Brief:
T' Estes Python-4 ASRAAM Model Rocket Kit be t' last o' t' four new models I had t' build which were introduced recently by Estes. Aye aye! Ahoy! I have already completed the other three and have been workin' diligently on this one. Arrr! Ahoy! Actually we've been buildin' two o' them; me son and I are workin' in parallel, although I tend t' build a bit faster than him. Avast, me proud beauty! T' kit is one o' four new Estes "Military" kits recently released and is by far t' most unique of the group. Aye aye!

Construction:
As with t' other new kits, shiver me timbers, matey, you can purchase either t' bagged or Launchable version from many retailers. Arrr! Well, blow me down! In t' package you will find die-cut fins, body tube, ya bilge rat, tailcone, ya bilge rat, me bucko, transition, plastic nosecone, clay for noseweight, parachute, and instructions. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I was impressed with t' quality o' components.

I built it stock with only a few changes. Aye aye! I used dual Keelhaul®©™® threads for shock cord and made one other minor change. Begad! A steel leader was connected directly t' t' nosecone loop and a longer shock cord be tied t' he swivel end o' t' leader. Somethin' important t' note; thar were major changes in t' kit compared t' t' instructions. Avast, me proud beauty! T' front page o' t' instructions has templates for body wraps, but one be t' BT55 sized and t' forward tube is showin' as BT20. Arrr! Aye aye! This is wrong! Apparently they printed t' instructions, ya bilge rat, then changed t' forward bodytube t' a BT55 before shippin' t' production kit. Avast! Begad! This also means that references t' t' included transition can be ignored, as it is not used for t' model. Blimey! Well, blow me down!

Construction began with t' motor mount assembly, which went together well. I did use Keelhaul®©™® thread for t' shock cord here and lengthened t' elastic cord t' 30 inches. Moreover, arrr, t' parachute was up-sized t' a purple Estes 18" chute. Ahoy! T' new Estes tailcones are pretty sweet and allow you t' use thru-the-wall fin mounting, which is a great method for buildin' strong. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' twelve fins were all dry rubbed with Elmer's Filler, then sanded t' match and I put leadin' edges on each fin. Ya scallywag! All four canard fins were epoxied t' t' upper nosecone/bodytube assembly.

T' lower fins were a bit different...You have t' install card stock templates that "raise" t' area around t' Strake Fins. Blimey! At t' time I built me kit, it didn't have these in t' kit, so I built it without them. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! A few days later, however, I saw t' paper raisers in me son's kit...they are pretty cool and I be a bit bummed I didn't add them. Begad! Once t' fins were mounted, shiver me timbers, I installed t' "Stab" fins in front o' t' lower ones and clamped them in place until t' glue dried. Avast! Begad! Make sure you align them well; someone else showed up t' our club and had these strake fins crooked, which made his model twirl and fishtail durin' powered flight.

Next, me bucko, I added epoxy fillets for strength. Once all twelve fins were done, I added fillets t' t' four upper fins on t' nosecone. Finally, shiver me timbers, I used Alphaetic resin t' attach t' launch lugs. Arrr! Aye aye! Blimey! I used a piece o' scrap balsa betwixt t' body tube and launch lug as a standoff t' protect t' finish from bein' scraped by the launch rod.

Finishing:
I spent several days priming, sandin' and paintin' t' model. Krylon gray primer be used, ya bilge rat, followed by Krylon White for t' lower body tube section and Krylon Medium Gray for t' upper body tube. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' upper fins were painted first in white, then masked a couple days later for t' gray. Avast! T' rocket flew without decals for it's first three flights, but I did eventually put them on and it looks like a new model. Begad! One item t' note on t' finishing...the lower bodytube is actually done in very light gray, matey, almost a "dirty white" color. Arrr! I did nay notice this until I had already finished t' lower BT. Avast! Well, blow me down! For this reason, I didn't use t' supplied white stripes on t' lower BT, as they would nay have shown.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
IT be time t' launch. Blimey! All o' t' other three new Estes Military kits had already gone up several times, so it be time t' give t' ASRAAM its chance. Well, blow me down! I prepped t' Python-4 with a C6-5 for it's first flight, added tissue, and packed t' chute. Ahoy! Begad! It was placed on t' pad and t' countdown was on. It has a very unique look sittin' on t' pad and those dual canard fins at t' nose made it look pretty tough! It looked even better when t' button was pressed and the ASRAAM rose off t' pad under power. Ahoy! The flight be straight and true, but late on t' ejection.

Recovery:
Ejection happened on it's way down, but t' parachute deployed and t' rocket landed safely. Avast, me proud beauty! Upgradin' t' parachute was a good choice as t' model appeared to be a bit heavier than it should, shiver me timbers, arrr, probably due t' t' extra paint I used to get a good finish. Arrr! I prepped t' model and launched it once more, arrr, shiver me timbers, this time on the C6-3. Blimey! Aye aye! It be a perfect flight, with ejection happenin' right at apogee and it landed without a scratch. Ahoy! I had flown all four new models several times in one day and wound up puttin' three more flights on this bird. T' model flies great on C6-3s, but this is one I would build again on 24mm power, just so I could use a variety o' motors and get a bit more altitude. Blimey! I may try an 18mm RMS...it should do well there!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Estes Python-4 ASRAAM Model Rocket is a challenging, yet fun kit t' build. With it's swept back fins and long bodytube, me bucko, it has a graceful yet meant-for-business look about it. Ahoy! A few items needed upgraded during construction, me bucko, arrr, otherwise t' kit was built stock. Begad! Be careful o' t' instruction cut-out bodytube wraps and don't follow t' directions for those, me bucko, but rather use t' lower BT wrap for markin' t' upper tube. Begad! You also may consider upgradin' it t' a 24mm motor, arrr, as it weighs nearly 4oz dry. Begad! Ahoy! Still, matey, it is a good flier right out o' t' box, shiver me timbers, designed very strong with good quality parts. Moreover, arrr, matey, it has a real clean look that's an eye catcher at t' field. I recommend t' kit t' anyone interested in tryin' one o' t' most unique models I have built t' date, t' ASRAAM Python-4.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5