Brief:
This rocket is a 18mm futuristic space fighter usin' parachute recovery system. Avast! When I became a BAR, matey, I found numerous kits that I absolutely HAD t' have. Begad! Many o' them came from Fliskits. Arrr! Ahoy! T' problem be I was well aware o' me technical skills and was loathe t' butcher such nice projects. Ya scallywag! As a result, me hearties, me bucko, I spent a lot o' time workin' on simple "level 1 and 2" rockets while starin' wistfully at t' cool designs in t' 3, me hearties, shiver me timbers, 4 and 5 bins. Well, blow me down! I finally decided t' give one of t' nicer lookin' ones a try and picked t' Fliskits Stingray t' embrace. Begad! I figured that most o' those kits look so good, me bucko, arrr, some o' t' reflected glory might rub off on me.

Construction:
Other reviews have listed t' parts so I will not. Begad! Ahoy! Rest assured, arrr, arrr, me hearties, they were all present and o' good quality. Construction begins by markin' t' motor tube and cuttin' a slit for t' retainer clip. T' clip is held in place with maskin' tape and a thrust rin' is inserted. Aye aye! Begad! There are two centerin' rings and each needs t' be modified. Ya scallywag! T' first one has an 1/8" sector removed t' accommodate t' retainer clip and t' second has a small notch cut in it t' allow the Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' pass. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Both rings are held in place with white glue.

T' shock cord is attached t' t' motor mount by tyin' a slip knot around the motor tube and then passin' t' thread through t' notch cut above. T' motor mount is then slid into place and glued into t' body tube. Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! It should be noted that this kit is designed so that t' motor mount hangs out a good ways past the end o' t' BT.

Now that t' BT and motor mount were ready, matey, I needed t' transfer t' marks for t' fins, arrr, cannon mounts, me bucko, etc. t' the BT. This was done by means o' a wrap around guide and was easily achieved. Well, blow me down! T' lines were marked, arrr, identified and extend the length o' t' BT.

Apparently, some o' t' wrap kits provided as accessories for this kit include a wrap for t' body tube. Mine did not. Arrr! If it had been included, it would be at this point that t' instructions would have sent me off t' apply t' wrap to t' BT. Ahoy! Afterwards, t' builder is instructed t' return t' t' same place in t' instructions and continue from there. Avast, me proud beauty! In me case, shiver me timbers, I just got started on t' next step.

T' next step was t' actually cut balsa. Well, blow me down! Except for an old Estes Mosquito, this be t' first time I have had t' do this since me return as a BAR. It is probably what made me t' most nervous but it turned out t' nay be too bad. T' kit comes with paper templates that are cut out and then used t' trace a line around t' pristine sheet material provided. Avast! Aye aye! This be easily achieved but I cannot emphasize t' importance of usin' both a sharp pencil for t' markin' and a sharp knife for t' cutting. Ya scallywag! I decided t' cut out all me pieces at once.

When t' pieces were cut, me hearties, arrr, I went on t' t' next step where I was instructed t' sand an 1/8" bevel into the leadin' edges o' t' two fins. Arrr! T' do this, arrr, I marked o' t' 1/8 inch and then placed a line o' cellophane tape across the length o' t' fin. Avast! I did t' same with t' reverse side. T' tape was then used t' give me a guide as I be sanding and prevent me from sandin' too far. Ahoy!

T' after bulkhead was also assembled at this stage. T' template provides for two pieces which are almost mirror images o' each other. Each o' these pieces needs t' be marked on both sides in terms o' left and right and upper and lower. Ya scallywag! When t' pieces are cut out, matey, a slight bevel is sanded into t' forward facin' edges in order t' accommodate the body wrap shroud. Blimey! Then each o' t' two bulkheads is cut in half t' make a total o' four pieces. Arrr! Blimey! These pieces are then glued, 2 per fin, t' t' root edges o' t' fins. Ahoy! Alignment is critical so t' template provides a mark for 1/8" in along t' trailin' edge. Aye aye! This mark must be transferred t' t' bulkhead and then used t' match t' edge o' t' fins.

