Brief:
T' Eruption is 4-motor cluster from Sunward Aerospace. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' motors are outwardly canted. Recovery is via an 18" parachute.

Construction:
T' kit includes a balsa nose cone, one BT-70 body tube, two laser cut centerin' rings, four motor tubes with clips, parachute materials, me hearties, ya bilge rat, four laser cut lite-ply fins, matey, and an elastic shock cord.

Construction was very straightforward. Well, blow me down! T' only difficult part in me opinion was t' motor mount. Aye aye! Arrr! I had a hard time followin' t' method described in t' instructions. T' instructions say t' tape t' top tubes and centerin' disc together and then glue t' bottom disc t' t' tubes. Ya scallywag! I did t' opposite o' that. Begad! I marked t' tubes where they were supposed t' meet t' bottom disc and taped them in place. Avast! Aye aye! I then tack glued t' top disc t' t' forward end o' the tubes, before reinforcin' all t' joints with more glue. Avast!

PROs:

• T' materials were very good quality.
• It is appears t' be a sturdy design.

Cons:

• T' wraparound guide for t' fins did nay line up correctly. Aye aye! There was about an 1/8" gap. I printed me own guide usin' VCP.
• T' instructions and illustrations were a little vague and confusin' in some steps. I think a general rule to follow is: read t' instructions three times; build once.
• It was a little difficult t' discern t' orientation o' t' fins. Ya scallywag! I recommend markin' t' leadin' edge for each one after you figure it out.

Finishing:
I finished t' tubes, fins, and nose cone with two coats o' Elmer's Wood Filler. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' fins began t' warp each time while applyin' t' filler. Begad! Aye aye! I kept them straight by pressin' betwixt glass plate and books. Avast!

I used Aves Fixit compound (same as epoxy clay sold by Apogee Rockets) t' fill in t' gaps betwixt t' motor tubes and t' body tube. Blimey!

T' only con is that it doesn't come with any decals. Well, blow me down! It didn't really matter though because I came up with me own design. Ya scallywag! I'm a big fan o' t' Adult Swim cartoon, "Metalocalypse". Begad! On t' show there is a recurrin' character called Dr. Rockzo, arrr, t' rock and roll clown. He is very loud and wears bright fluorescent colors. Well, blow me down! I modeled t' finish design after him. Avast, me proud beauty! I painted t' nose cone and fins florescent pink and t' body yellow. Begad! I printed images o' Dr. Begad! Arrr! Rockzo onto Staples brand white label paper usin' an inkjet printer. After applyin' t' stickers I sprayed on a couple coats o' acrylic clear coat. Begad! Ya scallywag! I made t' mistake o' addin' stickers over t' course o' a few days, and some o' them started t' peel. Well, blow me down! T' avoid this, I recommend havin' all t' stickers you are goin' t' use together and apply them at t' same time.

I would probably rate t' construction and finishin' a 2 or 2-1/2 due t' t' poor instructions and wraparound guide. Well, blow me down! I think t' design and parts quality were great though so I gave a higher score. Ahoy!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first flight be great even though only 3 motors lit. Blimey! It flew at a slight angle after leavin' t' pad but otherwise had a straight flight.

Recovery:
T' 18" parachute be fine. Ahoy! T' shroud lines seem unusually long, ya bilge rat, and I wasn't sure if I should cut them down some. It seems t' work fine as is. Avast, me proud beauty! I've nay seen any damage from landing.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: I love t' design. T' four canted motors along with t' overall shape make this stand out. T' parts are very good quality.

CONs: My main gripe be t' instructions. I think they could have been presented better. Begad! Also, arrr, t' parachute shroud lines seemed a little long.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5