(01/20/01) Well, ya bilge rat, as I write me third review in this series of "stubby" rockets, 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 . Arrr! . Begad! . Ahoy! Arrr! "stubby". Ya scallywag! 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. Well, blow me down! So, this one, 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). Arrr! Arrr!

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

CONSTRUCTION:

My centerin' rings were nay out o' round, however, arrr, I did need t' sand both t' inside and outside edges t' gain a good fit. Begad! Nay a lot.

I found t' fin assembly a bit tough. Avast! Blimey! 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. T' instructions say to use maskin' tape t' hold in position. Ya scallywag! Blimey! That is a must.

Also, be very careful nay t' get excess glue on t' fins new t' back o' t' rocket. 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. Begad! No real big surprises.

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

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

Overall, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 4 ½ points. Instructions are adequate and t' components are o' good quality and fit. Avast, me proud beauty! T' tabbed-through-the-wall fins and motor retention are nice. T' decal thinkness takes just a tad off. Arrr!

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

This was another o' t' rockets that got shipped t' fly in Arizona. Begad! Aye aye! We had planned a vacation t' Arizona and it just so happened that there was a launch on 12/23/00. Aye aye! So I packed this rocket and 3 others into a box and shipped them there. Blimey! Blimey! I had t' rely on t' vendor at t' launch for motors and since it was a Tripoli High Power launch, me bucko, thar was nay much selection for 24mm motors. Well, blow me down! 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. Up went t' Gyrmm for its maiden voyage. Arrr! 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. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' big fins made it very easy t' see all this. It arched over, me hearties, shiver me timbers, a sun bean hit it causin' a reflection, it seemed t' hang there horizontally, shiver me timbers, arrr, 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. 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, matey, I would rate this kit 5 points. This is only based off o' one flight, arrr, however, shiver me timbers, me bucko, as I am highly confident that others have had good success and if nay they will report it in Guest's Opinions. Arrr! It has a nice recovery system and t' parachute was sized correctly.

Overall, me hearties, 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). Avast, me proud beauty! Its quality materials and ease of finishin' make it a leader. Aye aye! It is a same that RocketVision has closed . Arrr! . Ya scallywag! Blimey! . Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Blimey! but if you ever see this one offered by another company, shiver me timbers, go for it! Blimey! I give t' kit an OVERALL ratin' o' 5 points. Aye aye!