At this point, me bucko, thar be another directive t' see special instructions if you are usin' one o' t' wrap kits. Begad! Begad! Blimey! I dutifully turned t' t' appropriate instruction and learned that it was time t' seal and paint t' fins before applying the wraps. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! I did so with Elmer's Fill 'N Seal® and then sprayed t' fins black. Begad! Blimey! I need only have bothered with t' trailin' edge but I went ahead and painted most of the fins.

When t' paint was dry, shiver me timbers, t' wraps for t' fins were carefully cut out with a razor knife. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' wraps include a scorin' line that aligns along t' bevel on t' leadin' edges which I scored with t' razor knife. Aye aye! Unfortunately, I pressed a little too hard with t' first pass and cut too deeply. That did makin' loadin' it in half a snap, though. T' outer edge o' t' fin is then aligned with t' end o' t' wrap and t' whole fin is carefully set into t' crease. T' instructions recommend and I heartily support practicin' this a few time before peelin' t' backin' off o' the wrap. Avast! When you think you have it down, me hearties, peel t' backin' and press t' wrap onto t' fin. Well, blow me down! T' procedure is then repeated on t' opposite side.

T' wingtips likewise are supposed t' be filled and finished before apply the wraps. Ya scallywag! Here is where me brain broke down. Avast, me proud beauty! Bein' lazy, me bucko, arrr, early in t' morning, ya bilge rat, I hit on t' bright idea o' usin' white glue t' fill t' edges. It be already out and t' Fill 'N Finish was all t' way out in t' garage.

Bad idea. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! I suppose it could work eventually but takes too long t' dry, arrr, t' balsa seems t' drink t' stuff and sandin' is a nightmare. Avast, me proud beauty! In any event, instead o' paintin' t' edges black, me bucko, I opted for paintin' them red for contrast.

Strangely enough, arrr, I found that applyin' t' stickers for t' win' tips was more difficult than applyin' t' wraps to t' wings. Blimey! Begad! This was because o' t' shape. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' stickers were easy enough t' cut out; I opted for usin' scissors for this step. Blimey! I then peel a little bit off t' back and tried t' get t' balsa centered. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! That be more easily said than done. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' balsa I had cut was nay perfect and it shows especially since t' red o' t' balsa contrasts with t' black of t' stickers. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions noted that I might have t' trim t' sticker but I would up with a surplus o' balsa and no trimmin' was needed. Ahoy! When both wingtips were done, I sealed t' edges with white glue as per t' instructions.

T' next step returned me t' t' main thread o' t' instructions t' mount the wings t' t' BT. Blimey! In t' interest o' strength, me bucko, I used a safety pin t' perforate t' root edges o' t' wings and t' BT along t' installation line t' form glue "rivets." Then it be a matter o' test fittin' each win' against the BT. Ya scallywag! It is critically important at this step t' ensure that t' root edge o' t' win' lies flush against t' BT. Aye aye! I had to do some sandin' on t' aft bulkhead t' make this happen. Ya scallywag! Begad! When all seemed t' fit right, shiver me timbers, I glued on t' left wing. After waitin' a decent amount o' time for t' glue t' set, shiver me timbers, I glued on t' right wing.

Since this wrap kit did nay include a body wrap, t' instructions indicate it is time t' paint. Aye aye! Much o' the rearward part o' t' body will be hidden by t' final paper shroud so it be t' front o' t' rocket that is important here. I wrapped t' tale in aluminum foil held down with maskin' tape and painted t' rest o' t' BT black.

After a few coats o' black paint, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I let t' BT dry and got t' work on me sermon. Aye aye! As a reward for finishin' the sermon without too much rambling, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I decided t' spend some late time workin' on t' Stingray. Begad! Blimey! I was pleased with the paint and set about workin' on t' main body shroud.

T' main body wrap be t' final part o' t' special instructions for the Maelstrom body wrap. Begad! T' basic Stingray comes with a 2 piece white shroud. Begad! T' Maelstrom comes with a one piece, nicely decorated shroud.

