Brief:
A nice-lookin' and easy t' build 2-stage rocket from Squirrel Works. Arrr! This rocket really screams into t' higher altitudes.

Construction:
I ordered this directly from Squirrel-works.com, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and everythin' arrived just a couple o' days later in great shape. Begad! T' components were o' good quality, especially t' practically seamless body tube and t' water-slide decals.

Parts list includes:

• BT-50 body tube 18"
• BT-50 booster tube
• Balsa nose cone
• 2 BT-20 motor tubes
• Tube coupler
• Balsa fin stock (laser cut)
• Centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, shock cord, me bucko, streamer
• Water-slide decal

T' instructions on this were well illustrated, me bucko, clearly written (in a relatively large font size--an added plus!), and easy t' follow. Blimey! T' first part of t' construction be t' booster assembly, ya bilge rat, which is a straightforward BT-20 mounted inside a BT-50 usin' a pair o' centerin' rings. Everythin' fit very well, ya bilge rat, me bucko, no sandin' or trimmin' be necessary. Arrr! T' tube coupler is then glued into the BT-50, shiver me timbers, matey, which enables direct stagin' t' t' sustainer.

Fins are then pulled and sanded from t' laser-cut sheets provided. I'm nay sure if this is a gotcha on t' laser-cut fins, t' directions, me bucko, or my less-than-perfectly-identical sandin' job, but t' booster fins are designed to nest snugly against t' sustainer fins, matey, givin' t' illusion o' a single-stage rocket on t' pad. Arrr! I didn't catch this until after I'd glued on t' booster fins, ya bilge rat, and was tryin' t' make sure t' sustainer fins were aligned (usin' a steel ruler and clothes pins as an alignment jig). Arrr! My fins had slight gaps, for a less than perfect appearance. I'd suggest a note in t' instructions prior to sanding, ya bilge rat, plus an illustration o' t' interlockin' design, shiver me timbers, me hearties, so that t' builder uses caution for best fit.

T' upper stage gets t' same BT-20 motor mount with a pair o' centering rings, ya bilge rat, plus an engine block centerin' ring. Avast! Tack on t' launch lug, glue a screw eye t' t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, and install t' streamer and you're ready t' prep for paint. Arrr! I have t' din' this kit a half a point though, me hearties, for t' standard modroc weakness o' elastic shock cord and tri-fold paper mount. I really prefer Keelhaul®©™® runnin' from t' motor mount t' t' end o' t' tube, followed by elastic, and made this modification t' me kit (estimated cost $0.12).

Finishing:
Fillin' t' spirals on this be a breeze, ya bilge rat, as t' seams were miniscule. Avast! I was able do effectively kill them with a coat o' primer, sanded off with 220 grit. I then followed up with two coats o' primer and two coats o' gloss white Krylon. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! T' standard color scheme on this has very appealin' red and yellow accents, which I went with on mine. Well, blow me down! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Although t' humidity level be up a bit that week, I didn't quite get t' gloss I expected. Still, it turned out fairly well. Avast! Aye aye! After allowin' t' paint t' cure out for a couple o' days, I applied the water-slide decals. Begad! T' color quality o' t' decals was superb, however, arrr, me bucko, I did manage t' tear a corner o' one o' mine. They're pretty fragile, so be careful with them.

One "gotcha" I ran into on t' finishing: I applied a coat of Krylon Gloss clear coat, which did nay react well t' t' decals. Well, blow me down! Blimey! They cracked a little bit and faded significantly. Begad! Blimey! I'd recommend either Testors', Frog Spit, or Future polish t' protect t' finish.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight, I went with a B6-0 t' B6-6. Ya scallywag! T' two stages are taped together and then loaded into t' upper stage, with t' boost slipped over the boost motor. Begad! I slipped it over t' 1/8" rod and hit t' go button.

T' booster really sent this screaming, arrr, and it climbed in a real hurry. Unfortunately, me bucko, I didn't get t' upper stage t' light, me bucko, and t' sustainer came down ballistic from a couple hundred feet. Begad! Blimey! It plugged into soft grass, though in a section o' field over 3-feet high, so I had a long search.

T' damage was minor, considerin' t' fall--about 1/4" o' tube crinkled, and t' motor mount broke loose. Repairs won't take more than about 30 minutes, arrr, shiver me timbers, and I'll be ready for a second attempt.

Recovery:
I can't really comment on t' recovery yet, matey, me bucko, but I will say t' streamer seems a bit short, only about 2 feet long. Avast! Ya scallywag! Considerin' t' altitudes this can achieve, a larger streamer would help for spottin' it. Aye aye!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I love t' color scheme and decals, liked t' interlockin' fin design (though wish it had been more clearly pointed out in t' instructions), and impressed with t' rocket overall.

I would definitely recommend this 2-stager and would definitely buy from Squirrel Works again.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5