Brief:
T' Super Flea was a single stage mini-motored rocket that came in a 2 rocket kit along with t' Javelin. Aye aye! Estes sold these in t' early 1970s, and it was t' first kit I ever purchased with me own loot. Avast, me proud beauty! There be nothin' really special about them, but it has a sentimental value for me, matey, as I built t' original with t' help o' me grandmother, me bucko, arrr, who is no longer with us. So, ya bilge rat, I kind o' built it as a tribute o' sorts.

Construction:
I used a couple small pieces o' 13mm body tube, arrr, a nose cone from a Rogue Gnat (not exactly a true replica, but close enough), matey, and a 5mm length o' low power launch lug. For a tubin' coupler, I used a small slice o' a 25 year old A3-4T I found in me dad's closet, where I found a lot o' other rocket goodies as well. Aye aye! Blimey! T' shock cord is very un-Estes like; I made it out o' a 3 foot section o' elastic thread, whereas t' original was t' old flat elastic that Estes was pretty stingy with. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! T' four fins were cut from 1/8" balsa.

T' instructions were typical early t' mid 70s Estes quality. T' illustrations were great, which helped me get t' proper scale for t' fins and body tube lengths. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' only thin' I didn't like about t' original kit be t' shock cord mountin' method: t' shock cord be wrapped around t' tube coupler, me bucko, me bucko, then t' coupler was inserted into t' lower body tube. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This caused t' tube t' distort somewhat, and though it never had any effect on flight it always bugged me. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! So, for this model I cut a notch in t' coupler and applied CA t' hold it inside, me hearties, matey, givin' me a perfectly round tube. Avast! Blimey! I coated t' fins and nose with a thin coat o' 2 hour epoxy for durability, then painted t' whole thin' with testor's Aluminum. Aye aye! Blimey! T' best part about it was t' fact that I had almost all t' parts I needed in me range box, ya bilge rat, except for t' nose cone. So I bought a fistful o' Gnats from Lawn Dart Rocketry at LDRS and used one o' those.

Finishing:
T' rockets always looked kind o' plain, ya bilge rat, matey, since they came with no decals. Begad! After I epoxied everything, arrr, ya bilge rat, I sanded it all down, me hearties, me bucko, applied a coat o' day-glo orange, and t' thin' looked stupid. Aye aye! So I repainted it with Testor's aluminum, me hearties, and it looks fairly good now. Ya scallywag! Nothin' difficult about this rocket, me bucko, or t' original kit either. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Way better than t' junk Estes puts out now- NO PLASTIC! I would give this rocket a 5 if it wasn't for t' goofy shock cord mounting.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
My memory must be cloudy, because I don't remember this bein' a particularly good performer when I be a kid. I even made a 2 stager when I be 12, arrr, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and don't remember it flyin' like this. Blimey! Blimey! All I did was insert some cellulose wadding, shiver me timbers, a prepped A3-4T (friction mount), shiver me timbers, stuff in t' shock cord, matey, and put it on t' launcher. T' countdown came over t' PA system, and when it reached 1, me bucko, that be t' last time anybody saw it until later in t' day! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' thin' left t' launcher in a blur, me hearties, arrr, and all I saw t' prove that it had flown at all was t' smoke. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! All future flights will be on smaller motors, ya bilge rat, maybe even some micro-motors. T' thin' is just too fast otherwise.

Recovery:
Recovery works well, even without a streamer. Avast! Nay too fast, matey, no drifting, ya bilge rat, and no damage on landing. Begad! Blimey! I am startin' t' see some charrin' around t' base o' t' fins though, matey, me hearties, but that's easily repairable. This is almost t' easiest t' prep rocket I've ever had, ya bilge rat, and thanks t' t' epoxy, shiver me timbers, pretty near indestructible.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Main pros: Easy t' prep, good recovery system with t' mid-body separation, and eye-poppin' flights. Aye aye! Cons: too small t' see at apogee, and too fast t' watch on a "big" motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Best o' all, t' thin' cost just over a buck.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5