Brief:
I was provided with me SlipStream for beta testing. Ahoy! It is reminiscent o' t' Cherokee-D, only shorter and with different fins. Oh, and it uses 18mm motors, nay 24mm. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Uh, maybe it really isn't that similar! Well, t' nose cone and body diameter be t' same. Ahoy! It is a BT-55 based rocket complete with a nice sheet o' waterslide decals, me hearties, balsa nose cone and flies on 18mm motors. Avast! Blimey! T' rocket is just over 19 inches tall, arrr, weighs less than 2 ounces and recovers on a 12-inch red mylar parachute.

Construction:
T' instructions are numbered with lots o' helpful illustrations. Blimey! T' three fins are laser cut balsa and t' balsa nose cone is top quality and very smooth. A standard 18mm motor mount is installed with two lite-ply centerin' rings and includes a standard engine hook for motor retention and kraft thrust ring. Arrr! Ya scallywag! A Keelhaul®©™®/1/8" elastic shock cord is included, me bucko, me hearties, along with a 1/8" launch lug, me bucko, ya bilge rat, eye screw and waterslide decals. Avast! Begad! A markin' guide and steel washer for nose weight are also provided.

Construction is standard. Well, matey, blow me down! You can easily put this together in an hour or two, matey, especially considerin' t' fins are laser cut. Begad! They easily pop out o' t' fin sheet and require minimal sanding. Ya scallywag! Install t' motor mount, mark fin placement usin' t' provided template, shiver me timbers, and glue them on. Arrr! That's most o' t' effort. Avast! I constructed t' entire rocket with yellow glue, and t' only modification was t' method o' attachin' t' shock cord. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Rather than use John's standard method o' attachin' t' Keelhaul®©™® to t' motor mount, me bucko, I installed me typical paper shock cord attachment. Avast! Blimey! T' minimize abrasion from t' Keelhaul®©™® against t' body tube, me bucko, I soaked in CA around t' top 1/2" o' t' body tube and tied a knot in t' Keelhaul®©™® to meet t' lip o' t' body tube. T' launch lug is cut in half and installed onto t' rocket. Begad! Aye aye! Install t' washer onto the base o' t' nose cone and insert t' eye screw and you're almost done. Avast! Finally, me hearties, construct t' pre-cut mylar parachute and attach t' shock cord and you're ready t' fly.

Finishing:
T' balsa nose cone required very little finishing. With only a very light coat o' Elmer's Light Fill 'n' Finish, shiver me timbers, the nose cone was very smooth. Ahoy! T' body tube and fins were also finished usin' Fill 'n' Finish. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I sprayed t' entire model with a light coat o' Kilz t' seal off t' glue and provide a solid base coat. Ahoy! Next, I lightly sanded t' entire model with 240 grit sandpaper and then sprayed on a coat o' primer. Next, sand and primer, me bucko, and sand and primer again, sanding with 400 grit sandpaper. Blimey! Arrr! I followed t' paint scheme on t' face card usin' red and white Krylon enamel paint. Well, blow me down! After dryin' for 24 hours I applied t' decals and then covered everythin' with a thick coat o' Future Floor Finish.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
First flight was on an Estes B6-4 with t' wind speed at about 8-11mph. T' flight was perfect with ejection just past t' top. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' 12-inch chute was perfect for t' model. T' next flight was very similar, ya bilge rat, except usin' a C6-7 for a lot higher altitude and ejection right at t' top. Blimey! Blimey! It was a pretty long walk t' pick up t' model though.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' SlipStream is a great rocket and t' decals are very cool! Parts quality is superb, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and you can easily build the rocket in a couple o' hours. It really zooms, me bucko, arrr, too!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5