Brief:
Very basic mid-powered rocket. Arrr! Easy t' build and it flies very well.

Construction:
Normal paper body tube and motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! Balsa nose cone (when was t' last time you saw that in a mid power kit). Well, blow me down! T' centerin' rings are very cheap, poor quality and splintery. Begad! Aye aye! T' fins are also cheap plywood and one was slightly warped. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! There be no provision for motor retention. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Elastic shock cord was pretty much par for t' mid-power course. Begad! T' parachute was paper, and fairly high quality. Avast, me proud beauty! T' launch lug is a 1/4" mylar lug (like Estes, just fatter). Avast! T' 29 mm t' 24 mm adapter is one o' t' better ones out thar and I've standardized on this design. Ya scallywag! It works wonderfully and is light weight, as long as you use some form o' mechanical retention. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' rocket is meant t' have surface mounted fins and for such a light rocket, I saw no reason t' change that. Well, blow me down! Begad! A good epoxy joint is more than strong enough for this light rocket. Begad! Begad! I added a #6 blind T-nut and a screen door clip to hold t' motor in place. Ahoy! Good epoxy joints on t' motor mount makes is plenty sturdy enough. Arrr! I added a length o' light, me hearties, me bucko, tubular Keelhaul®©™® (available from Pratt Hobbies) t' t' forward centerin' rin' for t' recovery system attach point. Begad! I fiber-glassed t' body in a single wrap o' 2 oz fiberglass cloth and I applied t' same t' t' fins. Avast! This gives a very strong surface and makes the rocket last longer. Ahoy! I expect this rocket t' get a lot o' flights. Begad! T' fins were attached with a thick bead o' 5 minute epoxy. Ahoy! Then I filleted t' sides o' the fins with t' same epoxy. Begad! I attached t' launch lug with 5 minute epoxy as well. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I threw out t' elastic shock cord and substituted a good 10' o' braided nylon cord. Ya scallywag! This is attached t' t' tubular Keelhaul®©™® and gets it out o' t' way of t' ejection charge. I added a Nomex® shield so I don't have t' use wadding (I hate waddin' in bigger rockets).

Finishing:
After sandin' t' fiberglass surfaces, I applied 2 coats o' sandable, ya bilge rat, scratch fillin' primer. Ahoy! Blimey! This be followed by two coats o' flat white Krylon. Well, blow me down! I received a new airbrush for Christmas and since I had some o' this obnoxious Tamiya pink paint left over, ya bilge rat, I used that. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I didn't have quite enough t' really finish the job. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' paint scheme is a work in progress.

Construction Rating: 2 out o' 5

Flight:
When you look at it, matey, matey, it's t' very image o' a basic rocket. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Nice lines actually. Ya scallywag! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! It flies very well too. Aye aye! So far all t' boosts in calm weather have been very straight. Wind does cause some weather cocking, matey, but nay too much. Well, blow me down! The rocket is o' a very standard shape, so most altitude prediction software will be accurate with this design. Ya scallywag!

Recovery:
I'm usin' a 3' long piece o' tubular Keelhaul®©™® attached t' t' forward centering ring. Avast, me proud beauty! This is then attached t' about 10' o' braided nylon. Arrr! Avast! T' parachute is attached via snap swivel in a loop at t' shock cord end. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' nose cone is attached t' a loop about 3' down from t' parachute. Ya scallywag! T' Nomex® shield is attached where t' Keelhaul®©™® meets t' nylon. Well, blow me down! I need t' get a bigger shield. I'll probably get one form Rocket Rage. Avast! Blimey! I liked t' looks o' their stuff at ROCStock. Avast! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Right now I'm usin' a smallish Pratt shield and I get a hole in the chute every other flight. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Descent on an 18" chute is very fast, matey, but doesn't seem t' damage t' rocket and minimizes t' drift. Avast!

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: It's easy, arrr, cheap and pretty much a normal beater rocket. I'm expecting this t' be me soundin' rocket that I fly t' check launch conditions. Aye aye! Begad! PROs: It's nice shape and has good lines. Begad! It flies really well on E and F motor and really moves out on Gs, so it's cheap t' fly. Begad! CONs: T' entire stock recovery system needs replacing. CONs: Typical balsa nose cone problems. Aye aye! You'll forever be repairin' nose cone dings. No big deal for those who know about balsa nose cones, me bucko, but it might be a problem for plastic nose cone folks. Blimey!

