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

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

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

Construction is in-depth but nay really hard, ya bilge rat, you just have t' take your time and do one step at a time. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! There are 21 steps in t' assembly instructions. They are typical Estes instructions, very well illustrated and simple enough t' understand.

You begin with assemblin' t' motor mount as is custom with Estes. Begad! Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! Next you move on t' forward win' assembly. T' motor mount is then installed into t' booster tube, t' tube marked, and wings and fins are then applied.

T' kit comes with fin templates that need t' be cut out, shiver me timbers, then traced onto t' balsa fin material, me hearties, then cut out. Begad! T' instructions have you cut out fins as needed, I deviated and cut them all out at once. Aye aye! Begad! I also labeled with a pencil each fin it's appropriate number so that they would be easier t' distinguish later in t' instructions. Ahoy! 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. Ahoy! Avast! If you've done somethin' like t' ARV Condor you will find this glider fairly simple t' construct. Avast! 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. Blimey! I deviated from this with a quest style mount with Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, ya bilge rat, 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. Ya scallywag! Several places on t' tube had edges at t' spirals where it seemed t' be wound very poorly. I've never run into a body tube that was this bad. There are two green adapter rings, cardboard, ya bilge rat, for t' motor mount. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Motor tube is inserted into these and then these are glued into t' body tube. Well, blow me down! Both o' mine were again o' very poor quality, and needed excessive sandin' t' get t' motor tube t' fit, me hearties, 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. Blimey! Directions were exceptional and in a logical order. Blimey! Aye aye! 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. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Rocket is primed, me hearties, and then t' entire bird is painted white.

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

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

My decals were horrible. Ahoy! Avast! These are water slide decals that are t' be cut out, me hearties, then placed into warm water for 30 seconds, then applied t' t' rocket.

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

I've used water slide decals before and never had such a problem. Avast, me proud beauty! Again I don't know if this was just another fluke that got by quality control or what? If so though, ya bilge rat, 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 be finally made 8-4-03. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' first flight was on a B6-4 and had a nice slow lift-off and low level flight, me hearties, 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, straight boost and decent altitude, ejection was 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 be on a C6-3, arrr, another nice boost and flight but seemed t' be a delay blow-by with a very early ejection. T' 'chute tangled but no damage was suffered. Begad! Overall flight ratin' is 4.5, me bucko, 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, matey, 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. Aye aye! 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