Brief:
A roughly 1/5th scale model o' t' air-launched version o' t' HARPOON missile, designed for t' modeler. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Some skills required for optimum appearance results but otherwise easy t' build and fly.

Construction:
My Harpoon kit arrived in a small package for what promised t' be a big kit. Avast! Arrr! Everythin' was there, good quality tubes, and a neat purple Mylar parachute (which works well and is easy t' see), but no decals provided.

A note: There have been previous reviews o' this and other Launch Pad kits that have pointed out some issues. I offer a slightly different perspective in that yes, arrr, shiver me timbers, me bucko, some things about this kit are nay super-easy, but I think o' t' kit as a foundation for some modelin' artwork. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' skills needed t' turn this kit into a really good military model are all in t' paint, finishing, arrr, and build techniques. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! So on with t' build!

T' fins have t' be cut out o' balsa stock with a provided pattern. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! (They are nay laser/precut so we need t' work a bit harder.) T' balsa is soft, which is a good thing, matey, nay a bad thing. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It's easy t' cut. Strength is nay a problem because I always laminate/reinforce me fins for any model. Blimey! Blimey! (Don't you?) For t' Harpoon, me bucko, I used sheets o' peel 'n' stick paper from t' local office store used for printin' shippin' labels. Blimey! Blimey! Cut t' balsa, peel back a sheet o' paper, lay it down, trim, flip over, me bucko, and repeat. Ya scallywag! Blimey! In t' end all you have t' do is sharpen and finish t' edges. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It's real easy. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! No CA glue, matey, no soaking, matey, no wrinkles.

T' kit came with a great lookin' nose cone, and o' course instructions t' mount that little paper "hat" extension t' give an authentic profile. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Well here's a confession. Blimey! Avast! I just flew mine with t' stock cone. Begad! Begad! No paper hat because I didn't want t' mess with it at first. Begad! Now that t' Harpoon has flown, I'm actually retro-fittin' t' hat extension, ya bilge rat, and it's fine. So again, arrr, it's a modeler's kit, me hearties, skills nay included but well rewarded. T' nose cone is weighted with provided clay, and we're cautioned t' install it exactly as designed!

There's a neat paper tail cone adapter that's formed by cuttin' out and gluin' a paper shape. Ya scallywag! I found it a little difficult t' keep it round and smooth but with some body filler and paint, another problem once again solved. There are eight fins, lots o' cuttin' and finishin' t' do, but alignment in t' four-four pattern is real easy. Arrr! I found it cool that t' forward fins even have little wooden tabs at t' root edges, me hearties, decorated with rivets, ya bilge rat, me bucko, which I believe represent t' fin hinges. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Blimey! In any case, they are a fun detail and look great. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! And again, t' instructions give location but no alignment tool. Avast, me proud beauty! That's fine. Aye aye! We shouldn't need one if we're buildin' and flyin' at this level. Same for t' lugs. Begad! Blimey! I chose t' discard t' lugs provided and went with ¼ plastic tubin' o' me own, me bucko, epoxy bonded in place.

Installation o' t' recovery system is straightforward and t' same as any other kit o' this size. Begad! I chose nay t' use t' recommended method (thread t' nosecone)...and used me own shock cord design with a removable lockin' hook (makes parachute maintenance easier). So overall construction: easy enough if you like t' build models.

Finishing:
Standard body cleanup and paint techniques were used. Though really, with good primer and paint t' body did nay need much attention t' fill up any lines. Begad! T' only problem was entirely me fault when I inadvertently switched paint brands betwixt coats (warning: Krylon and Rustoleum may nay always be compatible)... Well, blow me down! Avast! That wasn't pretty and resulted in lots o' sandpaper use.

No decals came with t' kit, me hearties, so betwixt internet look-up and t' illustrations provided by TLP, arrr, I made me own interpretation and printed them onto Testor's decal paper with me printer. Ahoy! I used paper wraps for t' broad stripes, which once clearcoated are fine.

I did nay try t' recommended method o' usin' nail-heads t' simulate rivets. I chose t' make decals. Blimey! So for future products, if TLP would provide a good decal sheet, shiver me timbers, I'd be willin' t' pay a bit more for t' kit just t' cut back on at least some o' t' finishin' work, but that's a small detail.

One last nitpick: t' engine mount tube holds a regular 24mm Estes type motor, ya bilge rat, like t' D12. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! T' run an E9, arrr, I have t' friction fit because t' tube is short. A good modification would be t' put a long E9-sized engine mount, like what is on t' Estes Big Daddy, matey, and provide a spacer for t' short engines. Arrr! Blimey! Just a thought.

This model looks great and ready t' go. Blimey! Blimey! Whether or nay it's exactly a photo-real replica o' t' original down t' every rivet is debatable, but t' message is there. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! It's a model, me bucko, nay a toy, arrr, so t' builder is expected t' make some decisions based on experience. Aye aye! Blimey! Good. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It keeps t' price reasonable and works fine.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
I first flew t' Harpoon out on t' frozen lake near here with an Estes E9-6. Avast, me proud beauty! There was even a small audience in t' area. Avast, me proud beauty! Sunny day, wind 10-12MPH. Blimey! First flight was straight up and away, slow takeoff, a very realistic-appearin' rocket launch. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Instead o' weathercockin' into t' 10MPH breeze, matey, t' Harpoon steered a bit, twistin' and "seeking" slightly but all t' while still proceedin' straight up. Blimey! Aye aye! One spectator pointed out that it looked like a real military missile, me hearties, me bucko, trackin' a target as opposed t' a whoosh-bang rocket. Avast! What a great flight. It went maybe about 350-400 feet up. Recovery with that Mylar chute was perfect. I thought t' 6 second delay was gettin' a bit long though.

I flew again a week later with an Aertotech E30. Result: nay so much a high flight but very sudden, shiver me timbers, almost explosive acceleration. No wind that day, but t' harpoon seemed t' corkscrew into t' sky pretty broadly. Well, me hearties, blow me down! I don't think this be t' right engine for t' job, matey, but I will definitely try an E15. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Last flight on another E9 was a repeat o' t' first, me hearties, so it wasn't just luck, me hearties, as it be smooth, matey, slow, arrr, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and maybe t' about 400 feet max, but straight with a bit o' steer.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very convincing, realistic flyer, ya bilge rat, well worth every effort.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5