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

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

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

T' instructions don't mention it, but I attempted some hand-tossed glide tests prior t' flight. Begad! Ya scallywag! Hmmm. Avast! Begad! . . Well, blow me down! it glides ok, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but flies and lands in a rather nose-down attitude. Ahoy! 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. Ya scallywag! 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. Well, blow me down! More hand-toss glide tests. Aye aye! Hmmm. Well, blow me down! Begad! . Aye aye! Begad! . Ya scallywag! a slightly better glide attitude and landing, but still noticeably nose-down, and thar be no discernible arc to t' left (so that it will glide in circles). Blimey! I added just a tiny bit more clay t' t' inside o' t' corner formed by t' main win' and t' left vertical stabilizer. After a couple more throws, I still couldn't discern any arc t' the left, but I didn't want t' add too much weight for fear o' adversely affecting the flight characteristics. Arrr! Time for some real flight tests.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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