Brief:
This is Aardvark's Mini-Missile scale model rocket o' t' US Air t' Air AIM 54 Phoenix. T' kit is fairly inexpensive (approximately $10) and is a cheap introduction t' scale building.

Construction:
Most materials were cardboard/paper includin' 2 centerin' rings, arrr, engine block, 2.5" motor mount tube, large Estes style body tube, me hearties, Keelhaul®©™® cord, ya bilge rat, elastic shock chord, arrr, mylar ribbon for streamer, me hearties, me bucko, basswood sheet for fins, fin templates, arrr, paper tube wrap for fin positions, custom nose cone (a ceramic/plastic type feel... Begad! very heavy and nice), arrr, shiver me timbers, small eye screw and 2 washers for proper adjustment o' center o' gravity.

Measurements are given t' thousandths o' an inch such as 7.246". Avast! This is a bit unusual for a rocket kit.

T' instructions were easy t' follow with clear guidelines, me hearties, a parts list (very helpful with an area t' check off each item), me bucko, and a hints and tips section. Blimey! Aye aye! There were plenty o' illustrations. Logical order o' assembly. Well, blow me down! Begad! I deviated from t' plans slightly by addin' an engine hook since I hate friction fittin' motors out on t' field. Arrr! I also attached t' Keelhaul®©™® right beneath t' upper centerin' ring, matey, nay wrapped around t' lower centering rin' like t' directions suggested. I thought that be a bit overkill. Ya scallywag! Fins are not laser cut or die-cut and must be carefully prepared and cut usin' the included template. Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I actually like this about kits and prefer doin' things from scratch.  I be careful t' follow t' instructions regardin' t' basswood fins and made sure t' grain was in t' correct direction. This left me with what appeared t' be rather flimsy fins until I glued them onto t' frame. Blimey! The only real caution was sandin' t' flimsy fins until they are ready t' be glued to t' body. Aye aye! There are no specific directions for what t' sanded fins should look like. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Fortunately, I have build t' Phoenix before and I used previous information from other sources for correct (or adequate) fin shape. Begad! Aligning the fins would nay be a problem for anyone with previous skill level 2 building experience. Begad! I did run into a "gotcha" when I was addin' t' fins. I placed t' lower fins first, and then measured t' placement for t' upper fins. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! At this point, I realized thar was a problem because t' fins were buttin' up against each other. Begad! I checked t' measurements again and again until I realized that I did nay even have t' correct length body tube. I contacted Ken Johnson from Aardvark rockets. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! He responded smartly and gave me t' exact distance betwixt t' two fins. Begad! He also promised t' send me replacement parts (more on this later).

Pro's in construction: parts list, me bucko, me bucko, t' step by step walk through for construction. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! T' nose cone is high quality and it be me first experience to work with this type o' material for a nose cone.

Con's: no scale data, ya bilge rat, me bucko, matey, incorrect body tube with me kit, inches indicated to the decimal, shiver me timbers, me hearties, makin' me have t' convert everythin' t' fractions. Aye aye! Ahoy! Decals a bit brittle and must be treated very carefully.

In t' end, me bucko, after waitin' a few weeks for replacement parts (and after sendin' a reminder e-mail), me hearties, I just continued construction o' t' rocket with the smaller body tube and made sure t' fins were in correct location from the bottom o' t' body tube. Blimey! Blimey! Thus, t' nose cone is a little closer t' t' fins, but I was certain that with t' 2 heavy washers added t' t' already heavy nose cone, I would nay have a problem with t' Center o' Gravity.

Finishing:
I sanded t' body and fins, added ZAR's Wood Patch where necessary and sanded again t' fill in t' grains in t' basswood. Ya scallywag! I then added t' strakes on the fins and wood patched and sanded again. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I used Krylon primer and sanded and ZAR wood patched again, arrr, with more sanding. Avast! After another coat o' primer and sanding, I painted t' body grey and painted t' nose cone gloss white. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I used the water slide decals, with some trouble. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I am nay t' decal king, so I don't do well with this part. Ya scallywag! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! There are instructions t' place blue bands at certain points. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This got a bit tricky when it meant cuttin' t' blue bands into four segments and tryin' t' fit them betwixt t' fins. I eventually gave up and placed two blue decals above t' upper fins and one blue decal betwixt the upper and lower fins. Additional decals includin' name o' rocket and section descriptions (ordinance, me bucko, propulsion, me bucko, control) are also provided and went on rather well. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' blue decals seem ! a bit grainy as if they came from an ink jet printer. After applyin' decals, me hearties, I gave t' rocket a couple good coats of Clear Krylon spray t' keep those decals on.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I did nay use t' recommended motor o' t' B6-7 since I don't even know if this motor exists or not. Aye aye! Begad! I used a B6-6. Arrr! I prepped t' rocket usin' non-flammable paper wadding. Begad! T' streamer simply is wrapped around a pencil and then placed inside t' body tube. Arrr! I had t' be careful, ya bilge rat, because t' streamer is pretty wide and thar be little room inside t' rocket t' keep wadding, matey, streamer, Keelhaul®©™ ® and shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! With patience, shiver me timbers, everythin' fits fine. Begad! Begad! T' rocket zipped right off t' pad and almost flew out o' sight. I did notice that ejection be way past apogee and that prompted me t' fly t' rocket on a B6-4. T' B6-4 flight be great, with a great quick boost and separation right after apogee. With t' heavy nose cone and t' streamer, ya bilge rat, this rocket returns fairly quickly t' t' ground, but t' pro is that thar be little drifting. Avast! Begad! Also, the body is light enough t' use a streamer while t' nose cone is strong enough to handle a fast landing.

Recovery:
Pro's: This is a great little rocket for a small field (such as a school athletic field like t' one I use). It is easy t' prep and t' B motors give you plenty o' altitude.

Con's: If you like slow majestic lift-offs, this is nay t' rocket for you. Due t' t' small size o' t' rocket, thar be little room for t' waddin' and the streamer, ya bilge rat, arrr, so make sure you protect t' streamer as well as you can. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! Even thought I used what I thought was adequate wadding, ya bilge rat, me bucko, matey, me streamer has little burn marks here and thar and is already showin' signs o' tearin' after only two flights.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PRO's: This is a good intro t' scale buildin' for people who don't want to empty their wallets for those expensive kits. Avast! Ya scallywag! It is a really nice flyer, ya bilge rat, but be careful t' add all t' nose weight. Aye aye! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' Phoenix is notorious for unstable flights without a heavy nose cone. Avast! Begad! If CA glue is used on t' fins, me bucko, its a sturdy little rocket.

CON's: wrong body size and misleadin' measurements, shiver me timbers, no scale data, decals could use some improvement. Avast! This is certainly nay t' kit for t' first time builder, me hearties, arrr, but for someone who wants t' improve their buildin' and scale rocketry skills.

After havin' submitted me review o' t' AIM-54 C Phoenix (18 mm version) from Aardvark Rockets, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I did receive in t' mail yesterday t' replacement parts for t' incorrect body tube. In addition t' this, matey, I also received a complimentary "American Dream" 18 mm kit.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5