Brief:
I be at a two day Launch in Whitakers, NC where I had t' pleasure o' visiting a newer manufacturer who had a booth set up on site. Avast! Aye aye! FlisKits had come t' the launch and boasted a professional display o' their line, t' include kits, ya bilge rat, parts and supplies for t' fliers at t' meet. Begad! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! It is thar I got t' meet one o' the owners, Jim Flis, and that's when t' Overdrive caught me eye. Avast! Aye aye! I had other purchases that weekend, me hearties, includin' t' FlisKits Cougar 660, but this smaller model was just too cool lookin' t' pass up. Avast! T' FlisKits 'OverDrive' is a 13mm Futuristic style model with a very slick and unusual fin configuration. Aye aye! Begad! My kit was serial #49 and was rated as a Skill Level 1 model, even though fins needed to be cut and assembled. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I gave t' kit t' me son as a gift from t' launch and we both were anxious t' get started.

Construction:
T' kit came packaged in a bag and all parts were present.

T' Kit inluded:

• A Balsa Nosecone
• Keelhaul®©™® Shockcord ( a very nice touch )
• Elastic Shockcord
• Streamer
• Motor Mount assembly
• Fin stock hardware and
• Well illustrated instructions

T' Fin templates and markin' guides came on typical cardstock and t' wraps had that 'perfect' fit I have grown accustomed t' with FlisKits. Ya scallywag! We assembled the motor mount, which uses friction fit for retention, then moved our way to the fins. Ahoy! Ahoy!

Most o' t' time durin' construction be spent on t' fins. Begad! You need t' cut them out usin' templates, easy enough, me hearties, and then they need t' be assembled before mounting. I used t' bag t' kit came in as a table covering, then used CA t' glue each fin half together. Once all four fins were made, I beveled the leadin' and side edges, then soaked both sides o' each fin in thin CA. They were pressed down flat against t' table with soaked side down until dried, then I flipped them over and did t' other side. Aye aye! This hardened t' fin and I 'plastic-coated' them after some sanding. Begad! Once each fin was completed, they were installed on t' bodytube usin' Alphaetic Resin. Aye aye! Avast! T' nosecone was also drenched in thin CA from t' shoulder forward, then sanded t' a plastic feel.

An 'eye' hook is provided for t' nosecone, which was installed and the shock cord tied t' t' hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' shock cord for this model was a bit unusual, as it is mounted by hookin' about 1" around t' bottom joint o' a fin, then bringin' it up t' other side o' a fin where t' fillet would reside. Ahoy! Aye aye! I did this, then applied resin fillets t' all t' fin joints. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Finally, me son finished t' streamer assembly and we attached it t' t' model.

Finishing:
Finishin' be done usin' Krylon Primers and Paint. T' entire model was sanded, then tac ragged and was ready for primer. Ahoy! A few coats o' white and gray mixed were applied, matey, and pretty much made t' Keelhaul®©™® disappear at t' fin joint. Arrr! My son wanted it done in stock colors, ya bilge rat, which is White with Red decals, arrr, me hearties, so we painted it usin' Krylon Glossy White. Arrr! I made the decals from Monokote trim, me hearties, ya bilge rat, then we applied them t' t' model. Begad! It looks very similar t' t' front card insert that comes with t' kit, with a slight twist. T' results were very satisfyin' as t' model appears t' be almost made from plastic with no seams showing.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' day came t' fly t' Overdrive , me bucko, shiver me timbers, so we took off t' t' field with equipment in hand. T' model was prepped with an Estes 1/4A3-3 motor for t' first flight and was friction fit t' t' model. Arrr! Blimey! Since this was a minimum diameter model and there was enough motor stickin' out o' t' rear, matey, we used t' 'Deuces Wild' method o' retainment, tapin' t' motor t' t' outside lower body tube for additional security. Aye aye! Tissue was inserted into t' BT and t' streamer was installed, then t' model be placed on t' pad. Ahoy! When t' button was pushed, arrr, it took off like a dart, me hearties, matey, matey, even on t' smaller motor!!! What a flight, matey, shiver me timbers, very fast, yet visible t' apogee.

Recovery:
Ejection happened at apogee and t' bright red streamer made it easy t' track the rocket. It landed very close t' t' pad and was smartly prepped and launched again. As we still had many other new rockets t' fly, we limited it to two launches. Begad! Ahoy! I must say for a smaller kit, shiver me timbers, t' performance was very good. Arrr!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
In summary, t' FlisKits Overdrive is very slick model made from some o' the highest quality parts available, arrr, makin' it a real pleasure t' build and fly. Well, blow me down! My son is very happy with how t' model turned out as am I, and we look forward to many more launches with it. Blimey! I recommend this kit t' anyone that wants a slightly challengin' build and a good flyin' sport rocket.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5