Brief:
I kinda miss me Estes Mean Machine and have several similar rockets sittin' in t' inventory. I chose this one simply because it was t' first one I ran into when I started t' look. Begad! Arrr! I also liked t' simple color scheme on t' face card. It a long, ya bilge rat, skinny four fins and a nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! I have no doubt it is a Mean Machine knockoff, though slightly shorter.

Construction:
Construction begins with t' motor mount. Avast! Blimey! Marks are laid out on t' motor tube for t' engine hook and t' centering rings. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! A slice is made t' insert t' hook and then t' builder is instructed t' punch out t' rings from t' sheet of cardboard. Blimey! Blimey! When doin' so, I realized that I would have t' be extremely careful because these are without a doubt the flimsiest and thinnest rings I have ever seen in a kit. Ahoy! Blimey!

T' rings were glued in place with Elmer's yellow glue, thoroughly filleted, and then filleted again.

I noticed that this rocket did nay come with a thrust ring. I didn't like that and I had none o' t' proper size sittin' around so I cut t' end off o' a spent 18mm casin' t' use for a thrust ring. Begad! It was glued in right over the engine hook.

After t' fillets on t' centerin' rings were good and dry, I did a bit o' light sandin' t' make them fit into t' body tube better. I was afraid that too much force applied might bend them on t' way in. Ahoy! T' motor mount was then installed with yellow glue.

Unlike t' centerin' rings, t' balsa fins seemed in good shape from good material. Arrr! They were die-cut but came easily out o' t' sheet. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! All o' t' edges except for t' roots were sanded round. Arrr! Aye aye! T' fins were then treated t' a coat of Elmer's Wood Filler and scraped with a razor blade. Begad! A few minutes later, I began t' notice some significant warping in 3 out o' t' four fins. Begad! Aye aye! I decided t' wait until they were dry t' try and correct this.

T' kit came with a wraparound fin alignment guide which be cut out and taped onto a body tube. T' fin lines were then transfered t' t' tube and extended with an angle.

While waitin' for filler t' dry, shiver me timbers, I used a pin t' make perforations along each o' t' fin lines for better glue adhesion.

When t' filler was dry, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' warpin' was still present but nay nearly as bad. Avast! I sanded down t' fins and then used t' pin t' perforate t' root edges.

T' process o' installin' t' fins then began. Avast! Well, blow me down! I used a double glue joint and yellow glue, waitin' for each one to stiffen up before applyin' t' next.

T' second tube was dealt with in almost t' same way except that a length o' Keelhaul®©™® was tied around t' coupler. Aye aye! Arrr! It was then slid in t' t' halfway mark and allowed t' dry.

T' nose cone surprised me. It was pretty shipshape and had no flash but it did have a hollow base. Arrr! There is no aft bulkhead. Aye aye! I took t' provided screw eye and screwed it into t' provided hole.

When t' coupler joints were judged "dry enough", me hearties, t' two BTs containin' t' couplers were glued together and rolled around t' ensure straightness.

T' kit came with a single launch lug and instructions t' cut it in half. Blimey! Begad! Instead o' doin' so, I opted t' use the full length o' t' lug and add a second lug. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Since it was handy and because this is a long rocket that may tended to try and twist t' lugs off, ya bilge rat, I opted for a 6" long one from FlisKits. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! A length o' rod be used t' align them as the were glued in place.

A few days were spent filletin' t' fins. Begad! Blimey! T' initial round on each fin was with finger smoothed yellow glue. After that had dried, arrr, me bucko, I built up t' fillets with white glue since it does nay shrink as much. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! When t' filletin' was done, me bucko, I glued t' bottom BT, t' one with t' fins, t' t' other two and let it dry. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' rocket be now assembled.

Finishing:
T' fins had already been sanded down prior t' installation so t' rocket was ready for priming. I set it up as best I could in me spray booth but could tell that this be goin' t' be a two part job. T' bottom o' t' rocket got a coatin' o' Kilz and, me bucko, about a half hour later, me bucko, it was dry enough t' t' touch t' pick up. I carried it outside and sprayed t' top.

After t' Kilz dried in about 2 days, matey, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I sanded t' rocket down and set it up t' spray white. Ya scallywag! I decided t' follow the face card art and was only goin' t' spray t' lower third. Begad! Well, blow me down! I did nay bother t' mask anythin' since t' white would be easily covered up.

After drying, me hearties, most o' t' white looked fine but one side be very ugly. I think I got what is called "orange peel". Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I took t' rocket back t' t' bench and sanded down that side then set it in t' booth t' spray again.

After t' white paint dried a second time, me hearties, I inspected t' rocket and all seemed fine. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! That bein' t' case, arrr, I masked off t' bottom and began sprayin' red on t' top.

T' rocket got 2 coats o' red and was allowed t' dry overnight. Then came t' unmasking. Ya scallywag! T' lines were good and I was pleased.

At least I be pleased until I got t' t' decal. It wasn't a decal. Ya scallywag! It was a crack and peel monstrosity. For a sticker, arrr, it be o' good quality and it came up from its backin' easily enough but positionin' a large sticker around a curved surface is nay a process at which I am adept. Ahoy! Blimey! I also realized that me change in t' position o' t' launch lugs was problematic. Arrr! T' upper lug interfered with wrappin' t' sticker. Aye aye! Blimey! An appropriately sized slice was cut out o' the sticker with a razor, matey, burnished it down and I was done.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' maiden flight took place on a very windy day. Arrr! By all rights, shiver me timbers, I should nay have launched it if I cared about the rocket at all. In fact, I had already decided that I would nay launch it. I be persuaded t' change me mind by a young girl from me church. Blimey! Aye aye! She had never been t' a launch before and had been enjoyin' this one. Well, blow me down! Begad! She wanted t' see it fly and, frankly, me bucko, so did I.

I put in a 15" chute and prepped with a C6-3. Begad! I had lots o' misgivings as I watched it oscillate on t' rod. Then t' countdown terminated and up she went.

There was a lot o' wind. Blimey! Even so, me bucko, thar was no weathercocking. Aye aye! Begad! She went up beautifully and deployed at apogee. She then drifted quite a ways but came down without a scratch.

A video o' t' flight can be found here.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
I had me doubts about this rocket early on but t' appearance on t' pad and, arrr, especially, t' flight put those worries t' rest. Begad! This is a good rocket. Ahoy! It might nay be t' best o' its class, but it is certainly a respectable contender.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5