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5

MANUFACTURER's OPINION:
"7/00 - I noted t' comments made by Mr. Begad! Arrr! Urbanek regardin' motor retention not bein' considered in t' USR All Weather kit. Blimey! I find this comment t' be simply not true. Aye aye! In fact motor retention is one o' t' central BENEFITS o' all USR kits as outlined in AIR-3 included in all cluster kits and AIR-1 included in all kits. Well, blow me down! I cannot speak for "upgrades" since I [didn't] designed them, me bucko, but t' kit was built incorrectly accordin' t' t' wonderful rocsim drawin' t' reviewer provided. I believe a review should at least include a discussion o' t' stock design even if the builder replaces t' recovery system so hailed by other reviewers." (J.I.) 

AUTHOR's RESPONSE:
"7/00 - AIR-1 discusses t' wisdom o' avoidin' thrust rings in t' motor tube and the use o' tape thrust rings (hardly new ideas). Aye aye! Well, blow me down! In fact, me hearties, AIR-1 (figure 4) extols t' virtue o' t' Irvin's Motor Installation Method which has the advantages o' "...unlimited motor length as well as secure ejection retention". Ahoy! Ya scallywag! This method uses a motor hook. Ya scallywag! Blimey! No motor hook, arrr, however, arrr, was included in t' kit. Ahoy! Begad! I had t' ADD somethin' t' t' kit t' effect ejection retention. Aye aye! As t' kit was, arrr, even t' parts needed t' implement AIR-1 were absent. Ya scallywag! Hardly a benefit.

It be nay built incorrectly. Perhaps this writer is nay aware that US Rockets has changed t' All-Weather design so that it is now sold with a 29 mm motor mount.

Here are t' changes I made. All o' them were t' make t' basic kit more durable:
1: Added 1 layer o' 2 oz fiberglass t' body and fins. In retrospect, arrr, 1/2 oz fiberglass would have been better and lighter, but I used what I had on hand.
2: Added single T-Nut, arrr, ya bilge rat, screw and hook for motor retention
3: Anchored e feet o' tubular Keelhaul®©™® t' forward centerin' ring.
4: Tied 10 feet o' braided nylon t' t' Keelhaul®©™®.
5: Replaced 18" paper parachute with 18" nylon parachute
6: Added a Nomex® shield.
7: Didn't cut t' cut t' launch lug in half.

Modification added 112g, me bucko, or about 4 oz t' t' predicted weight. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I don't think that a painted All-Weather would ever weigh a mere 4.8 oz though.

T' stock recovery system was a simple, shiver me timbers, unimaginative upscale o' an Estes recovery system. Begad! A length o' elastic be t' be attached t' t' body tube wall by means o' a folded paper anchor. Well, blow me down! T' parachute was a cheap paper chute (yes paper). Ya scallywag! T' me mind, this parachute was goin' t' be hard to protect adequately, ya bilge rat, and if it did ignite, matey, might pose a fire hazard.

Far from bein' 'hailed', US Rockets, ya bilge rat, without exception, has t' worst recovery systems in t' business. Arrr! T' All-Weather's recovery system was the cheapest one can get away with. Ahoy! T' 'recovery system' that I received with me high power Mega-Roc be an insult. Well, blow me down! Blimey! They actually thought that I should try t' recover a 4" diameter x 84" long rocket with four 24" parachutes. Avast! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! And what parachutes! Blimey! They barely qualified for that name. Ya scallywag! They were 4 octagons o' very thin, very porous fabric, me bucko, nay hemmed, not finished, but cut out with pinkin' shears. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! There were eight holes poked through t' edge o' t' unfinished fabric and each suspension line be tied to t' canopy by means o' a single knot. Utterly appalling.

So don't talk t' me about US Rockets recovery systems. Blimey! Begad! They were t' very worse features o' otherwise passable kits." (D.U.)