Brief:
T' Thrustline Mars Probe is a unique, shiver me timbers, eye catchin' design utilizin' two ring fins, matey, a smaller one fore and a larger aft both mounted on four well-styled fins. Well, blow me down! Begad! It is a sleek lookin' and novel design that, in all honesty, arrr, me hearties, I wish I had come up with. Blimey! Basically it is a single stage sport flyer that takes 18mm motors and comes with a balsa nosecone, arrr, arrr, fin stock, me hearties, precut rings, preprinted tail shrouds, arrr, decal sheet, me hearties, and is topped off with a Keelhaul®©™® enhanced parachute recovery system. Blimey! Don't let t' small size addlepate you--this kit takes a bit o' skill t' complete properly, Thrustline rates it a level 2/3, I would give it a solid level 3 rating. Begad! All in all, me bucko, I think it is one groovy rocket. Ahoy!

Construction:

• 1 0.978" diameter body tube, matey, 8.75" in length
• 2 Sheets o' 1/16" x 9" balsa fin stock
• 1 Balsa nose cone
• 1 1" tube coupler
• 18mm motor mount tube, thrust rin' and centerin' rings
• 2 Pre-cut rin' fins
• 1 12" parachute with shock cord and Keelhaul®©™® thread
• 1 Eyelet
• 1 Launch lug
• 2 Preprinted paper shrouds
• Fin wrap markin' guide and fin pattern sheet
• Instructions

PROs: T' supplied instructions seem a bit crude, matey, roughly printed on eight 8.5" x 11" pages but t' B&W instructional photos proved t' be a great aid in construction. Ahoy! Two tail shrouds are included in case one gets buggered. Begad! Ya scallywag! Keelhaul®©™® enhanced recovery system. Arrr! T' "Bag O' Parts" contained all t' items needed t' complete t' kit.

CONs: T' kit came in a plain plastic bag, no label, shiver me timbers, no header card, no artwork, just a bag o' parts stapled shut. Arrr! Now all this doesn't put me off my lunch, as long as all t' parts are thar I can build it, but I sure hope the retail packagin' is a bit more refined. T' kit is supplied with tiny printed fin patterns that need t' be cut out and then inscribed on t' balsa fin stock. T' tiny fin patterns and t' flimsy paper made accurate tracin' a pain and the balsa fin stock was much too thin and fragile for such small parts. Arrr! After breakin' a couple o' fins, matey, I finally was forced t' soak t' balsa in thin CA just t' keep them in one piece. Well, blow me down! Since t' fins are meant t' fit snuggly inside the included rin' fins, it would be advisable t' have precut fins in order to fit such close tolerances. Avast! Supplied Keelhaul®©™® thread is way too short, ya bilge rat, matey, because if t' shock cord were t' break, ya bilge rat, t' thread would have t' be coaxed back through t' engine tube in order t' attach another. Arrr! T' instructions do nay advise that you leave t' Keelhaul®©™® thread hangin' from t' aft o' t' engine tube until it is too late in construction, makin' shock cord attachment a hassle. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Luckily, me hearties, matey, I foresaw this "gotcha" and was able t' attach t' shock cord with little difficulty.

Finishing:
PROs: About t' only savin' grace for this kit is its great looks. The instructions advise that you paint t' airframe and fins prior t' mountin' the rin' fins. Ahoy! I went with just a couple coats o' Banner Red paint and then she was ready. Begad! Balsa nose cone be tight grained and finished nicely. Avast! I never got to apply t' reflective tape included for t' rin' fins but it did appear t' be of decent quality.

CONs: No information on finishin' is included in t' instructions. Ahoy! Balsa stock was too soft and difficult t' seal without roundin' edges or pushing tolerances. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Included water slide decals were atrocious, t' lowest quality decals I have ever seen in a kit in all me 20 years o' rocketry. Avast! I had planned on printin' me own until t' rocket be lost. Arrr!

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

Flight:
A C6-5 be used on both flights and a scrap o' Nomex® from Pratt Hobbies was used instead o' wadding.

PROs: She moves fast for a rin' fin rocket and t' flight be straight even in 10mph winds. Ya scallywag! It looked like she broke 1000' easy on both flights. I wasn't expectin' that kind o' performance as rin' fin rockets usually decelerate very rapidly. Ahoy!

CONs: Nay much o' anything, she is a good flyer.

Recovery:
PROs: All functions nominal. Begad! No sign o' burnin' on chute.

CONs: T' 12 inch "you cut" chute is too large for this small kit. T' first flight ended two avast fields away with no damage and t' second took her t' a different ZIP code. If I build another I will use a streamer.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Unique design, ya bilge rat, pleasin' t' t' eye, flies well, ya bilge rat, pre-cut tube fins, Keelhaul®©™® enhanced recovery system, two tail shrouds supplied, instructional photos proved t' be a great aid in construction.

CONs: Poor quality parts and decals, soft balsa, tiny fin templates, crude packaging, "gotcha" in instructions, me hearties, Keelhaul®©™® thread is too short, shiver me timbers, chute is too big, and t' kit needs precut fins. Begad! Begad! I would consider t' Mars Probe a diamond in t' rough, me hearties, although as long as t' builder is experienced t' kit should turn out decent.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5