Brief:
This is a skill level 2, shiver me timbers, 18mm motor rocket. Recovery is via an 18" red plastic pre-assembled parachute. Ya scallywag! This is one o' t' Classic Series offered by Estes.

Construction:
T' two body tubes are glassine paper tubes. Arrr! On this kit, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' tube spirals were practically non-existent. Aye aye! T' fin material was laser cut balsa, and t' nose cone was balsa. Arrr! Avast!

T' instructions were easy t' follow. Begad! However, arrr, shiver me timbers, I recommend that you read them all t' way through first t' plan your construction. Aye aye! Aye aye! Another tip would be t' test fit any areas where t' paper rings are used since they can be a very tight fit, me bucko, especially when usin' wood glue which tends t' get sticky really fast. Begad! A little bit o' fine grit sandpaper is all that is needed in order t' make t' fit a little easier.

Here is me list o' t' "gotcha's" that I ran into:

T' launch lug and fin lines that I drew with a pencil wiped off o' t' lower body tube very easily. Ya scallywag! I ended up eyeballin' t' fin alignment and it still turned out well.

Slidin' t' centerin' rings onto t' lower body tube was next t' impossible without sandin' t' insides o' the rings t' make them fit.

T' instructions call for attachin' t' dorsal fins and main fins before insertin' t' engine mount. I chose to install t' engine mount first since it would be difficult t' do with all o' t' fins in t' way. Ya scallywag! Begad!

After attachin' t' dorsal fins I decided t' attach t' lower body tube t' t' upper body tube. Ahoy! Blimey! Once again, this was done since you need somethin' t' hold on t' while connectin' t' two tubes together. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Once t' two tubes were joined, me hearties, me bucko, I then attached t' main fins.

In addition t' nay followin' t' instructions in t' exact order, I chose t' tie a Keelhaul®©™® line t' t' motor mount. Begad! I made a loop t' attach t' supplied rubber band shock cord t' it. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I also put a thin layer of CA around top o' t' upper tube, and put a strip o' maskin' tape on t' Keelhaul®©™® t' try t' prevent zippering. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I will keep a close eye on t' shock cord t' check for wear. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' last modification I made was t' use a snap swivel on t' parachute.

Finishing:
I would recommend sealin' t' fins before attachin' them. Begad! Arrr! Once all t' fins are in place, me bucko, ya bilge rat, it would be very tedious t' try t' sand them when they are in place.

I decided nay t' paper or CA t' fins t' strengthen them. Ahoy! Blimey! I skipped this due t' t' fact that this is me nephew's second rocket and he was very anxious t' complete construction so it could be flown. Aye aye! Ahoy! Time will tell if this be a wise decision on me part. Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Nay flown yet.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
Pro's: This is a great lookin' rocket with an easy paint scheme if you choose t' copy the package artwork.

Con's: Minor problems with t' fit o' t' rings. T' order o' assembly if followed would be difficult t' get the motor mount installed, me bucko, or attach t' two tubes together. Avast, me proud beauty! You have t' have somethin' t' hold onto.

Overall, ya bilge rat, this is a skill level 2 rocket but I would probably rate it as a skill level 3. Blimey! This is due t' t' fact that if you followed t' instructions exactly, you may have difficulty workin' around t' fins at certain points during construction. Blimey! However, most builders should be able t' work around this if they take their time and think things through.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5