Brief:
Single stage, me hearties, parachute recovery with shock-absorbin' landin' gear.

Construction:
Upper BT-60 body tube o' 5 11/16", arrr, lower BT-60 body tube o' 2", blow-molded ascent module, nose cone and engine nozzle, four legs made of die-cut balsa, 1/8" dowels and foot pads, 18 inch parachute, 24 inch shock cord, numerous die-cut cardboard centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, leg support struts, tank tops and bottoms, me bucko, four BT-50 tubes and eight BT-20 tubes for tanks, and generous "decal" stickers.

T' instructions are easy t' follow and t' illustrations clear for the careful modeler, but this is nay a kit t' be rushed. Arrr! Blimey! It perhaps should be rated higher than a skill level 3, arrr, as careful attention t' detail is required, particularly t' replicate t' paint scheme on t' card.

One "gotcha": T' 2" wooden dowel that is glued t' t' motor mount is too long, and must be trimmed t' allow t' fore centerin' rin' to settle in t' right position. Arrr! (T' dowel seems designed t' keep t' holes in two o' t' rings lined up, me bucko, and really isn't necessary at all if you simply use one o' t' leg dowels t' line up t' holes.)

T' replicate the manufacturer's paint scheme, ya bilge rat, me hearties, it is necessary t' carefully follow t' painting guide provided in t' instructions. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Paintin' is nay left t' t' end of assembly, matey, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but rather takes place throughout t' build. Begad! Blimey! It is also important to mask t' areas o' various parts t' which glue will be later applied.

A razor saw (or perhaps a fine-toothed hacksaw blade) will ensure clean cuts o' t' leg dowels and when separatin' t' three parts from t' ascent module/nose cone/engine nozzle unit.

T' legs attach by runnin' dowels through two centerin' rings on t' motor mount, matey, then attachin' those dowels t' t' leg assembly dowels with a length of silicone hinge tube. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' two wooden ends inside t' tube are kept from rubbing together by small plastic "knee joint" balls.

Elastic cord attached t' a small launch lug on each leg is held t' t' lower body tube when the engine nozzle is installed t' provide shock absorption.

Finishing:
Finishin' takes place throughout t' construction process and care is necessary. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! For t' dark blue parts o' t' Outlander, I chose Model Master (by Testor's) "Arctic Blue" spray paint and a matchin' bottle o' t' same color t' be brushed on t' leg support struts and gear housin' covers for a perfect match. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! Legs and tanks are silver with t' foot assemblies a bright red. Decals (stickers, actually) are generous and add a great deal t' t' futuristic look o' t' model.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Preparation involved a fair amount o' "dog barf" waddin' (it is a BT-60 after all!) and motor retention be t' familiar tried and true Estes engine hook.

I can't imagine launchin' t' Outlander on either o' t' recommended B motors. Ahoy! Arrr! T' C6-3 took it on a very straight flight t' about 150 feet, and even with t' short delay, ejection came a bit late. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! It did nay land on all fours but tipped over without damage.

T' second flight was on a Aerotech D21-4, with a flight about three times as high as t' C motor. Again very straight with ejection at apogee but the Outlander be circlin' at t' end o' t' 18" parachute and longer shock cord I had installed (standard three-part Estes mount), and even on a windless day did nay "stick" t' landing.

Recovery:
T' recovery speed seemed about right. Arrr! T' rocket suffered no damage but it failed t' land on all fours. Perhaps I made t' shock cord too long.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a beautiful futuristic kit that gets a lot o' attention at t' launch site. Arrr! Estes is t' be congratulated for comin' up with somethin' so far removed from t' 3FNC designs that have dominated their catalog in recent years.

It's definitely way more "show" than "go," but as such makes an attention-gettin' small-field flyer that would be great for demonstration flyin' for a group o' children. Begad! Avast! It's an excellent value at the full retail price o' around $20, though it can be had for several dollars less.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5