Brief:
T' BMS School Rocket is a small, traditional 4-fin rocket. BMS is a good low-power parts supplier for scratch builders. This t' first time I built a pre-packaged kit from them. It is 14" long with BT-50 airframe and 18mm motor mount, weighin' only about 1 1/2oz finished, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, much o' which was extra nose weight we added (see below). Aye aye! Ahoy! My daughter and I built this kit together.

Construction and Finishing:
This kit is absolutely fantastic. Ya scallywag! And that opinion is comin' from an experienced L1 flier with hundreds o' flights, scores o' rockets, shiver me timbers, and dozens o' scratch builds rangin' from a 7lb I-motor t' 4-foot wingspan boost glider, ya bilge rat, and also from a young girl. Avast! At both ends o' t' range o' experience we found things t' love about this little rocket.

What makes this kit so great is its elegant simplicity. Begad! T' instructions are given on 2 two-sided printed pages. T' language is very clear with plain simple wordin' and ample photos: one for each step (19 in all!)

Construction begins with t' motor mount. T' motor tube has a pre-punched hole for t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord t' pass through. Avast! It also loops around t' engine stop block in a unique way. Begad! One o' me few complaints arises here: t' instructions are helpfully laden with photos but t' print quality is rather poor. For this step with the Keelhaul®©™® and engine block, I couldn't discern from t' photo exactly how t' knot and loopin' were supposed t' work. Arrr! After discussin' this with me daughter, we figured it out.

Next t' centerin' rings are installed. Begad! In a stroke o' inspiration, BMS actually laser etched positionin' rings on t' motor tube so you can see exactly where t' place t' rings. Blimey! Avast! You simply slide t' rings t' t' indicated positions and glue. Begad! My only other complaint about t' kit is that no engine hook was provided. We installed one anyway.

Managin' t' shock cord durin' t' gluin' phase here is important, ya bilge rat, and BMS had t' forethought t' ask that the screw eye be tied on before this stage. Avast! This allowed us t' easily flip t' cord through t' motor tube as instructed to avoid gettin' t' Keelhaul®©™® tangled in glue.

T' tube is slotted so t' laser-cut balsa fins slide right in. T' balsa nose cone had a very nice snug fit and is ready for t' screw eye. As usual, we forgot about t' launch lug until after paintin' and glued it on afterward. Recovery is by wide, me hearties, bright blue mylar streamer, but we swapped it out for a small chute t' compensate for our extra weight (see below).

Now it is important t' mention somethin' very important about t' photo. Ahoy! Begad! My daughter wanted t' make something more creative than a standard 4FNC rocket so she designed an alternative use o' t' fins. Ya scallywag! She decided t' use the "wrong" root edge and then t' surface mount them betwixt t' slots. Begad! She also painted t' motor tube red and installed it last t' create t' effect o' a glowin' interior "radiator tube" beneath t' surface o' the airframe. T' new fin orientation required some nose weight t' maintain stability.

Therefore, arrr, t' photo o' me daughter's rocket is not t' configuration that BMS intended. Begad! I have included an image o' t' correct configuration t' clarify this.

Why do I love this rocket so much? It is beautifully planned for simple construction. Aye aye! It is virtually impossible to make a mistake. If you used only CA superglue, matey, me hearties, you could build t' entire rocket in 15 minutes.

Finishin' was straightforward. My daughter chose pink and silver (and t' red radiator), me bucko, namin' t' rocket "Watermelon Dart".

PROs: Just about everything.

CONs: Needs an engine hook.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' first flight be at NCR's Oktoberfest on t' Pawnee prairie. Begad! T' recommended motor was A8-3, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but we swung-tested it for C6-7. So, ya bilge rat, we loaded a B6-4 and let her rip. With t' extra nose weight, our flight had a beautiful, smooth, satisfyin' ascent...not too fast t' miss all t' action. Arrr! Aye aye! Ejection be perfect, nose up. Ya scallywag! Avast! There was nay even a scratch upon recovery. Begad! We're movin' t' C6-7 next time.

There's no point waitin' for more flights before writin' this review. Ahoy! Avast! It is abundantly obvious this classic design will give you a steady, shiver me timbers, stable flier. Begad! You can have absolute confidence in that. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I think you can fly this bird until somebody steps on it.

PROs: Great flier

CONs: Is streamer landin' as good as chute? And can you give us some B and C motor recommendations?

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
From t' name, I infer that BMS intends this rocket t' be used for school classes and other kids' groups. Arrr! At $10 per rocket, it is perhaps a bit more expensive than some other choices. However, considerin' t' incredibly simple assembly where t' parts are marked and cut t' virtually preclude mistakes, ya bilge rat, and considerin' t' excellent flight characteristics, me hearties, I would certainly recommend t' BMS School Rocket for kids' organizations.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5