Brief:
A futuristic sci-fi model reminiscent o' t' old Estes Andromeda or Alien Explorer. T' front page o' t' instructions says: "A Lean, ya bilge rat, mean eater of human spleens, this strange invader will frighten t' masses at your next launch". Ya scallywag! You gotta love that! Uses parachute recovery from 18mm engines.

Construction:
T' first thin' you notice is ping-pong balls. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Yes, ping-pong balls! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! These are used for t' "bulges". Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' fin material is two sheets o' wood and you have t' cut them yourself, so that increases t' skill level. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' great news is that they are basswood, but then that makes for more difficult cutting. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Nothing but t' best materials are in this kit. Aye aye! Blimey! You also get two nosecones, me bucko, two 18" BT's, matey, me bucko, a "side pod" engine mount and a recovery system. Aye aye! Blimey!

Each step in t' instructions tells you t' trace and cut a fin. Arrr! I opted to cut out all t' fins and sand them before gettin' started. Arrr! This makes for a smoother and quicker build once you get going. I also cut t' ping-pong balls at this point too. Avast! Aye aye! They are much easier t' cut then I expected tem t' be. (The air in them STINKS!) I just used an X-ACTO knife with a fresh blade and it went smooth and easy. Aye aye! Begad! Orientate t' ball so you're nay cuttin' through t' seam. You'll get a better cut. Ahoy!

T' motor mount goes together first. Avast! Arrr! It's a classic design but thar be no motor hook t' install. Begad! There are nine fins on this rocket so take your time buildin' it. Aye aye! T' instructions tell you t' glue the two18" body tubes together before you start on t' fins. Aye aye! I chose nay to until t' last Ping-Pong ball was ready t' go on. An 18" tube is much easier t' handle while gluin' on all those fins than a 36" tube. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! That's just me opinion. Begad!

T' recovery system is attached via t' classic folded paper thing. Ahoy! Some people don't like this but it works for me. Avast, me proud beauty! T' list o' materials says you get only one piece o' Keelhaul®©™® strin' and one swivel hook. Arrr! I got two hooks and two pieces o' different length string. Aye aye! Begad! It doesn't even mention elastic cord but I got some o' that too. The parachute step in t' instructions does show two pieces o' strin' though. I just used all t' materials and came up with me own recovery system. Avast, me proud beauty! T' launch lug must be spaced up one o' t' fins. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! You get a spacer for that. Aye aye! I chose to use a launch rod for alignment. Well, blow me down! This ensures it far enough away from t' body tube t' clear t' ping-pong balls AND is properly aligned. T' rocket only gets one lug, so make good strong fillets. Blimey! ( I got two lugs in me kit. Was I supposed to? Where does t' second one go? )

Finishing:
Pros -- Basswood fin material: lightweight, shiver me timbers, strong and much easier t' finish than balsa. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' fin design and ping-pong balls make this a very interestin' and creative rocket. Nice lightweight nylon parachute; no plastic parachute here. Gorgeous instruction sheets: t' illustrations are computer generated and there are many o' them.

Cons -- No motor hook. Blimey! Blimey! Was I supposed t' get one? All t' illustrations show one but its nay mentioned in t' text or t' list o' materials. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Blimey! It will have to be a friction fit motor. No fin markin' guide or decals. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! A fin-markin' guide would have been useful with t' 9 fins you have t' glue. Decals would have raised t' price o' t' kit but I would be willin' t' pay extra for them. Avast! The paint scheme suggested is great but virtually imposable t' do. T' list of materials, t' instructions, ya bilge rat, and what you actually get in t' kit, me bucko, doesn't match each other. Begad! Blimey! This can be confusin' but easily worked through. Blimey! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Nice flights on B6's & C6's. Begad! T' lack o' manufacturer recommended engines made me have t' think about delay times and motor selection. Aye aye! Use a delay slightly shorter than you would expect for a rocket o' this weight because the extra drag slows it down a little.

Recovery:
Laundry deployed every time. Ya scallywag!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Pro -- This is an awesome rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! T' design is like nothin' I ever built and that's refreshing. Ahoy! Avast! Con -- T' list o' materials, ya bilge rat, t' instructions, me bucko, and what you get don't match.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5