimey! Major cato, a rather large fireball erupted about 4 feet off t' ground (after reviewin' t' video tape several times. Well, blow me down! It was t' first video where we caught a cato. Avast! Begad! If you haven't seen one in slow/step motion on your own video, you'll be in for a treat when you do. Begad! Fast motion on t' VCR you do nay really see much, me hearties, slow motion ignition, me hearties, arrr, liftoff, matey, me bucko, fireball, separation, lots-o-smoke). About then, shiver me timbers, I was really wonderin' exactly how strong this little rocket really was... Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye!

Well, t' jury is in. Arrr! After t' cato exactly 0% damage t' t' airframe. Ahoy! 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 was broken or burned through. Begad!

Well, we spent all o' about 5 minutes replacin' t' chute and replacin' the broken connector line with a piece o' steel leader.

Flight 2: Prepped a 24mm RMS E11/5J. Begad! Loaded up t' rocket, me bucko, and hit t' pad again. Avast! 5.4.3.2.1... Arrr! T' E11 lit and t' rocket be OFF. Ahoy! Begad! With a nice lift off, lots o' nice blackjack smoke and it was gainin' speed, me hearties, straight up through burn-out, arrr, coastin' up t' a very respectable altitude, ya bilge rat, me hearties, could nay see t' rocket after t' trackin' smoke (delay element) disappeared until t' chute had opened. Ahoy! Aye aye! Again t' momentum really carried t' rocket t' quite an altitude. Begad! Ya scallywag! Very cool flight. Well, blow me down! Due t' a light breeze, 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. Blimey! Blimey!

Thoughts about t' Check 6:

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

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

3. Arrr! Begad! Important! I will most likely be augmentin' t' permanent wadding provided with t' model with a small amount o' traditional wadding. Blimey! This may have decreased t' burned chute and t' heavily scorched permanent wadding. Blimey!

4. Ahoy! Blimey! You may call me paranoid but I've drilled two very small holes in the fins t' safety wire t' RMS motor in, me hearties, in addition t' normal friction fitting and tapin' in method. Avast! Blimey! 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). Ya scallywag! Blimey! I'm usually into kit bashin' but t' Check Six really did nay require any mod's for additional strength. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

5. Avast, me proud beauty! Other than t' supplied launch lug that seemed t' be a little tight, matey, ya bilge rat, the quality o' this kit is excellent! T' G10 fins with t' phenolic airframe are a great combination. Arrr! This kit is both an enjoyable kit t' build and a kit that is really, matey, really meant t' fly... Begad!

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

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

Great Job Impulse Aerospace! Blimey!

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. Nay in difficulty, me hearties, but in the way t' instructions show, and materials used. Ahoy! This is nay t' say I am right, but you know how it is, ya bilge rat, we have that urge t' re-engineer and make it better...... Aye aye!

First area be t' shock cord...I just can nay brin' myself t' use the supplied cord. Begad! I can't be fair on this, as I have never used it, me bucko, and just don't feel good usin' it. Avast, me proud beauty! I elected t' replace t' supplied SC with small dia steel cable. Arrr! I also installed a thrust rin' (limited t' D & E size motors. I also installed two additional thrust rings, matey, ya bilge rat, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! (feel better now) T' other area I am concerned about be t' fin slots. Ahoy! T' BT is slotted through t' end o' t' BT. Begad! There is a motor tube adapter that is epoxied in t' aft end. Fins are epoxied into the slots. Aye aye! On repeat insertions and launches and engine removal, ya bilge rat, I *feel* t' thin cardboard motor tube will eventually give up, matey, arrr, and lead t' a fin root becoming loose. Well, blow me down! 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, me bucko, and not rely on epoxy and t' thin MT t' do it at 6 fin joint areas. Blimey! Arrr!

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

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

All t' above is me opinions.....and if t' mods don't work out, ya bilge rat, matey, have no one to blame but me!

RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE FROM THE CHECK SIX MANUFACTURER:

Overall I think these kits should really be durable and cheap t' fly. Begad! Begad! Would like some feedback from IA on t' SC and fin slots as to how they have been holdin' up etc. Aye aye! Aye aye! Very satisfied with t' product. Begad! Ya scallywag! (and my mods). Avast, me proud beauty! 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.

We've heard no reports from t' field o' either t' airframe splittin' at the aft end, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 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. Steel leader will work too though, and is a bit stronger.

Will take your advice and make sure t' decals get packaged betwixt the card-art and t' instruction sheet. Aye aye! 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. Lots o' folks modify t' engineers design in makin' and flyin' model rockets. Arrr! It's t' nature o' t' beast. What is rarer is the person who stands up and takes responsibility for t' success or failure of his mods. Ya scallywag! A very good thin' indeed.

Relinquished by Scott Johnson @