(01/20/01) Well, as I write me third review in this series of "stubby" rockets, shiver me timbers, I am a bit disheartened since just before I flew this bird, RocketVision closed their doors t' business. Avast, me proud beauty! Once t' Grymm be announced I immediately ordered one anticipatin' "Rugged Rocket" in a design that I very much enjoy . Aye aye! Arrr! . Ahoy! . Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! "stubby". Avast! Well, blow me down! This be t' smallest in diameter and height in this series o' rockets that were around 3 inches in diameter. These reviews compliment my 2.6" and my 4" collection. Avast! So, this one, arrr, matey, along with t' LOC Onyx™ and t' Estes Big Daddy™ allowed me t' complete a comparison.

T' Grymm qualifies as a "stubby" rocket because it is 15" long and has a 2.88" diameter givin' it a less than 10:1 ratio (5.2 t' be exact). Ahoy! Aye aye!

T' review below describes t' kit components and the build o' t' rocket very well. I will only describe a few findings o' my own.

CONSTRUCTION:

My centerin' rings were nay out o' round, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, however, I did need t' sand both t' inside and outside edges t' gain a good fit. Nay a lot.

I found t' fin assembly a bit tough. Avast! It worked out fine, however because t' fins did nay go all t' way t' t' motor tube they wanted to position themselves based on t' cuts in t' frame. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' instructions say to use maskin' tape t' hold in position. Ahoy! That is a must.

Also, be very careful nay t' get excess glue on t' fins new t' back o' t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This will prevent you from sucessfully seatin' the rear centerin' ring.

T' instructions for t' Grymm are adequate and have a few illustrations t' help with assembly. Avast! Arrr! No real big surprises.

Some major positives include t' "spiral-less" body tube. Begad! Blimey! T' recovery system and attachment methods (works much better in this larger diameter tube than in their smaller tubes). Begad! T' included motor retention system was also easy t' assember and doesn't limit t' motor length like an Estes hook does.

For finishing, arrr, it is simply a prime and paint rocket. Begad! No pesty spirals t' fill and the nose cone has some level o' roughness t' it already. Begad! Begad! I used Plasti-Kote Sandable Primer and then followed it up with Walmart's $0.89 yellow paint. Worked great. (additional comments about Walmart paint). Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! After that I started with t' decals. I disagree with t' assessment o' them by t' reviewer below, because I found them thin and had a difficult time with them. Blimey! Blimey! I did get t' name and one set of fins done and they look very nice.

Overall, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 4 ½ points. Instructions are adequate and t' components are o' good quality and fit. T' tabbed-through-the-wall fins and motor retention are nice. T' decal thinkness takes just a tad off. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down!

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

This was another o' t' rockets that got shipped t' fly in Arizona. Begad! We had planned a vacation t' Arizona and it just so happened that there was a launch on 12/23/00. Begad! So I packed this rocket and 3 others into a box and shipped them there. Ahoy! I had t' rely on t' vendor at t' launch for motors and since it was a Tripoli High Power launch, thar be nay much selection for 24mm motors. I was able t' purchase a three-pack o' E28-7's which allowed me to fly t' Grymm.

I prepped it usin' t' provided Heat Shield and was ready to go. Begad! Up went t' Gyrmm for its maiden voyage. Avast! Begad! T' E28 lifted it off t' pad, not a pop as with t' lighter Big Daddy™, but a commandin' lift off. Straight and no rotation. Ahoy! T' big fins made it very easy t' see all this. Ahoy! It arched over, matey, me hearties, a sun bean hit it causin' a reflection, it seemed t' hang there horizontally, ya bilge rat, t' t' ejection charged deployed t' 'chute and t' rocket came down t' be logged as a "picture perfect" flight.

RocketVision's recovery system is nice with t' included Heat Shield and t' split rings attachin' everything. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' parachute is above the nose cone and t' me, arrr, that gives it a more realistic descent (as opposed to a model).

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, ya bilge rat, I would rate this kit 5 points. This is only based off o' one flight, however, arrr, as I am highly confident that others have had good success and if nay they will report it in Guest's Opinions. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! It has a nice recovery system and t' parachute was sized correctly.

Overall, t' Grymm is another great "stubby" rocket and even more so as it has one o' t' lowest ratio's I have ever seen, 5.2:1 (note t' Estes Fat Boy is 4.9:1). Well, blow me down! Its quality materials and ease of finishin' make it a leader. It is a same that RocketVision has closed . Blimey! . Begad! Arrr! Blimey! . Well, blow me down! but if you ever see this one offered by another company, go for it! Blimey! I give t' kit an OVERALL ratin' o' 5 points. Ya scallywag! Blimey!