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

Construction:
Other reviews have listed t' parts so I will not. Blimey! Rest assured, 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. There are two centerin' rings and each needs t' be modified. 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. Blimey! 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. Well, blow me down! T' motor mount is then slid into place and glued into t' body tube. Arrr! 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, I needed t' transfer t' marks for t' fins, cannon mounts, matey, etc. Arrr! Aye aye! t' the BT. Blimey! This was done by means o' a wrap around guide and was easily achieved. Begad! T' lines were marked, arrr, identified and extend the length o' t' BT.

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

T' next step was t' actually cut balsa. Except for an old Estes Mosquito, ya bilge rat, 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. Blimey! Aye aye! T' kit comes with paper templates that are cut out and then used t' trace a line around t' pristine sheet material provided. 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. I decided t' cut out all me pieces at once.

When t' pieces were cut, 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. Ahoy! Blimey! T' do this, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I marked o' t' 1/8 inch and then placed a line o' cellophane tape across the length o' t' fin. Arrr! Blimey! I did t' same with t' reverse side. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' tape was then used t' give me a guide as I be sanding and prevent me from sandin' too far. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey!

T' after bulkhead was also assembled at this stage. Begad! Blimey! 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. Begad! Blimey! When t' pieces are cut out, me bucko, me hearties, a slight bevel is sanded into t' forward facin' edges in order t' accommodate the body wrap shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Then each o' t' two bulkheads is cut in half t' make a total o' four pieces. Begad! Blimey! These pieces are then glued, 2 per fin, t' t' root edges o' t' fins. Arrr! Blimey! Alignment is critical so t' template provides a mark for 1/8" in along t' trailin' edge. This mark must be transferred t' t' bulkhead and then used t' match t' edge o' t' fins.

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

When t' paint was dry, t' wraps for t' fins were carefully cut out with a razor knife. Begad! Arrr! T' wraps include a scorin' line that aligns along t' bevel on t' leadin' edges which I scored with t' razor knife. Ahoy! Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, I pressed a little too hard with t' first pass and cut too deeply. That did makin' loadin' it in half a snap, matey, 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. Ahoy! When you think you have it down, matey, matey, peel t' backin' and press t' wrap onto t' fin. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' procedure is then repeated on t' opposite side.

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

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

Strangely enough, I found that applyin' t' stickers for t' win' tips was more difficult than applyin' t' wraps to t' wings. Begad! Arrr! This be because o' t' shape. T' stickers were easy enough t' cut out; I opted for usin' scissors for this step. Well, blow me down! Begad! I then peel a little bit off t' back and tried t' get t' balsa centered. Begad! Ahoy! That was more easily said than done. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! 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. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! 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. 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. Aye aye! In t' interest o' strength, 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 was a matter o' test fittin' each win' against the BT. Avast, me proud beauty! It is critically important at this step t' ensure that t' root edge o' t' win' lies flush against t' BT. Ya scallywag! I had to do some sandin' on t' aft bulkhead t' make this happen. When all seemed t' fit right, 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, me bucko, t' instructions indicate it is time t' paint. 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, I let t' BT dry and got t' work on me sermon. Avast! As a reward for finishin' the sermon without too much rambling, I decided t' spend some late time workin' on t' Stingray. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. T' basic Stingray comes with a 2 piece white shroud. Ahoy! T' Maelstrom comes with a one piece, nicely decorated shroud.

Cuttin' out around t' outer edges be nay too onerous. I made sure I had a fresh blade and a steel ruler and started t' cut. Avast, me proud beauty! After it be 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. Ahoy! Then came t' hard part. Arrr! I had t' cut out t' central oval. Arrr! Well, blow me down! 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. Arrr! Ahoy! I managed t' solve part o' t' problem with 220# sandpaper. Begad! Blimey! I sanded around t' inner edge until I be 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. Begad! 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. Well, blow me down! Then it was just a matter o' gluin' t' halves together usin' t' tabs. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! It didn't look too bad.

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

When t' repainted BT was ready, shiver me timbers, I tried slippin' t' shroud around t' body t' check t' fit. Aye aye! I found a few tight places, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, which were treated with a razor or sandpaper, matey, and that I had nay given t' after bulkhead enough o' a chamfer. That was smartly treated with some sandpaper as well. When I was happy with t' fit, me bucko, it was time for t' most tedious and, me hearties, for me, shiver me timbers, 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. A little tuggin' and coaxin' and it be in place. 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! Maybe I have failed t' mention me issues with patience...

It was nay all that hard except that I hate waiting. Ya scallywag! 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, though. Avast, me proud beauty!

When I could safely let go o' t' body and shroud, me bucko, I got t' work on t' gun mounts. Ahoy! Blimey! I had previously cut these out and assembly was fairly easy. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' upright portion is sandwiched betwixt two plates. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It is held together with white glue and a piece o' sawn toothpick is glued t' t' upright t' be t' gun. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! When it was together, I found that me precision in cuttin' was better than I expected but nay good enough. Avast! Blimey! 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. I then applied some sealer and set it aside t' dry. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Unfortunately, arrr, matey, me hearties, t' only photos that came out are without t' toothpicks.

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

T' launch lug mount be also simple. 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. I glued in t' eye screw, arrr, painted with Elmer's Fill 'n Finish, and hung it up t' dry.

Now was t' time for detail work. Avast! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! I also decided t' hand paint them.

T' bases for both were painted a Tamiya color called bronze. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! When I opened it up, me hearties, matey, it was a bit grayer than I had imagined but still serviceable. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! 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. Ahoy! T' guns themselves were painted red.

While those were drying, arrr, I sanded down t' nosecone and used an emory board t' sharpen up t' diameter stepdown. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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. I realized that I had made another blunder. Back when t' BT had originally been marked, ya bilge rat, matey, marks were laid down for t' cannon mounts and launch lug. Ahoy! Blimey! T' black paint had completely obliterated them. Arrr! Wantin' t' do a better job on t' alignment than could be had from me deadlights alone, ya bilge rat, I printed a sheet with t' alignment wrap. Well, blow me down! (I always make PDFs o' instructions, balsa, me bucko, templates and such before startin' a build.)I then wrapped t' alignment sheet around t' BT and held it closed with some tape. Ahoy! 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! I then transferred t' length o' t' mounts t' t' BT with another light nick. Well, blow me down! Arrr! A file was then used t' remove t' paint along the lin' o' t' cannon mounts. Well, blow me down! 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 was straight. I took a short section o' 1/8" rod and used that t' help align t' lug.

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

Likewise, finishin' t' after bulkhead was accomplished by cuttin' out t' sticker and placin' it. Ahoy! I recommend that when cuttin' t' hole for t' motor mount, me hearties, leave a slight bit o' excess material. Then use a piece o' sandpaper wrapped around your finger t' ream it out flush with t' correct profile. Begad! Ahoy! 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. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! That brought t' buildin' t' a close. Blimey!

• PROS: interesting, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I did give t' rocket a coatin' of Future® Floor Polish t' toughen it up a bit. Avast, me proud beauty! I don't want t' mar this up on landing. Avast, me proud beauty!

• 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. Avast! Arrr! Blimey! T' chute was loaded after a bit o' dog barf, me bucko, t' nose cone was seated and t' motor installed. While I be hookin' up t' leads, I enjoyed t' favorable comments from others about t' appearance o' the rocket.

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

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