Brief:
Havin' recently re-energized me addiction t' rocketry, I be faced with t' task o' recreatin' t' core o' my previous rocket fleet. Ya scallywag! Thinkin' back, matey, I realized that a great many o' t' rockets that I liked t' fly were t' designs of John Rowan-Stern at Thrustline Aerospace. Aye aye! Unfortunately, me bucko, Thrustline was no longer in business this time around (a situation that has since changed) and so with RockSim and EMRR as me primary resources, arrr, I began t' clone me favorites.

T' Zack Attack be one o' Thrustline's earliest designs. Ahoy! Arrr! It consists o' a BT-50 base transitionin' t' a BT-20 payload section with 2 sets o' fins, matey, flies on 18mm motors, me hearties, separates at t' transition, arrr, and recovers on a 12" chute. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Like many o' John's designs, t' Zack Attack "fit" me eye in terms o' size, scale, and line, and with the RockSim file downloaded from EMRR, I started me build.

Construction:
T' parts needed t' clone t' Zack Attack are simple and readily available. A fin template picture is included with this review so anyone can build it. Aye aye! T' followin' parts are required:

• BT-50 Body Tube – 12.75 inches
• Balsa Transition BT50/20 – I used a Semroc TA 2050A
• BT-20 Body Tube - 7 inches
• Nose Cone – BNC-20N
• BT-20 Motor Mount Tube – 2.75"
• Centerin' Rings CR20/50 – I used t' heavy paper type
• Standard length engine hook
• Thrust Rin' – CR-5/20 Centerin' Ring
• 3/32" Balsa Sheet
• Shock Cord System – I used 24" o' 100lb Keelhaul®©™® and 24" o' 1/8" sewin' elastic
• Launch Lug – 1/8" x 2"
• Small Screw Eye – Attaches shock cord t' payload section
• Recovery Device – Your choice, me hearties, t' original kit came with a 12" Mylar parachute

T' Zack Attack was a fairly simple build. Avast! It's maybe just a tick harder than skill level 1 due t' t' fact that you need t' align two sets o' fins, shiver me timbers, matey, ya bilge rat, but thar were no real tricks and I would imagine that anyone who has built a kit or two could get this done without any trouble. Begad! My standard routine was t' put together t' engine mount first, me hearties, arrr, which included cuttin' a slit in t' motor tube for t' hook, gluin' t' thrust rin' into t' forward end o' t' motor tube, securin' t' engine hook t' t' motor tube with a wrap o' maskin' tape, and then glued t' centerin' rings t' t' motor tube approximately 1/2" from each end o' t' tube. At this time I also attached t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' t' motor mount by tyin' it around t' motor tube betwixt t' centerin' rings then cut a small notch in the outside o' t' forward centerin' rin' t' allow t' cord t' reach t' front o' t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Finally, matey, I reinforced the centerin' rin' t' motor tube joints with glue fillets.

While t' motor mount glue was drying, arrr, I cut out t' fins, makin' sure I knew where t' leadin' edge be t' get the grain orientation right. A sharp knife and a metal straight edge made this task very simple. T' two sets o' like fins were stacked together and sanded so that they were identical, and t' leadin' and trailin' edges were rounded off.

Installin' t' motor mount be next. First, me hearties, I threaded t' Keelhaul®©™® back through t' motor tube t' keep it out o' t' way, matey, and test fit t' motor mount t' make sure it slid easily into the body tube. Next, a rin' o' glue was swabbed inside t' body tube near where t' forward centerin' rin' would rest, and t' motor mount slid into position with t' aft end o' t' motor tube even with t' aft end o' t' body tube. Blimey! Blimey! After the glue was dry I added a fillet t' t' aft centerin' rin' where it meets t' body tube. Well, blow me down! At this point I sanded the body tube t' scuff up t' glassine coating, which I believe helps t' gluing/finishin' process.

There are several methods for markin' t' body tube for fin/launch lug placement. I usually save t' fin markin' guides from all t' kits I build so a rarely have t' come up with a new one. Arrr! I used a section of small aluminum angle from a local hardware store t' extend me fin/lug lines. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' aft fins for t' Zack Attack were attached even with t' aft end o' t' body tube and t' forward fins were attached 5.75" from t' aft and o' the body tube in line with t' aft fins. T' launch lug is cut into two pieces which were attached 1" and 6.5" from t' aft end o' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' fins and launch lug were attached with wood glue usin' a double glue joint, and reinforced with wood glue fillets.

