Brief:
T' SS Cassiopeia is a straight up clone o' t' original Estes kit that be available briefly in t' 1981-82 model years. This was t' first kit I have ordered from PD Rocketry. I was shocked at how close t' whole process was t' what I remember about buildin' Estes kits in t' late 70's. Aye aye! I'm kind o' torn on this kit because o' t' lack o' an up to date recovery system, matey, somethin' that I think a kit in this price range should include, but t' rush o' being transported in time back t' 1981 upon openin' t' kit is pretty cool.

Construction:

• PNC-50Y nose cone
• 18" BT-20 main BT
• 7.75" BT-50H lower BT
• 2.75" BT-50J middle BT
• 9.5" BT-50W upper BT
• SBT-394AJ stabilizer ring
• LL-2B launch lug
• 12" Mylar® parachute
• DC-1369 die cut card
• 3/32" fin stock
• decal
• 5 AR-2050 adapter rings
• AR-2050S split adapter ring
• 3 WD-1 wood dowels
• EH-2 engine hook

With t' exception o' a dowel that was shattered for a third of its length on arrival, (luckily I had extras,) t' kit arrived in good shape. Blimey! T' SS Cassiopeia came with a photocopied set o' t' original Estes instructions which are as detailed and uniformly excellent as we've all come t' expect. Overall, ya bilge rat, construction wasn't as nerve-wrackin' as lookin' at t' pics led me t' believe it would be. I began with cuttin' out and assemblin' t' two-piece fins then allowin' them t' dry betwixt two sheets o' waxed paper and two heavy books. Well, blow me down! Begad! While these parts were drying, I began t' assemble t' engine mount which was a simple motor hook in t' BT-20 main body tube. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I scrounged an engine block and engine hook hold-down rin' from me parts stash, then began assembling the 2050 centerin' rings and three BT-50 sections that form t' rest o' t' main body.

With t' body in order, matey, I began attachin' t' fins. Blimey! Begad! T' three main fins needed to be sanded slightly t' allow t' rin' fin t' fit correctly, me bucko, but this is likely because me tolerances were off when I was cuttin' t' fins from t' supplied balsa sheet. Begad! Only a slight sandin' o' each fin be necessary and t' rin' slid easily into place. Well, blow me down! Begad! It was tacked with LocTite® Gel CA and filleted with Elmers wood glue, as were t' fins.

Finishing:
Finishin' a complex kit like this is never goin' t' be easy, but thar are ways t' lessen t' pain. Begad! Since much o' the main body tube is covered anyway, I marked off t' covered sections and concentrated me tube spiral elimination tactics (thinned Elmer's Fill & Finish,) on t' two sections that would show. Subsequent sections were filled and sanded before they were glued in place and with t' exception o' t' main fins, all other finish work was done before attachment. Ahoy! Aye aye! Primin' was done with Valspar primer and t' initial paint be a dark blue mystery paint that I had sitting around from me stock car modelin' days. Aye aye! Avast! (I think it was t' blue from a Mark Martin Valvoline car.)

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
To date, ya bilge rat, I've only managed one flight with t' Cassiopeia due t' some landin' damage incurred durin' that flight. That said, it be a very impressive flight, marred only by t' unfortunate meetin' with me mortal enemy t' VOA access road. Aye aye! (Considerin' that this was t' same day that me Empire Bomarc started t' field on fire, I considered the Cassiopeia landin' par for t' course.)

T' breezes were only sporadic on this particular day, so I chose to go with a C6-5 for t' first flight o' t' Cassiopeia. There seemed t' be little chance o' overflyin' t' field and with t' 12" parachute I figured that t' chances o' it recoverin' outside o' t' park were equally slim. Avast, me proud beauty! The flight was as I figured, matey, arrow straight and impressively high. Arrr! Ejection occurred just as it tipped over and t' rocket began t' drop on a path that would have taken it out into one o' t' recently mowed fields across t' access road from the soccer field. Well, blow me down! I got lulled into a false sense o' security and be tryin' t' get a recovery picture when t' breeze died. Well, blow me down! True t' form, me hearties, t' Cassiopeia went from bein' twenty feet off t' ground and ridin' t' light breeze t' a safe and soft recovery t' bein' dropped straight onto t' access road. Avast! T' impact shattered two o' t' three balsa fin extensions that held t' rin' fin in place. Avast! Well, blow me down! In addition, several o' t' paper dots from t' die-cut card that held the fin extensions t' t' fins themselves were ripped off and had blown away by t' time I arrived t' pick up t' pieces. (Not a major loss, ya bilge rat, but an irritatin' one.) Everythin' glued back into place when I got home, but t' whole area o' the rin' fin will never look as good as it did when t' day started, and despite a liberal slatherin' o' wood glue, I have my doubts as t' its strength. Aye aye! Begad! I also have me doubts as t' future flights.

Recovery:
I knew as soon as I opened this kit that t' first thin' t' go would be t' bulk o' t' recovery system. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' tried and true Estes tri-fold mount had its day, arrr, and t' be honest is still viable with a kit such as t' SS Cassiopeia, but with Keelhaul®©™® as cheap and plentiful as it is, shiver me timbers, I saw no reason nay t' use it. Whatever t' case, matey, me hearties, t' shock cord that was supplied with t' kit was so short that it was laughable. Begad! Blimey! I replaced t' stock cord with a 36" length o' Keelhaul®©™® and a 24" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! This worked well, but nothin' helps when you land on asphalt.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PRO: It's like steppin' back t' 1981 t' open and build your own SS Cassiopeia! How cool is that?! Updated with a Mylar® chute.

CON: It IS like steppin' back t' 1981 with t' recovery system. Well, blow me down! Blimey! No Keelhaul®©™®. Way too short shock cord. Begad! Blimey! An Estes-style tri-fold mount. Begad! Well, blow me down! This was fine in 1981, but things have improved too much in the 25 years since then t' just ignore them. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' PD Rocketry web site says that they're makin' changes, me hearties, and the recovery system would be next on t' list if I had anythin' t' say about it.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5