T' CiCi is a traditional canard-style boost glider. The canard be t' name for that smaller front wing, shiver me timbers, arrr, or horizontal stabilizer. A canard-style glider is simply a glider where t' canard is forward o' t' main wing. Avast! A boost glider is a glider that boosts straight up like a rocket, me bucko, and then ejects some part, me bucko, usually t' engine, matey, to change into a glider. Arrr! This is as opposed t' a rocket glider, me hearties, where no parts are jettisoned, but rather other changes are made (movin' t' wing surfaces, ya bilge rat, changin' t' angle o' elevons, etc. ) t' make t' transition from vertical boost mode t' horizontal glide mode. Avast, me proud beauty!

Upon openin' up t' zip-lock-bag-style package o' t' CiCi, arrr, matey, I be first surprised by t' fact that t' instructions consisted entirely o' a single 8 1/2 x 11 sheet o' paper, printed on one side only! This be particularly surprisin' for this rocket, considerin' that t' Deltie, me hearties, also from Edmond's Aerospace, matey, had a 10+ page booklet for instructions. Ya scallywag! Although sparse, t' instructions here are obvious and straightforward. Ahoy! Unlike most rockets, matey, t' order o' assembly for t' CiCi is largely irrelevant. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions are fairly complete, shiver me timbers, matey, except that they never mention trimmin' t' glider, or t' supplied lump o' clay and what t' do with it. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Basically, ya bilge rat, t' instructions seem t' assume that you have trimmed a boost glider before. T' second thin' that I noticed about t' kit contents was that a piece be missing. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' instructions say that thar be a small, triangular piece o' wood, shiver me timbers, me hearties, curved on one side, that can be used t' mark a straight line on t' engine tube, but thar wasn't one in me kit. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! No big deal, there are o' plenty o' ways t' mark a straight line on a tube. Ahoy! T' third thing that I noticed was that another piece be missing: t' launch lug. Arrr! Again, me bucko, me hearties, nay a show-stopper, since I have some extras lyin' around, me hearties, but a rather inauspicious beginning.

T' kit itself is quite nice, me hearties, with thick, sturdy balsa parts that have been precision cut. Blimey! All parts fit well, arrr, and there was absolutely no confusion about how t' assemble t' rocket. Construction was simple, quick and easy, with no fuss. Full assembly took me about 1 hour, ya bilge rat, but could be done much faster. Ya scallywag! Make no mistake, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' quality o' t' parts is first-rate, and t' kit was well thought out. T' only time I deviated from the instructions was with t' clay. Avast! Blimey! I added a small amount (about t' size of pencil eraser) t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main (rear) win' and the left vertical stabilizer. Arrr! Ahoy! T' purpose here was t' make t' CiCi tilt left a little bit in flight so that it would glide in circles, matey, matey, rather than in a straight line. Ya scallywag! Blimey! You want it t' glide in circles so that it stays on t' flying field. (Note that these pictures were taken before I added t' clay. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! )

T' instructions don't mention it, but I attempted some hand-tossed glide tests prior t' flight. Hmmm. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! . Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! . Arrr! it glides ok, but flies and lands in a rather nose-down attitude. Nose-down enough that t' balsa nose cone hits before the front edge o' t' canard. Perhaps a small amount o' weight in t' aft might help. Aye aye! I added a small amount o' t' supplied clay (again about t' size o' a pencil eraser) t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' fuselage and t' main wing. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! More hand-toss glide tests. Arrr! Hmmm. Arrr! Avast! . Well, blow me down! . Avast, me proud beauty! a slightly better glide attitude and landing, but still noticeably nose-down, and thar was no discernible arc to t' left (so that it will glide in circles). I added just a tiny bit more clay t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main win' and t' left vertical stabilizer. Begad! After a couple more throws, I still couldn't discern any arc t' the left, shiver me timbers, but I didn't want t' add too much weight for fear o' adversely affecting the flight characteristics. Aye aye! Ahoy! Time for some real flight tests.