T' forward payload section is assembled accordin' t' your own plans for flyin' this bird. I personally don't have any plans t' fly a BT-20 sized payload so t' nose cone and transition were permanently glued in place. Begad! T' screw eye be attached t' t' transition by screwin' it part way into t' base, me hearties, ya bilge rat, removin' it, addin' a large drop o' medium thickness CA glue and then screwin' it all t' way down. Avast, me proud beauty! Final assembly included tyin' t' elastic cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™® line and then tied t' t' nose cone with a drop o' thin CA glue on all t' knots.

Finishing:
My original Zack Attack kit did nay come with any decals or recommended paint scheme--heck, t' instructions were in black and white so you couldn't even steal John's colors. Blimey! I originally planned on copyin' t' scheme o' me original Zack Attack, but after I got t' first coat o' color on t' fins, I went a different route and be happy overall with the results. I used Elmer's Wood Filler t' add smooth fillets t' t' fin and launch lug joints. Avast! T' nose cone, transition, and fins were sealed with two coats o' Elmer's Wood Filler thinned with water and sanded smooth. Ya scallywag! My standard finishin' routine is 2 coats o' primer (Rustoleum Painter's Touch Sandable Primer) and then 2 coats o' Krylon spray enamel, workin' down t' 400 grit sandpaper before t' final coat. Arrr! I have had decent success usin' standard 3M maskin' tape for me paint jobs. Blimey! As long as I always cut a new edge on a clean cuttin' surface and remember t' rub the edges down before t' first coat o' paint, t' results have been good.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Recommended motors for t' Zack Attack include t' standard range o' black powder 18mm Estes/Quest Motors. Aye aye! Aye aye! I have yet to find t' courage t' put an 18mm composite motor in me Zack Attack, but I'm sure that would be quite a ride. Well, blow me down! Flight preparation is standard: add some wadding, load up t' recovery device, install t' motor, insert t' igniter, ya bilge rat, arrr, and head to t' pad. My original Zack Attack flew six flights in all kinds o' conditions. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' majority o' those flights were with C6-5 motors which will push this rocket t' around 900ft. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! My new Zack Attack has flown on all t' recommended motors, and while it is a nice small field flier on an "A" or "B" motor, me bucko, arrr, a C6-5 is still hard to beat. Aye aye! T' nice thin' about this rocket is that it looks good on t' pad, it looks good in t' air, me hearties, arrr, and it won't get completely out o' sight on BP motors so you'll be able t' fly it over and over.

Recovery:
T' original kit came with an unassembled 12" Mylar parachute, arrr, which held up through many flights with only a few small burn/melt through spots. Avast, me proud beauty! Even though t' chute is packed into t' lower section o' t' rocket thar be still plenty o' room t' keep it clear o' t' worst o' t' ejection charge. My new Zack Attack clone uses a 12" plastic chute from Semroc because that's what I had on hand and recovers just fine, even in moderate winds. T' only issue I have ever had with this design is that when t' forward payload section is deployed by t' ejection charge, it is susceptible t' damage from hittin' t' aft section/fins. Ahoy! T' problem is compounded on windy days since t' design is a bit overstable and will arc into t' wind, me bucko, me bucko, leadin' t' faster deployments. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! My original Zack Attack picked up a couple nice creases and paint marks on t' forward section due t' deployment strikes. Ahoy! So far me new Zack Attack has come back clean, even from some arcin' flights on windy days.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
One o' Thrustline's earlier designs, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, this one hasn't been re-introduced yet, so is still a good candidate for a clonin' project.

PROs: Basic rocket that is a small step up from 3FNC with a great "look", good performance, and simple construction. This is a pretty well thought out design. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey! T' motor selection and recovery system are well matched t' the size o' t' rocket.

CONs: None really, except for t' fact that you can't buy it anymore (for t' time being...) T' forward payload section is susceptible t' damage durin' t' ejection event.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5