Brief:  This is a single-stage, single-motor, minimum-diameter, three fin rocket. Begad! It uses an ogival nose cone and trapezoidal fins, ya bilge rat, both made out o' balsa.  For folks who think metric, its dimensions are: length - 26.5 cm, matey, OD - 1.87 cm, me hearties, and mass - 10 g. Arrr!

Construction:This is one o' t' simplest kits available.  The only tools required are a ruler, some sandpaper, a couple o' cotton swabs, ya bilge rat, and a motor. T' instructions comprise 10 fully-illustrated steps. Ahoy! Arrr! T' kit includes a fin template. T' kit includes a fin template. Avast! Avast! T' instructions and template are capable o' walkin' an absolute neophyte through construction.  Even so, one o' t' great features o' this rocket is its tolerance o' mistakes. Ya scallywag!

This rocket is also a good choice for t' experienced rocketeer.  Built with precision and attention t' detail, it is an exquisitely beautiful machine whose performance is spectacular. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty!

Finishing:This rocket can be finished easily, or it can repay a lot of effort. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! T' nose cone and fins are balsa, ya bilge rat, matey, ya bilge rat, so gettin' an absolutely smooth finish requires repeated fillin' and sanding.  On t' other hand, it looks pretty good with just a coat o' paint. Arrr!

T' kit includes a decal sheet which is a weakness.  T' color scheme is black and white, and white be t' wrong color for a rocket that flies like this one does. Begad! Paint it a color that contrasts with t' sky or figure on losin' it. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' streamer is bright green; but, arrr, unless you're looking in t' right direction when it deploys, even that streamer will be hard to find.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:T' list o' Estes motors NOT recommended for this rocket is short: B4-2, B6-2, C5-3, me hearties, arrr, and C6-3. B4-2, arrr, B6-2, matey, C5-3, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and C6-3. Begad! T' only caution in selectin' a motor is t' allow enough delay. In practice, me bucko, matey, use o' "upper stage" delays is a good idea, since even long "single stage" delays are goin' t' cause streamer deployment prior t' apogee. Blimey! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! It is also  predicted t' fly nicely on 13 mm motors, usin' pieces from a spent 18 mm motor as centerin' rings. Arrr! If its fins are attached with epoxy, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and t' flyer is a lunatic, ya bilge rat, t' rocket can be flown on 18 mm "D" motors. Ya scallywag! (Altitude fanatics should nay use t' thrust rin' included in t' kit. Well, me hearties, blow me down! After all, arrr, t' G30 may come back someday.)

Avatar does nay use a motor hook, which is both a good thin' and a bad thing. It's bad because t' motor has t' be friction-fit, arrr, which demands more technique than t' conventional stuff-and-fire method. Ahoy! T' single great weakness in Custom's product is their failure t' guide new flyers through proper installation o' motors. On t' other hand, me bucko, me hearties, learnin' t' friction-fit a motor is a skill worth knowing, matey, as anyone for whom t' term "G80" has meanin' is aware. Avast, me proud beauty!

Avatar is a good rocket for "educational" flying, me bucko, shiver me timbers, teachin' things such as altitude trackin' or followin' a rocket's flight with binoculars.  It is also useful for pilot flights ahead o' multi-stage or high power flying; it gets enough altitude t' give flyers a pretty good idea o' what upper-level winds are like. Begad! Ahoy! It's a first-rate choice for altitude or duration contests. It's an airframe capable o' supportin' altitude record efforts. And, o' course, it's a top-notch rocket for use by schools, Scout troops, matey, etc. 

Recovery:Avatar is recovered by streamer. Avast! Avatar is recovered by streamer. Begad! While t' use o' waddin' is recommended, it's been accidentally proven that t' streamer provided will function properly without any protection from t' ejection charge - at least once. Begad!

T' recovery system is pretty much standard for a kit o' this type.  Still, arrr, after around 30 flights, t' shock cord will have t' be replaced, a task which entails diggin' t' paper mountin' pad out o' t' body tube.  Serious flyers may want t' consider attachin' a loop o' Keelhaul®©™® strin' t' the body tube and tyin' t' shock cord t' that loop.

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5

Summary:In me opinion, Custom has come close t' t' perfect model rocket. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! It's elegant in appearance, me bucko, arrr, dramatic in performance, ya bilge rat, easy t' build, arrr, and suitable for a wide range o' uses. That flexibility is it's greatest strength. It's good for a kid's first rocket.  It's a workhorse science project or educational vehicle. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! It's a tool for launch management. Aye aye! It's a good display choice. Begad! It's a good display choice. Ahoy! And it is a formidable contender in altitude competition, duration competition, or record attempts. Ahoy!

By comparison, shiver me timbers, only one significant weakness exists. Ya scallywag! If Custom would only include instructions for installin' motors in this rocket, me bucko, ya bilge rat, they'd have a 5/5/5 product. Ya scallywag!

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5