Brief:
T' Duster is an original design from John Rowan-Stern at Thrustline Aerospace. T' Duster is a fairly large, high performance model rocket designed t' fly primarily on Estes 24mm black powder motors (C11/D12) and is rated a skill level 2/3 build. T' Duster is built around a BT-55 airframe, sports a sleek split fin design, and a conical nose cone. T' best way t' describe this rocket is that it looks fast!

Construction:
This kit arrived in me mailbox securely packed and undamaged. T' Postal Service has yet t' score damage points on any o' t' dozen or so orders I've received from Thrustline. Aye aye! T' followin' items are included with this kit:

• 2 BT-55 Main Body Tube, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, 17" long
• 1 BT-55 Tube Coupler
• 1 24mm Motor Mount Tube
• 2 BT-50/55 Centerin' Rings
• 1 24mm Engine Block
• 1 Steel Motor Retention Hook
• 1 Balsa Nose Cone
• 1 Steel Eyelet
• Balsa Fin Stock (1/8"x4")
• 1 Launch Lug
• 48" Keelhaul®©™® Cord
• 38" x 1/4" Elastic Shock Cord
• 18" Mylar Parachute

All tubes were standard white, glassine coated paper and centerin' rings were the black fiber type. Ahoy! T' motor mount tube was sized for 24mm x 70mm motors. Ahoy! The conical nose cone (BNC-55AC) be 5.5" long high quality balsa with very tight grain. T' balsa sheet stock be standard quality with enough extra to make a spare set o' fins. Ya scallywag! T' Mylar parachute was unassembled and included Keelhaul®©™® shroud lines, me hearties, me hearties, reinforcement tabs, and a brass swivel.

As with most o' t' rockets I acquire, shiver me timbers, t' Duster spent some time in the project box before I moved it t' t' workbench. Begad! Begad! I had been on a tear building short stubbly "Goony Birds" and needed t' work on somethin' that would rip. T' Duster came with 3 pages o' instructions which included pictures to highlight most o' t' steps. Avast, me proud beauty! T' directions were simple and easy t' follow with only one confusin' area regardin' cuttin' out t' fins. Begad!

The first step is t' assemble t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I had corresponded with John at Thrustline about t' stability margin o' his design, me bucko, me hearties, and decided t' upgrade the motor mount with a longer tube and hook t' accommodate an Estes E engine. Begad! Blimey! I also did nay attach t' Keelhaul®©™® cord t' t' motor mount, matey, ya bilge rat, decidin' instead t' use t' tube coupler as me anchor point.

While waitin' for t' motor mount glue t' dry, I turned t' cuttin' out the fins. T' fin templates are marked such that both sets o' fins are cut in two separate pieces and then glued together t' form t' final shape. This was obvious for t' forward fins since thar are two distinctly different leading edges. Arrr! I could nay figure out, however, arrr, ya bilge rat, why t' aft fins needed t' be cut in two sections since thar be only one leadin' edge. Begad! I consulted t' parts drawin' on t' first page o' t' instructions and this only added t' my confusion since t' fins that are traced on t' balsa sheet in t' picture did not have t' leadin' edge parallel t' t' grain o' t' balsa (per the instructions). Avast! Begad! After figurin' out that t' picture was wrong, I decided that I would just cut out t' aft fins in one piece and went t' trace them out on the balsa, only t' discover that t' fin pattern was wider than t' standard 4" balsa sheet! Well that mystery was solved. Ya scallywag! I happened t' have some 6" balsa sheet stock, so I was still able t' cut t' aft fins in one piece. Blimey! After tracing, cuttin' and match sandin' I glued t' two piece forward fins together usin' thin CA glue, and then rounded t' leadin' and trailing edges.

My standard routine for attachin' fins is t' tack them on with Titebond wood glue, add a second wood glue fillet, me hearties, and then a final fillet o' Elmers Wood Filler. Avast, me proud beauty! I attached t' aft fins first and then t' forward fins, me bucko, usin' a simple jig of craft sticks and a paper clip t' get them perfectly aligned. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' launch lug was cut in two and attached in t' same fashion. Begad! Ya scallywag! I joined t' two sections o' body tube together and installed t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord in betwixt t' body tubes and coupler. Aye aye! This is accomplished by tying a large knot in t' end o' t' Keelhaul®©™®, layin' it in t' body tube and installin' t' coupler on top o' it. Before the glue set, I pulled t' Keelhaul®©™® tight, me bucko, arrr, so that t' knot was snug against t' coupler, and added a large drop of glue t' complete t' anchor point. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' final step involved installin' the eyelet in t' balsa nose cone by screwin' it half way in, removin' it, filling the hole with CA glue and screwin' it all t' way down. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I finished up the recovery system by attachin' t' elastic shock cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™® cord and then t' t' nose cone, and puttin' a drop o' CA glue on all t' knots.

