Brief:
A skill level I rocket kit made with components o' higher quality than is typically seen in similar kits by other companies. Begad! Ya scallywag! It teaches techniques that aren't seen in other skill level I rockets. T' Apogee website has a newsletter archive that includes an article about buildin' a payload into this rocket. Well, blow me down! Avast! This (among some others) was a modification I did complete.

Construction:
I didn't realize that t' Avion wasn't in t' database until I wanted t' file a flight log, ya bilge rat, so I wasn't expectin' to do a review. As a result, I do nay have pictures o' t' individual components, just t' finished rocket.

Trust me when I say this is a quality rocket. Aye aye! After a 30-year hiatus, I'm a "Born Again Rocketeer". This was t' fifth rocket I constructed in about a month, so I feel I can justify t' statement regardin' quality. Begad!

T' kit was shipped in a well-packaged box. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket itself is in t' standard plastic bag with t' flashy picture on t' front. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! All items in t' kit were in fine shape and accounted for.

As I was layin' out t' components, arrr, I did notice t' body tube seemed higher quality than other rockets I had built. Aye aye! T' fins were narrow/thin, but nay particularly flexible (a problem I've had with other kits). T' shock cord assembly was noteworthy in that it wasn't a strin' o' elastic that was glued t' t' sidewall o' t' body tube. Instead, it is a piece o' Keelhaul®©™® strin' that is fastened t' t' engine mount. Also noteworthy were t' spirals: they seemed shallower than other rockets.

This was a pretty easy rocket t' assemble. Avast, me proud beauty! I tend t' be meticulous, so t' extra time spent was my fault. Begad! I'd guess most people would assemble this in t' course o' an evening. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! As mentioned above, I did some modifications, which added significant time.

As for t' instructions, thar be a minor "gotcha" or two I had t' re-read, arrr, matey, though I don't recall what it was. Arrr! Begad! T' pages begin with a nice introduction clearly geared towards people buildin' their first rocket. Begad! Ya scallywag! It is suggested, as with anythin' requirin' assembly, t' review t' instructions ahead o' time.

T' shock cord assembly is a technique that is unique t' a beginner's rocket kit in that it's nay glued (Estes-style) t' t' sidewall o' t' body tube. Ahoy! Instead, me hearties, it is attached t' t' engine tube/mount and then passed through t' forward centerin' ring. This be t' first time I did this technique, and I had a little difficulty when I attached t' engine assembly t' t' body tube: I first smeared t' glue in t' body tube, then dropped t' shock cord in (as t' instructions stated), then slid t' assembly into t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Glue got on t' shock cord and made it stick t' t' side o' t' body tube. Begad! I don't know if this is a big deal or not, but I did wonder if it would detract from t' full function/performance o' t' cord. Begad! Blimey! I also thought I read somewhere that glue on t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord isn't a good thing, me hearties, but don't know if this is true. Aye aye! I did pull it from t' side o' t' tube because I thought it might dent t' body tube if ejection was forceful enough. Blimey!

I like taperin' t' fins, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, so I had taken t' time t' round t' leadin' edges and taper t' trailin' edges. Blimey! Begad! I don't recall if this was listed in t' instructions. Aye aye! Another modification involved gluin' "skins" on t' fins as opposed t' sealin' them as instructed. Begad! I like t' skins because I find them easier and maybe faster than sealing. T' one time I tried sealin' fins resulted in warped fins (too much liquid). Avast! Another mod I did be t' payload bay.

Apogee's website has a long archive o' previous newsletters that include everythin' from glue reviews (worth lookin' at, me hearties, by t' way) t' t' physics behind why things work. It has instructions on makin' a payload bay in a single stage rocket. Begad! Blimey! T' payload bay was surprisingly easy modification but time consuming. Ahoy! I cut t' body tube a little less than 4" from t' top. I glued in t' coupler, shiver me timbers, which also were ordered from Apogee. T' bulkhead was constructed out o' cardboard-type centerin' rin' paper. Arrr! It's easy t' cut but took a while t' sand down t' a nice fit. Begad! I smeared glue all over t' bulkhead t' make it stronger and was sure t' made a fillet on either side o' it when I attached it to the coupler.

This mod resulted in a necessary mod for attachin' t' chute. Begad! Instead o' attachin' it t' t' nosecone, ya bilge rat, I attached it directly t' t' shock cord betwixt t' aft section and t' payload bay. Ahoy! T' shock cord was then passed through a small hole in t' bulkhead and tied t' t' nosecone. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I did all this after painting, as described below.

T' rest o' t' construction was fairly straightforward. Begad! T' directions show how t' make straight lines for the fins (another technique nay all other companies show). Aye aye! This rocket included me first experience with liquid 10-minute epoxy, I had previously used 5-minute clay epoxy. Ahoy! I like t' liquid stuff better because I found it easier t' smooth and feather. Ya scallywag! I put on 2 glue fillets then 1 epoxy fillet that extended 1/2-3/4 inch up t' fin and onto t' body tube.