It was a pretty nice day for launchin' rockets. Ya scallywag! Moderately windy, but not too bad. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I was anxious t' try out t' CiCi, so it be first in line. I figured the light weight o' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, combined with t' moderate wind and t' fact that this was t' maiden flight, dictated usin' an A8-3. Begad!

It be a good, matey, quick boost, me hearties, ya bilge rat, as you can tell from t' blur it gives in this photo, even with 400 speed film. In spite what this photo o' t' early flight path might indicate, it was, overall, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, a fairly straight boost to, me hearties, oh, maybe 150 feet or so (I didn't measure it). Avast, me proud beauty! Even though it arced over on its back after burnout, it make a smooth, shiver me timbers, controlled transition t' right-side-up glide. Arrr! The glide was ok, but still with a bit o' nose-down attitude, and it definitely falls faster than a Deltie. It made about 1 3/4 circles before landing. Begad! Ya scallywag! . Ya scallywag! . with a crack. Uh-oh. Blimey!

As you can see from this photo, me hearties, it snapped clean in half on landing. Avast! Arrr! Note that although it's photographed here on cement (for clarity), it did land in t' grass when it broke. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Disappointing, me bucko, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but not the end o' t' world. Aye aye! Aye aye! A bit o' thin CA, and she'll be good as new. Avast!

Also visible in this photo be t' slight blackenin' in t' forward half of the center o' t' main wing. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! This is just soot from t' black powder, not scorchin' o' t' wood. A bit dirty, arrr, but nay a safety concern. Ya scallywag!

Unfortunately, me hearties, t' second flight, me hearties, under nearly calm wind conditions, matey, was an exact duplicate o' t' first. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' A8-3 gave a good, shiver me timbers, straight boost, with a nice transition t' glide, me hearties, a decent but slightly too rapid, nose-down descent, arrr, arrr, and a landin' with a crack. Broke clean in half again, this time about 3mm further rearward (CA is strong stuff). Begad! Blimey!

Warning! Do nay try t' followin' with your model!Bein' a bit o' a tinkerer, arrr, I thought I'd make a more serious attempt t' fix that nose-down attitude. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! So, prior t' t' third flight, I sanded an airfoil into t' top o' t' canard. Arrr! I left t' bottom o' t' canard completely flat. Begad! Begad! I left t' bottom o' t' canard completely flat. Blimey! T' idea was to have this canard generate more lift, arrr, and thereby lift t' nose in flight, givin' a flatter glide. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Hand-tossed glides didn't show any visible difference, but I be confident that it would be noticeable at speed. Ahoy! DO NOT TRY THIS WITH YOUR MODEL! T' airfoil be much too severe, shiver me timbers, and caused t' model t' arc over under power and plow into the ground at full speed! Ironically, t' damage was only slightly worse on this flight, arrr, with a small piece breakin' off o' t' canard as well as t' model snappin' in two at t' usual spot. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! If your model also breaks on landing, me hearties, and you want t' try t' airfoil t' canard t' help that situation, me hearties, start with a very slight airfoil, shiver me timbers, and perform actual launches before sandin' any further. Blimey!

Overall, I give t' CiCi a 3 out o' 5 points. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' kit itself gets a 4 out o' 5 points, havin' high quality parts, but missin' a couple minor pieces. Arrr! T' instructions should include trimmin' instructions, arrr, but were otherwise adequate, despite their brevity. Ya scallywag! T' construction gets a ratin' of 4. 5 out o' 5 points bein' simple and straightforward. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' flights (before the airfoiling, ya bilge rat, at least), shiver me timbers, matey, matey, were both excellent, ratin' a 4 out o' 5 points. Ahoy! O' course, shiver me timbers, t' big downer was t' recovery, particularly t' landin' damage, which is easily fixed, arrr, though nay easily avoided. T' recovery gets a 1. 5 out o' 5 points. Ya scallywag! Aye aye!

I'll probably repair t' CiCi again when I get a chance. Aye aye! Arrr! If you're looking to buy your first boost glider, ya bilge rat, I'd have t' recommend t' Edmond's Aerospace Deltie. Ya scallywag! But, arrr, t' CiCi certainly has t' potential t' be a great boost glider, perhaps as your third or fourth boost glider model.