Brief:
This is a skill level 3 kit. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It's a faithful recreation o' t' old Estes kit that I had as a child. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' instructions are clear and in good order. Begad! Blimey! T' only thin' I would like t' have seen is a couple o' pictures o' t' finished bird with all decals applied. There are a lot o' water slide decals with this kit and I had t' do some searchin' online t' get some pictures that I could use as a guide for me t' correctly apply t' decals. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

Construction:
There is a lot o' kit here. Begad! T' material quality is excellent and include:

• A plastic nosecone
• Three body tubes
• Alps water slide decals
• 12" chute
• Instructions
• Pattern Sheets
• Guides
• Balsa Sheet for various fins (not pre-cut)
• Detail panels and discs (pre-cut)
• 

  T' quality o' t' instructions is very good. Avast!

  This is nay a 3 or 4 fin rocket. It requires patience and attention t' detail which for me makes it all t' more fun t' build. Well, blow me down! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down!

  There aren't any real "gotchas" that I found while buildin' this kit, however, t' builder should pay special attention t' correctly markin' t' Drive Unit tubes as t' placement o' dowels and card stock cutouts need to be placed carefully. Begad! I misaligned mine, but I liked t' look so I didn't bother t' correct t' error.

  Finishing:
  This rocket took me a long time t' finish, mainly because o' t' amount o' primin' and sandin' that needed t' be done, ya bilge rat, coupled with t' numerous nooks and crannies that this rocket has.

  One thin' that I did was t' prime and paint t' rocket and main deck separately. Begad! I then glued t' main deck to the rocket and did one last finish coat over t' entire rocket. Avast! Aye aye! This way I was able t' get t' paint where it was needed without havin' t' risk havin' t' paint run by tryin' t' squeeze it into areas where it couldn't easily get to.

  Puttin' t' decals onto this rocket is a chore. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! There are many t' apply so slow and steady gets it done. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I would have liked t' have a couple o' pictures o' t' rocket showin' all decal placement. As it was, I went online and found a number o' pictures and used them as reference for settin' decals that I had questions about.

  Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

  

  Flight and Recovery:
  I used a B6-4 for t' first flight and went t' a C6-5 for t' next three. Begad! On t' B6-4 t' rocket flew surprisingly well. Arrr! It followed an archin' trajectory that was straight enough t' give it respectable altitude. Avast, me proud beauty! Ejection was just after apogee and recovery was perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! On t' C6-5 again t' rocket flew very well. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! It had that same arching trajectory, nay straight up, ya bilge rat, but nay too horizontal either. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Each ejection was after apogee and recovery be great.

  I was surprised at how well this rocket flew considerin' all o' t' extra pieces it has hangin' off o' it!

  Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

  Summary:
  I really like this kit. Blimey! I was impressed by t' quality o' t' materials used. This is a builders kit. Begad! Blimey! It's nay just three or four fins and a tube and I really like that. Blimey! T' only thin' about this rocket that I would change if I were to rebuild it is that I would add about an inch t' t' dowel that rests on t' one fin. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! It is nay as long as t' drive tubes which means t' rocket won't stand up for display on it's own. Begad! Arrr! This isn't a complaint. PDR replicated the original kit perfectly. Arrr! What I did be t' craft a stand with a hollowed out dowel that allows t' model t' stand upright for display.

  Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5