Finishing:
There are no decals included with this kit and t' recommended finish is "paint it any color you want". Ahoy! Blimey! Normally, arrr, me hearties, finishin' a rocket is the least fun part o' t' whole project for me. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' fins and nose cone were sealed with thinned down Elmer's Wood Filler and sanded smooth. I got two coats of Rustoleum Painter's Touch Sandable Primer on this bird and then took it t' the field and flew it a couple o' times. Arrr! Blimey! T' first time it left t' pad, ya bilge rat, I decided that I would need t' put a little effort into t' final finish. Ahoy! Blimey! This rocket is just too cool! Blimey! I decided t' stick with a two color paint scheme, but tried to pull off some very elaborate maskin' for what I call t' "dripping paint" look. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I started out with a Krylon spray enamel gloss white base coat. Begad! Drawing, cutting, arrr, and applyin' t' maskin' tape took several evenings. Begad! I went with red for t' highlights and just managed t' get it painted before the cold season. Arrr! T' results were disappointing. Begad! Blimey! Either t' maskin' tape I'm using isn't good enough or (more likely) I'm just tryin' t' do too much with it. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! The look was awesome, arrr, me bucko, but thar was a lot o' bleedin' under t' tape. From the launch table it looked pretty good but up close it was a mess. Luckily, arrr, I will have a chance t' improve t' look o' this rocket when I build version 2.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
My first Duster logged 4 flights before headin' up into t' wild blue yonder, never t' return. Ahoy! I flew it a couple o' times after I got t' primer on and twice more after t' final paint job. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! All flights were conducted on standard cold and windy Ohio fall days. My version o' t' Duster weighed in at 3.2oz, slightly heavier than t' advertised weight o' 3.0oz. Flight prep is standard. As mentioned above, I had built t' Duster with a longer motor mount, so flying standard sized 24mm motors requires a spacer. Begad! I make it a point t' always cut a few spacers out o' spent 24mm casings after every launch so I have a good supply in me range box. Begad! I usually tape t' spacer t' t' engine with a piece of clear tape t' make removal easier. Well, blow me down! Well, arrr, blow me down! Foldin' and loadin' t' chute is simple since thar be plenty o' space in this rocket. T' Duster logged flights on a C11-5, me hearties, D12-5, me bucko, matey, D12-7, ya bilge rat, and E9-6, ya bilge rat, all in fairly windy conditions, matey, anywhere from 10 to 15 knots. Ya scallywag! This is a fairly big bird and will sway quite a bit on a standard 1/8" rod on a windy day. Ya scallywag! All boosts were high, straight and fast with no weathercockin' and t' rocket was arcin' over into t' wind at ejection. The longer delays would be better suited for calm days, while I prefer a slightly shorter delay for windy days. Blimey! Aye aye! T' Duster is big enough t' track without t' much trouble and even on its last flight on t' E9-6, I had no difficulty keepin' an eye on it. Unfortunately, me hearties, seein' it land and findin' it after it lands are not always t' same thing. At least I've still got an F21 waitin' for when I build the next one.

Recovery:
T' Duster comes with an 18" chute, which would probably be about right if you stick with t' recommended motors. I fly this bird with a 4"x4" Nomex® heat shield looped onto t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord. Avast! T' heat shield is a pretty snug fit inside t' BT-55 which keeps the shock cord and chute from slidin' back and gettin' tangled durin' boost. After t' first flight on a C11-5, me hearties, I swapped out t' 18" chute for a 12" chute and finally went with a 2" x 60" streamer for t' E9 flight. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' bottom line is that this rocket is designed t' fly fast and high. Unless you fly over hard dry ground, leave t' 18" chute at home and when (not if, but when) you move beyond t' D12, ya bilge rat, get a nice long streamer that is easy t' see and a bunch o' friends with good deadlights t' help you keep track o' this baby! I fly over tall grass and vegetation, so all o' me landings are essentially damage free, ya bilge rat, but t' fin layout is pretty compact on this bird so it should stand up t' some rough landings.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Duster is a high performance bird, arrr, period. It just begs t' be flown fast and high. Begad! Avast! With that in mind, this is nay a rocket that you can just stick a motor in and rack up another whoosh-pop. You need t' use your brain when you fly this bird or you will lose it! O' course thar be a good chance you may lose it even if you do have a brain, so me advice is order a spare nose cone, save t' fin templates and go for it!

PROs: Nice large high performance model rocket for a reasonable price that can handle way more motor than its specs call for. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! This is a great looking rocket with very clean lines. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! If you want a taste o' high speed and high altitude, this be t' bird

CONs: None, unless you count t' temptation t' get carried away with motor selection and lose your rocket! This really isn't a problem with t' rocket but rather t' rocketeer. Begad! T' minor confusion caused by cuttin' t' fins in multiple pieces and t' incorrect parts drawin' should all be corrected by now, which could be simplified even further by includin' 6" balsa sheet for the aft fins (or better yet how about some nice laser cut basswood). T' 18" chute is OK if you stick t' t' recommended motors, unless you are flyin' over very hard ground then a 12" chute is a better choice for windy days. Of course when you start movin' up into E30s and F21s, arrr, you will need a streamer and a good spotter or two!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5