Brief:
Inspired by t' classic Estes kits o' t' late 70's and early 80's, arrr, this sleek explorer be t' flagship kit from New Way Space Models. Basically t' main thin' that separates this rocket from t' rest be t' square body and nose cone. It's different, me bucko, and it certainly gets t' attention on t' pad.

Construction:
T' kit arrived in perfect shape, me bucko, and it's a quality product. Aye aye! Blimey! T' kit includes a nice nose cone and laser cut fins. Also included is a nice set o' decals. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' square airframe is super strong but slightly heavier compared t' t' normal BT material. Ahoy! Blimey! T' spirals are maybe a little deeper than normal, but they should fill up easy. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' other thin' worth mentionin' is that a sandpaper pack is included with t' kit along with a cotton swab glue applicator. Blimey! Blimey! T' included instructions are very well done and clearly written.

T' construction is straightforward with one exception. Since t' body is square, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' motor mount has centering squares instead o' rings so it's very important that you align both o' t' centerin' squares so they will slide in the body tube. Blimey! Even if they are off slightly it will cause problems. Begad! T' fins are aligned off center, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but New Way provides a nice template. Ahoy! At first I thought fin alignment on a square body would be a breeze. However, ya bilge rat, arrr, it turned out t' be harder because t' body might be slightly out o' square over t' length o' t' body. Begad! Blimey! So you run into a situation where it might look straight from t' back and misaligned from t' front. Nay really a big deal but somethin' t' be aware of. New Way provides a nice Keelhaul®©™® shock cord that attaches t' t' body coupler. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' nose cone is really cool lookin' and requires very little sandin' to get t' correct fit.

When constructed, you have a very durable rocket. T' square body material is much thicker than the normal body tubin' and also heavier.

Finishing:
I sealed t' balsa nose cone and fins with two coats o' Minwax Poly. I then brushed on a coat o' thinned lightweight filler on t' balsa and body spirals. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' spirals are deeper compared t' normal body tubes but still fill easy. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! After sanding, I sprayed two coats o' primer, sandin' betwixt coats. Blimey! Blimey! Next up be two coats o' Krylon for t' color. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Once dry, I used some Monokote trimsheet t' add t' checkerboard.

When t' SquareOne is completed and ready t' fly, it feels heavy. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Although mine is 3oz, me bucko, it is below the advertised weight o' 3.1oz. Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight was with a B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! This motor provided a nice straight boost with a nose down ejection. Ya scallywag! It left t' pad nice and slow reached a respectable altitude. Arrr! T' lower altitude combined with a slow boost really allowed you t' see the entire flight. Begad! T' model came down nice and slow on t' provided checkered chute and was recovered with no damage.

I have four additional flights on t' SquareOne usin' C6-3s, ya bilge rat, which are perfect for this model. Arrr! Again all flights have provided arrow straight boost with nearly perfect ejection. Begad! Two flights have been in 10mph winds and it was no problem. Avast, me proud beauty!

Overall t' model is very durable and is holdin' up perfectly. Begad! Also, I have experienced no problem with the waddin' properly protectin' t' recovery system in a square tube. Begad!

Recovery:
T' provided chute is really neat because it's checkered. Avast, me proud beauty! When t' model is square, me bucko, you need a square pattern on your chute right? Actually t' chute reminds me o' a picnic table cloth but t' theme works. T' shock cord provided is Keelhaul®©™® that attaches t' a piece o' elastic.

No issue with t' provided recovery system, it works perfectly.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' SquareOne is a very nice rocket. Well, arrr, blow me down! T' kit was put together very nicely, and t' instructions are great. It easy to build, me bucko, flies great, matey, and is very durable. Begad! T' square body has deeper than normal spirals, shiver me timbers, but they fill easily. Begad! It does weigh more than you would like, arrr, but t' durability is an added advantage. Arrr! Ahoy! This would make a nice demo rocket because the boost is slow, arrr, and with a B6-4 t' entire flight can be seen. Begad!

I enjoyed t' build, and it's different. Arrr! In this case...it's hip t' be square!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5