Brief:
Explorer 1 is a single stage, futuristically styled, sport rocket and is one o' two kits available from Mile High Rockets. Ya scallywag! Begad! While rated skill level 3 by Mile High, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I would put it at a solid 2. Fin tip tubes and t' unique fin rail mountin' system, which speeds fin attachment, arrr, add a bit o' flair.

Construction:
T' kit was supplied with:

• 1 plastic nose cone
• 1 BT-50 0.097" body tube
• 1 18mm motor mount
• 2 centerin' rings
• 3 laser cut 0.0625" fins
• 1 length o' fin mountin' rail
• 3 BT-5 tube fins
• 24" Keelhaul®©™ thread
• 1 12.5" heat resistant parachute with snap swivel
• 1 Stubby 9" Keelhaul®©™-wrapped shock cord
• Positive motor retention hook
• 1 tiny launch lug

PROs: T' easy t' follow instructions are on two 8.5" x 11" pages, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, printed front and back, and sprinkled with helpful illustrations throughout. Ahoy! T' fin mountin' rails, which are a great idea, needed a bit o' shapin' t' conform t' t' curve o' t' body tube, arrr, but t' slots mated up snugly with t' laser cut fins. Blimey! Begad! Fin alignment was a breeze and all tubes were well cut with only minor fraying. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! No real "gotchas" surfaced durin' construction. Blimey! Avast! 24" Keelhaul®©™ was a welcome addition.

CONs: T' supplied fin alignment template is a bit small and provided little help. Ya scallywag! T' Keelhaul®©™ wrapped shock cord be way too short (at only nine inches long) and t' supplied parachute proved t' be just a tad large for this body tube diameter.

Finishing:
PROs: T' balsa fins sealed easily enough and with just a minor amount o' work. Aye aye! T' fin mountin' rails can be made t' blend beautifully with t' fin and airframe. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! A single base color is all that is needed, Mile High suggests silver but I went with gloss white.

CONs: T' vinyl decals supplied with t' kit leave a lot t' be desired. Their thickness makes them an eyesore and t' poor color quality spoils t' look o' t' kit. Avast! T' fin decals and t' Explorer 1 logo were t' only ones I found t' be usable. None o' them adhered well t' t' painted surface.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first and only flight was on a C6-5. Well, blow me down! Instead o' wadding, I attached a section o' Nomex cloth from Pratt Hobbies t' t' Keelhaul®©™ thread. T' rocket cocked hard into t' wind after leavin' t' rod but be stable otherwise.

PROs: Weathercocked into t' 10mph breeze but still achieved ~1000' altitude. Begad! Aye aye! Appeared t' be very stable but I will never know for sure as it landed in cow dung and is now buried in a shallow grave.

CONs: Besides weathercockin' and t' stench, t' only flight was a success.

Recovery:
PROs: T' 12.5 inch chute is perfect for this kit. It came down less than 200 meters away even in 10mph winds and no heat damage be observed, so maybe t' chute is really heat resistant. Ya scallywag! Begad! As far as I could tell, t' stubby shock cord did nay cause any body damage due t' rebound as expected but I would like t' see a much longer one included in t' kit.

CONs: After a call t' Mile High Rockets, I be informed that t' manufacturer is nay responsible for damages received from landings in animals droppings, fresh or otherwise so I will have t' buy and build another one.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Goes together easily, parts were o' good quality, prefabricated fin mountin' rails are a great idea, ya bilge rat, full length Keelhaul®©™ thread, arrr, shiver me timbers, Keelhaul®©™ wrapped shock cord, heat resistant parachute, arrr, and good instructions.

CONs: Shock cord is way too short, matey, vinyl decals are too thick, arrr, lack depth and color and don't adhere well, and parachute is a bit thick for BT diameter.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5