(11/27/99) Where else can you get a single package that is as small as your wallet, me hearties, doesn't empty it, arrr, ya bilge rat, and contains three rockets? True Modeler's Triple Zip be t' answer t' that question. T' Triple Zip package comes with Mini Zip which flies on mini (13mm) motors, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, Mighty Zip which flies on 18mm motors, me hearties, and Maxi Zip which flies on 24mm motors. Ahoy! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Each rocket is proportional with its brothers so you also gain some experience in up or down scaling.

T' kit comes with three body tubes (BT05, BT20, me bucko, and BT50), three balsa nose cones, three sheets o' fin stock (1/16" basswood, 3/32" basswood, and 1/8" balsa), three 1/8" launch lugs and a Tube and Fin Template Guide and lastly instructions. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! That's it! Blimey!

CONSTRUCTION:

T' instructions are on a single sheet o' paper and include Tips and Hints and illustrations t' ease assembly. Blimey! Essentially you follow t' instructions 3 times t' build each o' t' three rockets. Arrr! Ahoy! There are some Finishin' Recommendations and Flyin' instructions.

A few nice things about t' Triple Zip kit include the ample supply o' wood stock for t' fins. Aye aye! Arrr! This is nice so that you don't have to worry about havin' them perfectly side-by-side. Avast! Usin' basswood for t' Mini and Mighty Zip was nice, ya bilge rat, too. Ya scallywag! I wondered why thar wasn't basswood for t' Maxi Zip and True Modeler told me, shiver me timbers, "Weight reduction. Avast! Well, blow me down! Basswood that thick would loose almost 200' o' altitude." I guess when you're flyin' over 3800 feet with an 8.6" tall rocket, shiver me timbers, a couple hundred o' feet doesn't mean too much t' me.

T' kit require that you use t' provided markin' guide to mark your body tubes and as templates t' cut out t' fins. Arrr! T' templates were accurate and sturdy enough t' use for t' fins without difficulty.

Another nice feature was t' length o' shoulder on each o' t' nose cones be such that the motors were positioned with t' correct length stickin' out t' back o' the rocket. No extra thrust rings are required.

Overall construction is very basic, although it is always challengin' gluin' on fins that are swept so far back. But alas, I have found a new glue that I really have enjoyed workin' with. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! ProBond Weather Resistant Wood Glue for exterior use. Ahoy! Ahoy! What I like about this glue is that it contains wood fiber which adds t' its "no-run" formula. Arrr! This helps keep the glue in place and it seems stronger than white glue. Blimey! Also, it grabs quicker. T' bottle says, "strong wet tack" and I agree.

I stuck with me old faithful Plasti-Kote primer, sanded, primed, sanded and then painted. Avast, me proud beauty! I painted t' Mini Zip red, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' Mighty Zip green and the Maxi Zip Blue. There are no decals provided with this kit. Blimey! Ahoy!

Overall, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this kit 4 ½ points. Ya scallywag! Each is a very basic rocket. Blimey! Begad! Basswood for all three rockets would have made it perfect t' me.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

T' kits all fly on a variety o' motors for their specific size. I was amazed t' see a recommend motor on t' Mighty Zip t' be an E15! It suggests that an altitude of 3800 feet could be reached with this motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Just a reminder that this rocket is only 8.6" tall! (Note: t' picture is courtesy o' True Modeler's . . . Begad! Begad! my pictures are still stuck in t' camera)

Well, in me case t' Triple Zip did exactly that . Avast! . Blimey! . they all zipped right out o' me life. Ya scallywag! I first launched t' Mini Zip on a A10-3T. Ya scallywag! Begad! I watched it zip off t' pad, arrr, me bucko, me bucko, saw t' delay smoke, ya bilge rat, saw t' motor eject, lost it from view and never saw it again. Ahoy! Begad! I then proceeded t' t' Mighty Zip on a B6-6. Aye aye! Agained, arrr, it zipped off t' pad and out o' site. Begad! Oh, arrr, well, let's go for the Mighty Zip. Ahoy! I loaded a D12-7 and let her rip . Ya scallywag! . . Avast, me proud beauty! I mean zip! It never ceases t' amaze me, me hearties, how I can never recover a tumble recovery rocket! In these three cases, ya bilge rat, I didn't even get t' motor casings back!

So three rockets, three motors, shiver me timbers, and three flights. Aye aye! T' end! But I had a great time gettin' out into t' field t' launch them since it has been quite awhile since I had flown anything. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I should also mention, me hearties, ya bilge rat, that I did get t' enjoy t' ascent o' each o' these rockets and all of them were straight up off t' pad and stable. Avast! Solid design.

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, arrr, I would rate t' Triple Zip 4 ½ points. Begad! I think it takes a special kind o' rocketeer t' be able to fly small, ya bilge rat, me bucko, tumble recovery rockets more than once.

Overall, me hearties, t' kit is very nice. Avast! Havin' t' ability to build three rockets in different scales was fun. Begad! T' materials were quality and the instructions met t' need. Aye aye! I give t' kit an OVERALL ratin' o' 4 ½ points. Avast! Begad!

I have since added a comparison on Mini Tumble-Recovery Rockets - See Here.