Cuttin' out around t' outer edges was nay too onerous. Ahoy! Begad! I made sure I had a fresh blade and a steel ruler and started t' cut. Arrr! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! After it was removed from t' rest o' t' card stock, I used t' razor knife t' lightly score t' lines where it will need t' be folded. Avast! Ahoy! Then came t' hard part. Ahoy! I had t' cut out t' central oval. Ahoy! I took this slowly but was not particularly pleased with me work. Begad! I did, on average, manage t' cut out too little rather than too much but the curves did nay flow well for me. I never did like cuttin' curves. Aye aye! I managed t' solve part o' t' problem with 220# sandpaper. Ahoy! Avast! I sanded around t' inner edge until I was more (as opposed t' completely) satisfied with t' result.

When t' shroud was cut out and scored, me hearties, I prefolded it and test fitted t' two halves together. Aye aye! I found a few more places where I needed t' even things up but a little sandin' and a little razorin' took care o' that. Then it was just a matter o' gluin' t' halves together usin' t' tabs. It didn't look too bad.

Then tragedy struck. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! I test fitted t' shroud around t' BT. At that point I learned that I had grossly misjudged what would and what would nay be exposed. Ahoy! Blimey! With that, arrr, I remasked and set out t' repaint t' BT.

When t' repainted BT was ready, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I tried slippin' t' shroud around t' body t' check t' fit. I found a few tight places, which were treated with a razor or sandpaper, me bucko, and that I had nay given t' after bulkhead enough o' a chamfer. That was smartly treated with some sandpaper as well. Ya scallywag! When I was happy with t' fit, it be time for t' most tedious and, for me, difficult portion o' t' project.

I traced t' outline o' t' shroud on t' BT and then removed t' shroud. I then applied white glue along the outline and slid t' shroud back into place. Arrr! Blimey! A little tuggin' and coaxin' and it was in place. Blimey! Blimey! T' directions say at this point t' hold everythin' in place so that t' shroud makes full contact with all interfaces until t' glue dries. THAT WAS THE HARD PART FOR ME! Blimey! Maybe I have failed t' mention me issues with patience...

It was nay all that hard except that I hate waiting. Arrr! NOTE TO MR. Avast! FLIS: I would gladly pay much extra for some sort of jig t' do this for me; t' kids were nay willing. It was worth it, ya bilge rat, though. Arrr! Begad! Blimey!

When I could safely let go o' t' body and shroud, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I got t' work on t' gun mounts. I had previously cut these out and assembly was fairly easy. Ahoy! T' upright portion is sandwiched betwixt two plates. It is held together with white glue and a piece o' sawn toothpick is glued t' t' upright t' be t' gun. Well, blow me down! When it was together, I found that me precision in cuttin' was better than I expected but nay good enough. Begad! Ahoy! I used a sanding block t' even things out and then wrapped some sandpaper around t' BT in order t' sand a curve into t' mounts. Begad! Avast! I then applied some sealer and set it aside t' dry. Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, shiver me timbers, t' only photos that came out are without t' toothpicks.

T' wingtips are fairly easy t' attach t' t' wings. Arrr! T' body wraps provide a cutout place where t' edge o' the fin is t' intersect t' wingtips. Blimey! Avast! I again used a safety pin t' perforate both balsa surfaces and form glue rivets. Begad! Ahoy! I then glued t' tips on and checked for straightness and alignment. Ya scallywag! Havin' them in place made a huge difference in the appearance o' t' rocket.

T' launch lug mount was also simple. Begad! T' lug is glued t' an angled piece o' balsa. Arrr! When it has set, a razor is used t' cut t' lug at t' same angle as t' mount.

Since I had a bit more time before bed, I decided t' seal t' nosecone. Arrr! I glued in t' eye screw, painted with Elmer's Fill 'n Finish, me bucko, arrr, and hung it up t' dry.

Now was t' time for detail work. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! I sealed t' cannon mounts and launch lug, matey, sanded them down and primed with white spray. Arrr! I figured that finishin' them after they were mounted would be a nightmare so I decided t' finish them now. I also decided t' hand paint them.

