Brief:
This is an OOP rocket from MPC who be sellin' model rockets back in t' 1960s and 70s. Arrr! Blimey! I won it on eBay for under $13.00 with shipping. Aye aye! I saw thar were some reviews o' t' MPC kits and thought it would be interestin' t' some t' see this model reviewed! I be launchin' rockets back then but never know thar be a company other than Estes and Centuri sellin' them till I saw them on eBay. Blimey! Begad! This is a single stage rocket usin' a 12" plastic parachute for recovery.

Construction:
There were four pages o' assembly instructions with illustrations and a parts list with pictures. T' body tube be t' same diameter as a BT-20 and is in two lengths. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' longest tube is about 12 3/4" and t' smaller one, ya bilge rat, which is used as a payload section, me hearties, is 4". Begad! T' nose cone is plastic and thar be a four fin plastic unit. There is a thin metal hook for engine retention. Begad! The shock cord attachment method was rather bad so I used t' old Estes 3 fold paper in t' tube way o' doin' it. Aye aye! T' kit's method was usin' a strip of cardboard t' tie t' cord t' then gluin' in t' tube. Ahoy! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! There be no way I could see that t' parachute would eject without rippin' by doin' it t' way in the instructions!

T' method o' t' engine mount was different than I have seen. Aye aye! There is a small length o' heavy cardboard tube 1.175" in length that is glued in to the top o' t' plastic fin unit with a small section stickin' out t' be glued to t' longer o' t' two body tubes. Aye aye! You install a motor block and t' metal hook here. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! What I found strange was that t' engine sticks out o' t' fin unit over 1/2". Begad! Avast! This is standard assembly but for one real big "gotcha": you must glue a plastic coupler into t' 4" length of body tube, shiver me timbers, which also happens t' be where you tie t' parachute and shock cord. Well they just say glue it in but don't tell you or show that it has t' stick out half way t' mate t' t' lower tube. Avast! Begad! Fortunately, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I pulled it out before the glued dried! I wonder how many young rocketeers messed up this step back then? As I said before, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' method o' shock cord attachment was nay t' best. Begad! If you ever build one o' these, use t' Estes way and it will work better! The included shock cord is round. Arrr! I used some new 1/8" cord I had since the round be too thick for t' small body tube and be in bad shape because of age. It took me one night t' build t' kit. Ahoy! I think it could have been done better back then. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' PROs are quick assembly and t' parts were OK.

Finishing:
With plastic fins and nose cone, t' prep work was fast. Aye aye! I painted t' payload section red and t' main body tube white. Begad! Avast! I used me standby paint, shiver me timbers, Rustoleum enamel I get at Home Depot. Begad! Avast! T' kit included full color waterslide decals. Arrr! I scanned t' decals, got some inkjet decal paper, me hearties, and made me own since the decals had very fine cracks from age. With t' decals, it made for a rather sharp lookin' rocket! No CONs in t' finishin' dept.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
I used some Estes recover waddin' and used a 1/2A6-2 for t' first flight. Blimey! Arrr! The engines listed were a MPC number that don't exist anymore! T' first flight was not very high, shiver me timbers, but t' rocket went up straight and t' chute came out fine with a good recovery next t' t' pad. Begad! Begad! I then used an Estes A8-3. This flight pushed it much higher and again recovery be fine. Blimey! Begad! There was no wind, so t' last launch with this rocket was with a C6-5. Begad! This engine shot it way up there! Just a speck up in t' hazy sky. Arrr! Blimey! None o' us saw where t' parachute opened up--in fact we all lost it in t' sky. Avast! Avast! We looked and looked and did nay find it. Begad! Well, not at t' time we launched it anyway. When a friend's rocket came down over a small hill by t' farm we sometimes launch at, he found t' rocket in a low branch on one o' t' few trees there! We got it down and t' rocket was in fine shape although t' parachute be shot! All t' flights were fine even though I was wonderin' with t' way t' engine was out o' t' body tube if it would mess up t' flight path. Ahoy! Begad! I would have t' say thar were no CONs t' t' flights I had with it though I would never use anythin' bigger than a B in it!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
It was fun buildin' a kit I never even knew about when I was a kid t' first time around buildin' and flyin' model rockets. T' kit could have had a little better instructions but I did have some fun with it. Avast! Blimey! Back then it would have been nice t' know about MPC rockets but I always ordered me rocketry items mail order from t' big two. Begad! I never went in a hobby shop t' look at kits... Arrr! I was happy me dad would pay for a small $10.00 order once in a while back then! $10.00 sure got you lots o' rocketry stuff in t' 1960s and early 70s!

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5