Brief:
A futuristic sci-fi model reminiscent o' t' old Estes Andromeda or Alien Explorer. Aye aye! T' front page o' t' instructions says: "A Lean, mean eater of human spleens, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, this strange invader will frighten t' masses at your next launch". Avast, me proud beauty! You gotta love that! Uses parachute recovery from 18mm engines.

Construction:
T' first thin' you notice is ping-pong balls. Well, blow me down! Yes, ping-pong balls! These are used for t' "bulges". T' fin material is two sheets o' wood and you have t' cut them yourself, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, so that increases t' skill level. T' great news is that they are basswood, matey, arrr, but then that makes for more difficult cutting. Begad! Blimey! Nothing but t' best materials are in this kit. Aye aye! Begad! You also get two nosecones, arrr, two 18" BT's, a "side pod" engine mount and a recovery system. Avast!

Each step in t' instructions tells you t' trace and cut a fin. Arrr! I opted to cut out all t' fins and sand them before gettin' started. Well, blow me down! This makes for a smoother and quicker build once you get going. Ya scallywag! I also cut t' ping-pong balls at this point too. They are much easier t' cut then I expected tem t' be. Arrr! Well, blow me down! (The air in them STINKS!) I just used an X-ACTO knife with a fresh blade and it went smooth and easy. Orientate t' ball so you're nay cuttin' through t' seam. You'll get a better cut. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

T' motor mount goes together first. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It's a classic design but thar be no motor hook t' install. Aye aye! Blimey! There are nine fins on this rocket so take your time buildin' it. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' instructions tell you t' glue the two18" body tubes together before you start on t' fins. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I chose nay to until t' last Ping-Pong ball was ready t' go on. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! An 18" tube is much easier t' handle while gluin' on all those fins than a 36" tube. Begad! Blimey! That's just me opinion. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

T' recovery system is attached via t' classic folded paper thing. Some people don't like this but it works for me. T' list o' materials says you get only one piece o' Keelhaul®©™® strin' and one swivel hook. I got two hooks and two pieces o' different length string. It doesn't even mention elastic cord but I got some o' that too. Blimey! The parachute step in t' instructions does show two pieces o' strin' though. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I just used all t' materials and came up with me own recovery system. Arrr! T' launch lug must be spaced up one o' t' fins. Avast! You get a spacer for that. Begad! I chose to use a launch rod for alignment. Blimey! This ensures it far enough away from t' body tube t' clear t' ping-pong balls AND is properly aligned. Ahoy! T' rocket only gets one lug, so make good strong fillets. Begad! ( I got two lugs in me kit. Was I supposed to? Where does t' second one go? )

Finishing:
Pros -- Basswood fin material: lightweight, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ya bilge rat, strong and much easier t' finish than balsa. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' fin design and ping-pong balls make this a very interestin' and creative rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Nice lightweight nylon parachute; no plastic parachute here. Gorgeous instruction sheets: t' illustrations are computer generated and there are many o' them. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty!

Cons -- No motor hook. Was I supposed t' get one? All t' illustrations show one but its nay mentioned in t' text or t' list o' materials. Ya scallywag! It will have to be a friction fit motor. No fin markin' guide or decals. Ahoy! A fin-markin' guide would have been useful with t' 9 fins you have t' glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Decals would have raised t' price o' t' kit but I would be willin' t' pay extra for them. The paint scheme suggested is great but virtually imposable t' do. Begad! T' list of materials, t' instructions, and what you actually get in t' kit, me hearties, arrr, doesn't match each other. Ahoy! This can be confusin' but easily worked through. Well, blow me down! Begad!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Nice flights on B6's & C6's. Avast, me proud beauty! T' lack o' manufacturer recommended engines made me have t' think about delay times and motor selection. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Use a delay slightly shorter than you would expect for a rocket o' this weight because the extra drag slows it down a little.

Recovery:
Laundry deployed every time. Aye aye!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Pro -- This is an awesome rocket. Aye aye! T' design is like nothin' I ever built and that's refreshing. Con -- T' list o' materials, arrr, t' instructions, and what you get don't match. Well, blow me down!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5