Brief:
This is a limited-edition re-release o' t' Orbital Transport, new for 2002. Avast, me proud beauty! Single 18mm motor booster with a single glider that sits piggy back on t' main rocket, and is released at apogee. Avast, me proud beauty! Skill Level 4 kit.

Construction:
There is a large number o' parts t' this kit. Two body tubes, one for t' booster and one for t' glider, likewise two nose cones. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! three sheets o' uncut balsa for fin material, shiver me timbers, Estes-style motor hook, matey, launch lug material, me hearties, shiver me timbers, small wooden dowel, elastic shock cord, me hearties, water slide decals, me bucko, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and an unassembled parachute.

Havin' built over 40 Estes kits in t' last year, I was very disappointed with this kit. Avast! May very well be just a fluke that got by quality control, but I'll describe what I ran in to.

Construction is in-depth but nay really hard, matey, you just have t' take your time and do one step at a time. Ya scallywag! There are 21 steps in t' assembly instructions. Aye aye! Begad! They are typical Estes instructions, me bucko, very well illustrated and simple enough t' understand.

You begin with assemblin' t' motor mount as is custom with Estes. Next you move on t' forward win' assembly. Arrr! T' motor mount is then installed into t' booster tube, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' tube marked, me hearties, me bucko, me bucko, and wings and fins are then applied.

T' kit comes with fin templates that need t' be cut out, matey, then traced onto t' balsa fin material, me hearties, then cut out. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' instructions have you cut out fins as needed, I deviated and cut them all out at once. Aye aye! Arrr! I also labeled with a pencil each fin it's appropriate number so that they would be easier t' distinguish later in t' instructions. Begad! You end up cuttin' out if me count is correct 32 fins/parts from t' balsa sheets.

After all fins are attached t' t' booster you move on t' construction o' t' glider. Avast, me proud beauty! If you've done somethin' like t' ARV Condor you will find this glider fairly simple t' construct. Avast, me proud beauty! Instructions are thorough and then include testin' and trimmin' out t' glider.

Booster recovery be t' typical Estes trifold mount t' t' inside o' t' body tube. I deviated from this with a quest style mount with Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, attachin' it around t' motor tube below t' upper centerin' ring, and runnin' it out t' top o' t' tube where regular elastic shock cord was attached.

Cons: T' booster body tube I received did nay seem t' be wound correctly. Avast, me proud beauty! Several places on t' tube had edges at t' spirals where it seemed t' be wound very poorly. Ya scallywag! I've never run into a body tube that was this bad. Ahoy! There are two green adapter rings, matey, cardboard, for t' motor mount. Arrr! Ahoy! Blimey! Motor tube is inserted into these and then these are glued into t' body tube. Avast! Both o' mine were again o' very poor quality, and needed excessive sandin' t' get t' motor tube t' fit, and then they fit t' body tube poorly also.

Pros: This is a pretty extensive kit if you like building, that's a big plus. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Directions were exceptional and in a logical order. Well, blow me down! A neatly designed kit that could also be bashed into several other variations.

Construction I would rate at a 3.5

Finishing:
Finishin' should have been fairly simple. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! Rocket is primed, and then t' entire bird is painted white.

Knowin' thar was no way I was goin' t' get rid o' t' ridges from t' badly wound tube, me hearties, I just opted with three coats o' Krylon white primer, shiver me timbers, sandin' after t' 2nd and 3rd coat. Then three coats o' Krylon semi-gloss white were applied.

T' inside o' t' orbiter's nozzle, and inside o' t' scramjet tubes are t' be painted black. Avast, me proud beauty! I used a paint pen t' accomplish this. This paint scheme is very simple t' accomplish, and t' decals come in t' give it an exceptional look. Blimey! If they work right.

My decals were horrible. Ya scallywag! These are water slide decals that are t' be cut out, then placed into warm water for 30 seconds, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, then applied t' t' rocket.

I would hold t' decals in t' water 30 seconds, arrr, lift them out o' t' water and as they cleared t' water they would tear from their own weight, me hearties, and curl under/over and every other way. Begad! Blimey! Once applied t' t' rocket I could get no movement at all, which is what t' directions imply, however blottin' them dry they would tear and flake off.

I've used water slide decals before and never had such a problem. Again I don't know if this was just another fluke that got by quality control or what? If so though, that's three flukes inside o' one kit.

Finishin' I would rate at a 2.5

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' maiden flight was finally made 8-4-03. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' first flight was on a B6-4 and had a nice slow lift-off and low level flight, hefty ejection charge but everythin' held together fine and glider came down smoothly.

T' second flight was on a C6-5 and we had a really nice flight, ya bilge rat, good, ya bilge rat, me hearties, straight boost and decent altitude, me hearties, ejection be a little late but nay bad and t' glider again came down nicely. T' 12" plastic 'chute seemed t' be adequate t' brin' down t' rest.

T' final flight was on a C6-3, another nice boost and flight but seemed t' be a delay blow-by with a very early ejection. Aye aye! T' 'chute tangled but no damage be suffered. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! Overall flight ratin' is 4.5, me hearties, matey, a pleasant surprise as I didn't think it would fly that well.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This rocket has a great look that attracted me t' it, however it was very frustratin' when t' decals were nearly impossible t' work with.

T' parts problems I could work around, ya bilge rat, matey, but t' decals make t' kit's appearance. After completion it looks ok, shiver me timbers, but knowin' where t' tears are and t' two completely missin' decals are drives me crazy (they disintegrated in t' water)!

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5