Nano Rocketry has produced a line o' model rocket kits t' take advantage o' Quest's Micro-Maxx engines. T' Quest Micro-Maxx rockets are all RTF and don't really fly all that well. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! They claim a maximum altitude o' 200 feet, matey, but with such heavy plastic rockets, t' best I could get be less than 20 feet.

My kit arrived in a 6x9 envelope with a picture o' t' completed model on t' back. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Because o' such simple packaging, I was afraid it might have been damaged in transit. Ahoy! Begad! I opened t' kit and inspected all t' pieces, and found everythin' in perfect condition.

I checked t' contents against t' parts list, (which included handy diagrams for identification) found all t' parts were there, and collected t' tools recommended in t' tools list. Ahoy! T' instructions offered 3 possible ways t' shape t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, arrr, dependin' on your skill, t' shape you wanted, matey, and your available tools, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but me kit came with t' nose already shaped, so I didn't have t' worry about it.

Assembly o' t' nose cone, shoulder, and shock cord was straightforward, and t' instructions were very clear. Ahoy! Begad! Next I cut out t' fins, which were preprinted on balsa sheet. Well, arrr, blow me down! T' instructions said t' use a ruler t' align t' 2 pieces o' each fin, me bucko, but I found it worked better t' align them on t' body tube itself. Begad! Blimey! T' instructions simply said t' attach t' fins 120 degrees apart. I made me own fin alignment guide, but it would have been nice t' have one preprinted in t' instructions.

T' instructions said that attachin' t' shock cord would be tricky, but after readin' their clear explanation o' how t' do it, me hearties, I had no trouble. Avast! I chose t' use t' included paper cutouts t' finish t' fins. Ahoy! Blimey! It said t' use a Permanent Glue Stick, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but I used a regular Glue Stick because I already happened t' have one. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! I couldn't get t' edges o' t' fin coverin' t' match up perfectly with t' edges o' t' fins, matey, but t' bigger problem was gettin' t' edges o' t' fin coverin' t' stay glued. Ahoy! Next time, I'll try a Permanent Glue Stick, arrr, like they said.

I was afraid o' loosin' sight o' such a small model, me hearties, shiver me timbers, so I posted a question on rec.models.rockets about highly visible paint schemes. Avast! T' suggestions I got were black, shiver me timbers, me hearties, me hearties, fluorescent, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, chrome, ya bilge rat, or some combination. Ya scallywag! I painted it with Wal-Mart Gloss black, ya bilge rat, because that be what I had on hand. Aye aye! I made a stand from a coat hanger for paintin' it on. Begad! Arrr! It doubles as a display stand.

T' instructions also showed how t' fashion a tool from a paper clip for stuffin' t' shock cord into t' body tube. Avast! It be easy t' make and very helpful. Blimey! It be nearly impossible t' insert t' shock cord without it! T' kit did nay include a launch lug, but included suggestions for a tower. Begad! I was in a hurry t' launch, so I made a pair o' removable lugs from t' wire stripped out o' a twist-tie. They worked pretty well.

I took me new model out t' t' back yard for a test launch. First I launched a couple o' Micro-Maxx RTF's for comparison. They went higher than me head, matey, but nay above t' first story o' me building. Begad! Aye aye! Then I launched me ITS. Blimey! Though bigger and easier t' see than t' Quest rockets, ya bilge rat, it be lighter, me hearties, and flew 2-3 times as high-- almost t' t' second story roof. Arrr! Overall, I was quite pleased with me Nano Rocketry Interdimensional Transport Ship. Blimey! It was fun and easy t' build, and cheaper, arrr, shiver me timbers, larger, better looking, and better flyin' than Micro-Maxx. Arrr! One thin' I miss about t' Centuri and older Estes Science Fiction kits be t' stories behind them. Avast! This is a cool lookin' kit, and it has a neat story behind it, matey, too.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5