Brief:
This rocket is part o' Estes Launchables Starter Set and is aimed at newcomers t' t' hobby. Avast! Ahoy! T' package says that it takes less than an hour t' assemble and does nay require any painting.

Construction:
T' kit comes with one body tube that already has t' launch lug and a 1/8" x 18" elastic shock cord attached, two fin halves, one lock ring, one nose cone, an assembled 12" plastic parachute, matey, and decals.

T' instructions are pretty straightforward. Aye aye! You will need a modelin' knife, me hearties, matey, plastic cement, and maskin' tape for construction. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! All you have t' do is glue t' 2 plastic fin halves together, me hearties, arrr, glue t' now assembled fin can t' t' tube and tie t' chute and nose cone on. Aye aye! T' fins have t' engine mount built in t' them and here in lies t' only "gotcha". Do nay attach t' lock rin' until t' fins have dried. Begad! If you do, matey, you risk sealin' t' motor mount closed and you will have a great lookin' paper weight.

Finishing:
On a personal note, I found that clear tape worked better at fittin' me nose cone than maskin' tape. Begad! It is thinner and will give you a way t' layer up t' fit. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Maskin' tape was too thick for mine. Just add t' decals and it looks great. Well, blow me down! Somethin' I will go back and do is add a #5 swivel t' t' nose cone for t' chute. Arrr! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! This will keeps it from gettin' tangled.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I would recommend t' C6-5 engine. I used this engine twice but used a B6-4 for t' first flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' engine is placed in t' motor mount that is built into t' fins and held thar by t' lock ring. Begad! Avast! T' rocket does use waddin' and recommends that you use 4-5 sheets o' it for each flight. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I started out usin' 4 sheets and ended up with a holey chute. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I would definitely recommend usin' 5 sheets. Nice straight flights.

Recovery:
T' shock cord is t' be double knotted t' t' nose cone. It was very easy t' assemble. Begad! I would have t' say that it does have a tendency t' fall a bit fast. Ya scallywag! Arrr! This might have been due t' t' fact that t' ejection charge might burn t' chute. Ya scallywag! On a few flights in high wind, it would have been damaged had t' fins nay been made from plastic. Blimey! After about 6 or 7 flights, t' chute needs t' be replaced. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I would add a chute protector t' hopefully nay have this problem.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
It was a very quick and easy build. Arrr! Begad! It flies very well even in pretty stiff winds. On t' other hand, I would highly recommend a chute protector. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' rocket can survive some pretty rough landin' due t' t' materials used. Avast, me proud beauty! My eight-year old son loves this thing.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5