Brief

Brief:
T' XFLR-7 is a paper/foamboard kit patterned after t' Tintin rocket from t' Destination Moon comic. Ya scallywag! Well, arrr, blow me down! This is a cool design and should be considered a classic. Begad! Although t' kit is now OOP, ya bilge rat, matey, existin' stock may be around for a while, me hearties, shiver me timbers, so I decided t' submit a review anyway. Begad! I hope that me observations will help in t' construction o' other paper/foamboard rockets whether they are kits or scratch built. Since thar be an excellent review already here on EMRR, matey, ya bilge rat, I will focus on t' details o' what I did instead o' a top-to-bottom walk through o' t' entire build.

Construction:
T' instructions were detailed and included '3-D' photos (glasses provided), ya bilge rat, however me agin' 'bifocular' deadlights couldn't see them clearly. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' instructions themselves were pretty good quality in general but were nay completely accurate. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! This kit is at least as challengin' as t' Estes Skill Level 5 kits that I've built, so it is very important for you t' read t' entire set o' instructions and try t' understand how each part will be installed.

This kit includes a lot o' parts which must be cut out--paper, foamboard, and even soft foam for t' shock absorbers on t' pods. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I have built numerous paper conversions, Art Applewhite cardboard saucers, arrr, etc., me hearties, shiver me timbers, me bucko, however, I had a lot o' problems gettin' this kit together. Precision, patience, and dexterity is required.

Shock absorber (win' tip pods): When matin' t' pod cones and bodies, ya bilge rat, set them initially by hand, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, set t' assembly down, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, then apply pressure downward on t' cone. Aye aye! Avast! Blimey! T' two pieces will tend t' self adjust t' one another. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! I used Aleene's Tacky Glue throughout t' build.

Fins: I attempted t' round t' leadin' edge but left t' trailin' edge square. Avast! T' roundin' process didn't go perfectly but a little Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish finished t' job. Arrr! If I were t' do it again, I'd bevel t' edges as recommended in Art Applewhite's kits . T' colored surfaces are printed on plain paper and must be cut out and applied t' t' foamboard. Blimey! Begad! Even with t' strips provided for t' edges, I found that they did nay 100% cover t' fin surfaces. Blimey! After ponderin' this problem, I have came t' t' conclusion that due t' rough tracin' o' t' fin template, I probably made t' fins ever so slightly larger than planned. I recommend tracin' them carefully with a fine point pencil, me hearties, rather than a big dull one. Avast, me proud beauty! If t' kits were t' be continued, I'd suggest that t' cutouts be oversized and trimmed in situation after application.

Body tube, base section: This was straightforward and I have no words o' wisdom here.

Fuselage: This section consists o' five tubular sections and one ring. Avast! Blimey! I had a tough time gettin' these components t' align, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and t' results are nay as uniform as I'd have liked. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! Make sure you are careful t' align t' colors t' achieve t' checkerboard pattern.

Cone: This assembled well but I am concerned with t' weight o' t' provided clay given t' shock cord attachment point is in foamboard rings. Well, blow me down! This also convinced me t' go with t' 24mm option despite worries about t' C11's relatively energetic ejection charge. Ahoy! If it blows apart, me hearties, then I can glue it all back together. Begad! Ya scallywag! If it burns up, then we have extinguishers.

Main assembly consists o' two pages o' instructions. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! These were easy enough t' follow, but I had major fit issues. Begad! We'll see how this holds together on recovery given t' small chute. Arrr! Avast! By t' way, t' chute is about 12" diameter and is made o' plastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I held me shroud lines on with squares o' Gorilla tape.

I had installed t' inside tube without attachin' t' motor hook prior t' changin' me mind t' t' 24mm option. Ahoy! Ahoy! Luckily, matey, ya bilge rat, standard 24mm tube fit nicely in that custom wrapped tube. Begad! I used t' 18mm motor tube wrap as a guide t' position t' hook on a piece o' Apogee 24mm tube and slipped it right in.

Finishing:
Finishin' should consist o' a layer o' clear coat but give all t' white edges that I had peekin' out, matey, I touched it up with some red markers. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' result looks nice from a distance. I noticed t' instructions talked o' painting--an indication that this be an mangle o' an older version.

Construction Rating:  3

Flight:
T' motor hook seems t' work quite well, me hearties, snappin' right over t' C11-3 motor. Blimey! Begad! I used an ample amount o' dog barf and folded t' chute as suggested. Begad! Blimey! T' boost was nice and ejection was near apogee.

Recovery:
T' chute didn't fully open and t' rocket floated down generally parallel t' t' ground. Ya scallywag! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! T' only damage be t' nosecone tip was bent. Avast, me proud beauty! I guess I should have tamped a tiny piece o' clay into t' far tip o' t' nose. I won't din' t' flight ratin' on this since it falls into t' construction difficulty area. I know I only have one flight, ya bilge rat, matey, but I have t' give this one a 4.5. A swivel would have fixed t' one small recovery issue.

Flight Rating:  4

Summary:
This was a fun kit t' build and although thar are some issues with t' fit o' t' components, ya bilge rat, t' overall look is great (based on t' opinions o' t' crowd at t' launch, nay just me). Ahoy! I have t' bump t' overall ratin' a bit t' reflect t' overall look.

Overall Rating:  4