Brief:
T' Dr. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Blimey! Zooch Space Shuttle is a small but realistic model o' t' present day NASA workhorse. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' Shuttle stack is launched and t' orbiter separates at ejection t' glide back t' earth while t' external tank (ET) and solid rocket boosters (SRBs) come back via t' parachute. Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! T' lack o' a multi-million flight computer means that augmentation fins must be added before flight for stability.

Construction:
It be t' same as t' previous review...However, I will touch on me experience with t' build rather than a step by step build synopsis.

T' instructions are easy t' follow if you've had experience buildin' rockets. Begad! Well, blow me down! Nay t' say they're hard but Dr. Ahoy! Z does require that you have a basic understandin' o' what and why. Ahoy! Blimey! T' illustrations are quite adequate and t' fact that t' designer is a cartoonist (among other things!) obviously helps. T' parts fit is fine and any adjustments can be made with a bit o' sandpaper.

T' hardest part o' t' whole build t' me, was t' SRBs. Ahoy! There are 15 individual rings made out o' tiny strips o' paper. You must cut and then accurately and neatly attach them t' t' SRB tubes. There are two boosters o' course so this process is very time consuming. Well, matey, blow me down! Patience here will pay off in those close up pictures you'll want t' take later!

T' external tank is built next and t' parts you really want t' take your time with will be obvious. Begad! T' orbiter attach points are small but extremely important. Blimey! Take your time t' make them straight and sturdy. Begad! Be sure t' keep t' lower dowels, me bucko, which t' orbiter will attach to, short so as nay t' cause undue drag at separation. Aye aye! Blimey! Make sure o' t' alignment o' t' ET nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! It is weighted off center t' aid t' flight characteristics. Aye aye! I followed t' directions as written.

T' orbiter has some unique buildin' techniques compared t' what I know o' airplane buildin' (in a past life) but t' sequence is easy enough t' follow. Begad! Begad! T' design makes for a very light finished product. Blimey! There is no need for layin' on layers o' glue. Begad! Begad! This will only make your glider heavy and take away any chance o' flyin' well. T' make t' nose button look better I carefully sanded it t' match t' contours o' t' shuttle. Avast! I added t' orbiter engine bells but you are warned that attachin' t' elastic is a bit o' a process. Ya scallywag! If you have t' hands o' a brain surgeon then by all means add them. T' fun part was glide testin' t' orbiter off t' back porch. Begad! T' method for adjustin' t' elevator trim was simple and reliable. Begad! This is another step nay t' overlook as you shuttle will make you look silly if it isn't trimmed properly.

T' stack as a whole is a bit on t' fragile side. Well, blow me down! Nay a flight issue but one o' handling, particularly t' augmentation fins. Ya scallywag! This is an expected and necessary evil when you're tryin' t' mimic such a complex system at this scale. Avast! I would recommend addin' some sort o' engine block above t' motor hook. I noticed t' motor hook had developed some slop after a number o' launches. I simply cut a section off a spent motor casin' and pushed it down into t' motor tube. Ahoy! A drizzlin' o' CA and all was well.

Finishing:
T' finishin' was quite easy. T' printed heavy paper that makes up a good portion o' t' orbiter meant I really only had t' paint t' wings and t' motor bells. Well, arrr, blow me down! Don't forget t' nose button too. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' SRB's repay you here for t' time they took t' build as you only have t' paint them white! T' external tank is really a blank canvas so you have some liberty here. Avast, me proud beauty! T' real one is covered in t' now notorious sprayed on foam. Begad! T' foam changes color due t' UV light so almost any shade o' rusty orange will do t' trick. Aye aye! Avast! I used a Testor's car paint called Colors by Boyd Sunburst #52908. Ya scallywag! A top coat o' flat clear gets rid o' t' gloss finish. Avast, me proud beauty! T' SRBs are gloss white! Don't forget t' paint them separately. Avast! I finally painted t' separate fins t' make them look en fuego. Avast! There are no decals but I hope Dr. Z comes up with a few.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I've flown me shuttle stack on a number o' motors. Aye aye! T' best all around performance has been t' B6-4. Blimey! I've only had t' chance for a C6 motor once so this may be an unfair comparison. Arrr! As mentioned t' augmentation fins are a must. Well, blow me down! Flyin' without them will not be safe. Begad! Blimey! They do have t' added benefit o' providin' a built in stand off on t' pad! Blimey! Pack t' chute per standard rocket preparation but make sure you have enough wadding. Aye aye! Blimey! T' ET tube is fairly big compared t' it's length and t' motor isn't that far away. Make sure you've set t' orbiter's elevator elastic.

My flights have been near perfect I must say. Avast! Stay with t' shorter delay motors t' get separation before t' assembly turns nose down. Avast! Avast! Keep t' orbiter attach points no longer than necessary and paint free. Begad! You'll be rewarded with clean shuttle separation and a clean glide profile.

Recovery:
Flight recovery is by means o' t' ol' parachute for t' ET and SRB assembly. Begad! Begad! T' supplied chute, while nay as glamorous as t' nice printed variety, does its job. Aye aye! It is sized correctly in me estimation and provides a safe descent while nay driftin' too much. Begad! Blimey! T' shock cord is 1/4" wide elastic and is attached in t' traditional manner. I have nay experienced any burnin' or meltin' with me Dr. Begad! Z chutes.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I had built t' Estes shuttle stack years ago. Contrary t' t' norm, me hearties, me kit flew quite well. Avast! Upon me return t' model rockets, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I looked for it again but it's gone t' way o' t' dodo. Ya scallywag! I was excited t' see this version released. Ahoy! This was me first Dr. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Zooch kit so I was a bit deflated by its small size. Begad! (Aren't we all?) All fears were laid t' rest as I smartly realized that t' designer knows what he's about with model rockets. Blimey! T' build requires skill and patience, ya bilge rat, thar's no doubt. Rush this kit and you will nay enjoy it. Take t' time t' do it right and you will be rewarded with a good looking, shiver me timbers, great flyin' Space Shuttle! A perfect score is hard t' come by but I would give a 4.75 t' this kit.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
I enjoyed t' sarcasm and pokin' fun woven throughout t' instructions. Aye aye! Avast! T' fact sheet at t' end o' t' build is quite informative and enjoyable. Begad! This tells me that t' author has done his homework and makes t' humor all t' more palatable.