I'm nay a fan o' rockets that won't stand on their own. Blimey! T' engine mount in t' Avion prevents t' rocket from standing. Aye aye! I do wish t' picture on t' Apogee website would have depicted this more clearly. Well, blow me down!

Finishing:
Finishin' was pretty straightforward. T' nosecone required sandin' t' scuff it. Begad! Arrr! I then did 2 coats o' Krylon primer and wet sanded with 220 grit after it cured for 2 days.

I made this kit with me 5 year old son, and it be our fifth rocket. So far, we followed t' paint recommendations once. Avast! Begad! Blimey! Instead o' white with blue and red, we painted Avion all red then sprayed on a coatin' we got from an automotive parts store that made it look "sparkely".

I didn't fill in any o' t' spirals durin' construction. If you're more than a few feet away, arrr, they pretty much disappear. Blimey! I used 3 layers o' primer and 3 layers o' paint. Avast, me proud beauty!

I didn't put on t' decals but still may. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It's nay that they look cheesy or overly flashy, arrr, but I feel they're too big (see picture). Ya scallywag! Blimey! Also, me hearties, some o' t' decals had lost their stickiness and were peelin' from t' backin' o' t' decal sheet. Begad! Blimey! Since everythin' else about this kit felt sturdy and had quality, I'd expect t' decals t' nay curl/warp and to remain on t' sheet until I remove them.

This rocket looks really good on t' pad no matter what color it's painted.

T' only reason this is a 4.5 and nay a 5, shiver me timbers, is that a 5 implies perfection. Ya scallywag! T' issue with t' decals, t' thin fins, t' little "gotcha" that I don't recall, arrr, and t' rocket nay standin' on its own (not depicted in the website photo or description) is what made this a 4.5 instead o' a 5.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Because t' rocket doesn't stand on its fins, shiver me timbers, flight preparation was a hair trickier than other rockets because it needed somethin' t' hold it up. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Blimey! When I launched rockets as a kid, I remember wrappin' tape around t' launch rod. Well, blow me down! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! I didn't want t' do this because it can be a pain t' take it off. So I used a little stone... Ahoy! Blimey! No big deal.

I used a B6-6 for t' first flight even though t' delay is longer than recommended by Apogee. Begad! Arrr! It was a still evenin' so I didn't want t' start with an A as I often do (I wanted t' see some altitude). Arrr! Ahoy! I also knew drift would be minimal, I hoped. Begad! Plus, arrr, I'm too cheap t' go buy more engines if it isn't necessary, so I tried t' B6-6 because I had them on hand. Begad! Last, t' field was small so t' extra delay was helpful. And I wasn't certain o' t' winds at altitude. Well, arrr, blow me down!

T' Avion took off just as fast as any other rocket I've built this month. However, ya bilge rat, it went surprisingly high. Begad! Blimey! I don't have an altimeter yet, so don't know how high, but several people were certain it went over 1000' on t' B engine. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Apogee's website predicted 730, arrr, but that's without airfoils, arrr, arrr, skins, etc., which will improve t' performance of the rocket.

T' extra 2 seconds for t' ejection seemed t' drag on forever, I started yellin' t' t' rocket "C'mon, me hearties, ya bilge rat, pop! C'mon, pop!", me bucko, and then she popped just as she did a perfect arc (only visible due t' t' smoke trail). Arrr! Well, blow me down! The ejection seemed t' happen just as t' nosecone began t' point down. Ya scallywag! So t' B6-6 be a fine substitute. Blimey!

Recovery:
Recovery went smoothly. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' chute was easy t' pack, and t' diameter o' t' body tube was easy t' work with. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I used 3 sheets o' waddin' because I've been havin' difficulties with me recovery items singein' from t' heat o' t' ejection charge.

I expected a high flight so had cut a spill hole in t' center o' t' chute. T' rocket seemed t' hover more than it should, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and I recall somethin' from High School physics that made me wonder if t' spill hole wasn't big enough and therefore contributed t' t' "hovering". Begad! I'll make t' hole bigger or cut some slits into t' chute. Arrr! Ahoy! I may even read up on some physics t' learn why t' descent seemed slower than expected.

Because o' t' altitude, ya bilge rat, t' rocket drifted a little bit even though t' wind was very light. Ya scallywag! There be no singein' and no other damage t' t' rocket. There were no marks on t' tips o' t' fins from t' engine.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This be a great rocket t' build. Aye aye! It be nice t' build somethin' with a slightly larger diameter than t' Starlight I built previously and with higher quality parts than some others kits I recently built.

I liked t' assembly o' t' shock cord as well. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! This is somethin' I'll try t' do on future rockets.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5