Brief:
This is a limited-edition re-release o' t' Orbital Transport, shiver me timbers, new for 2002. Aye aye! Single 18mm motor booster with a single glider that sits piggy back on t' main rocket, me bucko, and is released at apogee. Well, blow me down! Begad! Skill Level 4 kit.

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

Havin' built over 40 Estes kits in t' last year, shiver me timbers, me hearties, 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, you just have t' take your time and do one step at a time. There are 21 steps in t' assembly instructions. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! They are typical Estes instructions, me hearties, very well illustrated and simple enough t' understand.

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

T' kit comes with fin templates that need t' be cut out, me bucko, matey, me bucko, then traced onto t' balsa fin material, then cut out. Avast! T' instructions have you cut out fins as needed, shiver me timbers, I deviated and cut them all out at once. Ya scallywag! Avast! I also labeled with a pencil each fin it's appropriate number so that they would be easier t' distinguish later in t' instructions. Ya scallywag! 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. If you've done somethin' like t' ARV Condor you will find this glider fairly simple t' construct. Well, blow me down! 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, matey, 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 be attached.

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

Pros: This is a pretty extensive kit if you like building, arrr, that's a big plus. Begad! Directions were exceptional and in a logical order. Ahoy! 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, blow me down! Rocket is primed, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and then t' entire bird is painted white.

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

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

My decals were horrible. Begad! These are water slide decals that are t' be cut out, then placed into warm water for 30 seconds, 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, matey, and curl under/over and every other way. Well, blow me down! Begad! Once applied t' t' rocket I could get no movement at all, which is what t' directions imply, shiver me timbers, 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, arrr, 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. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! T' first flight was on a B6-4 and had a nice slow lift-off and low level flight, shiver me timbers, 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, shiver me timbers, me bucko, good, straight boost and decent altitude, ejection was a little late but nay bad and t' glider again came down nicely. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' 12" plastic 'chute seemed t' be adequate t' brin' down t' rest.

T' final flight was on a C6-3, matey, another nice boost and flight but seemed t' be a delay blow-by with a very early ejection. Begad! Arrr! T' 'chute tangled but no damage be suffered. Overall flight ratin' is 4.5, arrr, shiver me timbers, me hearties, 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, but t' decals make t' kit's appearance. Avast! After completion it looks ok, 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