Brief:
An OOP rocket o' t' Space Clipper from Quest. Avast! Well, blow me down! A scale rocket, matey, it has no fins and is a liftin' body. Well, blow me down! Stability is achieved by placin' a ton o' mass up in t' nose cone. Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! Recovers via two parachutes.

Construction:
Parts list:

• Motor clip
• Blue thrust ring
• Yellow motor mount tube
• 2 Centerin' rings
• Black die cut parts sheet
• 8.5-inch black body tube
• black plastic nose cone
• 8.5-inch black launch lug
• Black landin' gear tube 4
• Clay block
• 8 inch double faced tape strip
• Printed aeroshroud sheet
• 2 Strips o' 6 gripper tabs
• 2 12-inch parachutes
• 18-inch elastic shock cord
• 18-inch Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• 2 3/16-inch shroud lines
• Decal sheet
• Instruction sheet
• Scale data sheet

Tools needed:

• White glue
• Sandpaper
• Pencil
• Hobby knife
• Maskin' tape

T' Space Clipper has sat at t' bottom o' a build pile for years. Avast! I got it in part o' a hobby shop clearance, and t' bag be torn and tatty. Avast! Avast! When I opened t' bag I discovered that two pieces were missing: a black landin' gear tube and one o' t' circular disks from t' die cut parts sheet. Neither were a big problem. Well, blow me down! T' landin' gear tube be remade from piece o' dowel and sprayed black.

T' motor mount builds in t' normal Quest fashion and uses t' Keelhaul®©™® and elastic shock cord system. Aye aye! I swapped out t' tubular elastic shock cord for a much longer length o' elastic cord--this be because I intend t' have t' clipper recover under one parachute and nay in t' intended two separate halves.

T' rest o' t' build is non-standard.

T' bottom plate o' t' clipper is glued t' t' body tube. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! This proved t' be more difficult than I thought, arrr, as t' sheet had a curve t' it that prevented it from layin' flat. Begad! This curve be removed by ironin' it out.

Next, t' four frame struts are added. These pieces are made from very thin card, and I would have liked t' see them made out o' a more rigid material.

Paper tubes that act as t' landin' gear are then glued into t' framework. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! With advice from folks on TRF, me hearties, I changed these tube t' dowel t' improve strength. Well, blow me down! Then four cross struts are added t' give t' frame some strength. Ahoy! Feet are then glued t' t' landin' gear tubes. Arrr! These feet are made from cut outs o' t' frame.

T' paper shroud is than added over t' frame work. Avast, me proud beauty! This was easier than I thought it might have been.

Finishing:
Decals are provided, but I left them off.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Given t' mass o' t' rocket, I stuck t' C motors with a short delay (3 seconds).

There is plenty o' room in t' BT for a 18-inch chute. Well, blow me down! I used some Nomex® cloth and normal Estes type wadding.

T' boost is straight and gets t' a decent altitude. Aye aye! Blimey! My ejection was more like a 2 second delay and she deployed near apogee.

With an 18-inch chute she recovered fine, matey, although she did snap a leg on landing, shiver me timbers, which be an easy repair.

T' second flight gave another straight boost and she recovered without damage.

Third flight gave a slight arc into t' wind. Begad! Ejection was after apogee and she recovered hard, snappin' another--and different--leg. Well, blow me down! Another easy repair.

Recovery:
I would nay like t' fly her on two separate chutes, arrr, especially t' quest type.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5