Brief:
A skill level I rocket kit made with components o' higher quality than is typically seen in similar kits by other companies. Ahoy! Ahoy! It teaches techniques that aren't seen in other skill level I rockets. Well, arrr, blow me down! T' Apogee website has a newsletter archive that includes an article about buildin' a payload into this rocket. Aye aye! Ahoy! This (among some others) be 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, shiver me timbers, arrr, 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. Well, blow me down! After a 30-year hiatus, I'm a "Born Again Rocketeer". This be t' fifth rocket I constructed in about a month, so I feel I can justify t' statement regardin' quality. Begad!

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

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

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

As for t' instructions, thar was a minor "gotcha" or two I had t' re-read, arrr, though I don't recall what it was. Begad! T' pages begin with a nice introduction clearly geared towards people buildin' their first rocket. Begad! Begad! It is suggested, matey, as with anythin' requirin' assembly, me bucko, me hearties, 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. Begad! Instead, ya bilge rat, matey, it is attached t' t' engine tube/mount and then passed through t' forward centerin' ring. Avast, me proud beauty! This was 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. Glue got on t' shock cord and made it stick t' t' side o' t' body tube. Ahoy! I don't know if this is a big deal or not, shiver me timbers, but I did wonder if it would detract from t' full function/performance o' t' cord. Aye aye! I also thought I read somewhere that glue on t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord isn't a good thing, arrr, but don't know if this is true. I did pull it from t' side o' t' tube because I thought it might dent t' body tube if ejection be forceful enough. Blimey!

I like taperin' t' fins, so I had taken t' time t' round t' leadin' edges and taper t' trailin' edges. I don't recall if this was listed in t' instructions. Another modification involved gluin' "skins" on t' fins as opposed t' sealin' them as instructed. Well, blow me down! 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). Arrr! Blimey! Another mod I did was t' payload bay.

Apogee's website has a long archive o' previous newsletters that include everythin' from glue reviews (worth lookin' at, ya bilge rat, by t' way) t' t' physics behind why things work. Begad! It has instructions on makin' a payload bay in a single stage rocket. T' payload bay was surprisingly easy modification but time consuming. I cut t' body tube a little less than 4" from t' top. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I glued in t' coupler, ya bilge rat, arrr, which also were ordered from Apogee. Avast, me proud beauty! T' bulkhead was constructed out o' cardboard-type centerin' rin' paper. Begad! It's easy t' cut but took a while t' sand down t' a nice fit. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I smeared glue all over t' bulkhead t' make it stronger and be 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, arrr, I attached it directly t' t' shock cord betwixt t' aft section and t' payload bay. Aye aye! T' shock cord was then passed through a small hole in t' bulkhead and tied t' t' nosecone. I did all this after painting, as described below.

T' rest o' t' construction was fairly straightforward. T' directions show how t' make straight lines for the fins (another technique nay all other companies show). Well, blow me down! Begad! This rocket included me first experience with liquid 10-minute epoxy, ya bilge rat, I had previously used 5-minute clay epoxy. Well, blow me down! 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. Begad! Begad! T' engine mount in t' Avion prevents t' rocket from standing. I do wish t' picture on t' Apogee website would have depicted this more clearly. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down!

Finishing:
Finishin' was pretty straightforward. T' nosecone required sandin' t' scuff it. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Begad! So far, me bucko, me bucko, we followed t' paint recommendations once. Begad! Instead o' white with blue and red, me bucko, 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. Avast! Begad! If you're more than a few feet away, ya bilge rat, they pretty much disappear. Avast! Ya scallywag! I used 3 layers o' primer and 3 layers o' paint. Aye aye!

I didn't put on t' decals but still may. Ya scallywag! It's nay that they look cheesy or overly flashy, me hearties, but I feel they're too big (see picture). Avast, me proud beauty! Also, matey, some o' t' decals had lost their stickiness and were peelin' from t' backin' o' t' decal sheet. Arrr! Since everythin' else about this kit felt sturdy and had quality, shiver me timbers, 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, is that a 5 implies perfection. T' issue with t' decals, matey, t' thin fins, t' little "gotcha" that I don't recall, 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, me hearties, me bucko, flight preparation was a hair trickier than other rockets because it needed somethin' t' hold it up. Aye aye! Avast! When I launched rockets as a kid, matey, I remember wrappin' tape around t' launch rod. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I didn't want t' do this because it can be a pain t' take it off. Ahoy! So I used a little stone... No big deal.

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

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

T' extra 2 seconds for t' ejection seemed t' drag on forever, me bucko, I started yellin' t' t' rocket "C'mon, pop! C'mon, shiver me timbers, pop!", and then she popped just as she did a perfect arc (only visible due t' t' smoke trail). The ejection seemed t' happen just as t' nosecone began t' point down. So t' B6-6 was a fine substitute. Ahoy! Begad!

Recovery:
Recovery went smoothly. T' chute was easy t' pack, and t' diameter o' t' body tube was easy t' work with. Ya scallywag! 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. Begad! Aye aye! T' rocket seemed t' hover more than it should, me hearties, 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". Well, blow me down! I'll make t' hole bigger or cut some slits into t' chute. Avast, me proud beauty! I may even read up on some physics t' learn why t' descent seemed slower than expected.

Because o' t' altitude, t' rocket drifted a little bit even though t' wind was very light. Ahoy! There was no singein' and no other damage t' t' rocket. Ahoy! Aye aye! There were no marks on t' tips o' t' fins from t' engine.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This was a great rocket t' build. Begad! Blimey! It was 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. Ahoy! This is somethin' I'll try t' do on future rockets.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5