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

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

T' construction is straightforward with one exception. Avast, me proud beauty! Since t' body is square, arrr, 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. Ahoy! Even if they are off slightly it will cause problems. T' fins are aligned off center, but New Way provides a nice template. Avast! Avast! At first I thought fin alignment on a square body would be a breeze. However, me hearties, it turned out t' be harder because t' body might be slightly out o' square over t' length o' t' body. Arrr! 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. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey! T' nose cone is really cool lookin' and requires very little sandin' to get t' correct fit.

When constructed, shiver me timbers, me hearties, you have a very durable rocket. Blimey! Arrr! 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. Begad! Ahoy! I then brushed on a coat o' thinned lightweight filler on t' balsa and body spirals. Aye aye! T' spirals are deeper compared t' normal body tubes but still fill easy. Avast, me proud beauty! After sanding, me hearties, me hearties, I sprayed two coats o' primer, sandin' betwixt coats. Well, blow me down! Avast! Next up was two coats o' Krylon for t' color. Ya scallywag! Once dry, I used some Monokote trimsheet t' add t' checkerboard.

When t' SquareOne is completed and ready t' fly, me hearties, it feels heavy. Avast, me proud beauty! Although mine is 3oz, arrr, ya bilge rat, it is below the advertised weight o' 3.1oz. Aye aye!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
First flight was with a B6-4. This motor provided a nice straight boost with a nose down ejection. Begad! It left t' pad nice and slow reached a respectable altitude. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' lower altitude combined with a slow boost really allowed you t' see the entire flight. Aye aye! Well, me hearties, blow me down! 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, shiver me timbers, me bucko, which are perfect for this model. Again all flights have provided arrow straight boost with nearly perfect ejection. Arrr! Two flights have been in 10mph winds and it was no problem. Ahoy! Ya scallywag!

Overall t' model is very durable and is holdin' up perfectly. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! Also, I have experienced no problem with the waddin' properly protectin' t' recovery system in a square tube. Ya scallywag!

Recovery:
T' provided chute is really neat because it's checkered. Well, blow me down! When t' model is square, 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. Arrr! T' kit was put together very nicely, and t' instructions are great. It easy to build, me hearties, ya bilge rat, me bucko, flies great, and is very durable. Ahoy! T' square body has deeper than normal spirals, but they fill easily. Aye aye! Blimey! It does weigh more than you would like, arrr, but t' durability is an added advantage. Ahoy! Blimey! This would make a nice demo rocket because the boost is slow, ya bilge rat, and with a B6-4 t' entire flight can be seen.

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5