T' bases for both were painted a Tamiya color called bronze. Blimey! When I opened it up, me hearties, arrr, it was a bit grayer than I had imagined but still serviceable. T' launch lug itself as well as t' center supports for t' canon were painted with Tamiya copper. Copper is me favorite metallic shade and I tend t' use it whenever I have an excuse. Well, blow me down! T' guns themselves were painted red.

While those were drying, I sanded down t' nosecone and used an emory board t' sharpen up t' diameter stepdown. I then primed it with white spray.

Figurin' that betwixt sprayin' t' nosecone and takin' time out t' help t' stepson with some chemistry homework, it was safe t' handle t' little pieces again. Avast! Blimey! I realized that I had made another blunder. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Back when t' BT had originally been marked, me hearties, ya bilge rat, marks were laid down for t' cannon mounts and launch lug. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' black paint had completely obliterated them. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Wantin' t' do a better job on t' alignment than could be had from me deadlights alone, I printed a sheet with t' alignment wrap. Well, blow me down! Blimey! (I always make PDFs o' instructions, balsa, arrr, templates and such before startin' a build.)I then wrapped t' alignment sheet around t' BT and held it closed with some tape. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Usin' that and alignin' with t' wings by my deadlights I felt I could come close t' t' "right" place.

I used a razor knife t' nick t' paint 1/2" back from t' front o' t' BT along t' cannon mount lines. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! I then transferred t' length o' t' mounts t' t' BT with another light nick. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! A file was then used t' remove t' paint along the lin' o' t' cannon mounts. A safety pin was used t' make perforations in both t' t' root edges o' t' mounts and in the BT t' form glue rivets and t' mounts were glued in place.

T' launch lug was similarly attached but I did one more thin' t' make sure it be straight. Aye aye! I took a short section o' 1/8" rod and used that t' help align t' lug.

After t' nosecone had been sprayed black, matey, I decided I wanted t' add a little bit o' contrast. Ahoy! I decided t' paint t' part o' t' nose cone that is stepped down, matey, but nay t' part that fits in the BT, arrr, t' same colored bronze that I used on t' cannon mounts. Arrr! I masked accordingly and painted it by hand. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Then it was a simple matter t' cut out t' sticker for t' cockpit and put it in place. Avast, me proud beauty! It was a bit less simple t' keep it straight and unwrinkled.

Likewise, finishin' t' after bulkhead be accomplished by cuttin' out t' sticker and placin' it. Aye aye! Blimey! I recommend that when cuttin' t' hole for t' motor mount, leave a slight bit o' excess material. Begad! Blimey! Then use a piece o' sandpaper wrapped around your finger t' ream it out flush with t' correct profile. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I found t' t' sticker with t' backing paper is sturdy enough t' handle this and is sure easier than tryin' t' cut a circle. That brought t' buildin' t' a close. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

• PROS: interesting, arrr, creative
• CONS: most human beings have too few hands t' adequately handle t' installation o' t' body shroud.

Finishing:
Most o' t' finishin' took place durin' t' build phase and is detailed above. Arrr! Arrr! I did give t' rocket a coatin' of Future® Floor Polish t' toughen it up a bit. Arrr! I don't want t' mar this up on landing. Well, blow me down!

• PROS: excellent quality peel and sticks; looks great
• CONS: I would have preferred waterslides

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I started out wimpy on an A8-3. Blimey! Begad! T' chute was loaded after a bit o' dog barf, t' nose cone be seated and t' motor installed. Begad! While I was hookin' up t' leads, shiver me timbers, I enjoyed t' favorable comments from others about t' appearance o' the rocket.

When it was time t' lift off, ya bilge rat, I pushed t' button and it took right off, flyin' straight up. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! There be no barrel rollin' at all. Aye aye! It did nay fly particularly high but it was high enough t' make me feel "safe". Begad! Ejection occurred right on schedule and t' chute deployed just fine. Blimey! Well, me bucko, blow me down! It landed without any problem.

For t' second flight, I chose a B6-4. Avast! Again, everythin' went like clockwork. T' rocket went up and t' rocket came down. In between, ya bilge rat, me hearties, at about t' right time, arrr, matey, t' chute came out and slowed t' decent. Blimey! That be good. Begad! Ya scallywag! Unfortunately, RSO duties prevented another flight.