Brief:
A "lite" Mean Machine, me hearties, towerin' at about 6-1/2 feet tall, this longneck is likely t' be one o' t' tallest rockets at any launch. Ya scallywag! It's a fairly simple build and flies fine on a single D12-5.

Construction:
I was cleanin' up a few loose ends and decided t' pull me prize from EMRR's Longneck contest out o' me build pile. I'm glad I did as this is a pretty nice kit. Ya scallywag! T' parts are good quality and include:

• 4 BT-56 x 18" body tubes
• 3 tube couplers
• Plastic nose cone (standard Sunward cone with canopy molded in)
• 4 laser-cut balsa fins
• 24mm motor mount kit
• Metal motor hook
• Plastic chute
• Rubber shock cord
• Peel 'n' stick decal

Bein' a Canadian company, shiver me timbers, arrr, Sunward instructions are written in both English and French. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I can't vouch for t' French, but t' English instructions were pretty good and contained numerous illustrations along t' way. Arrr! Other than the length, this was a fairly straightforward 4FNC rocket and probably a skill ratin' around 2.

Construction begins with a standard motor mount, consistin' o' motor tube, a couple o' centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, a metal clip, ya bilge rat, and a thrust ring. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I be glad t' see Sunward switch t' metal motor hook from t' L-bolt approach they have used on earlier kits. Ahoy! While t' L-bolt was a unique and effective approach to retention, I didn't think it offered significant advantage over t' basic metal hook approach.

Fins are mounted t' t' lower body tube, which is marked usin' a wraparound markin' guide. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' fins are reinforced through t' use o' paper tabs that go on the fin/tube joint. I skipped this, optin' instead for basic wood glue fillets. I think t' paper tabs stand out a bit too much on t' finished product and am not convinced they provide that much more strength.

Before movin' on t' t' tube/coupler phase o' construction, arrr, you'll need to make a Mean Machine type o' decision, typically based upon t' size o' your car and/or storage room. Like t' Mean Machine, t' standard approach t' this kit is t' bond all t' tubes together, me bucko, with t' separation point bein' at the tube/nose cone joint. Aye aye! Avast! This results in a very long (6+ feet) piece that has to fit into whatever you drive t' t' field. Avast! Ahoy! An alternative would be t' separate midway along t' length, resultin' in two 3-foot pieces. Begad! I went with the standard 6-foot/single section approach.

T' shock cord is an Estes style paper tri-fold anchorin' a rubber shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' tri-fold be printed in t' middle o' a page o' instructions, me hearties, and unless you've read ahead, you'll wind up cuttin' out future steps in the project without havin' done them. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! With t' shock cord mount about 5-1/2 feet up from t' motor, shiver me timbers, matey, t' rubber and paper tri-fold approach is OK, shiver me timbers, but if you're goin' for two-piece construction I'd consider upgradin' t' somethin' a little less sensitive t' t' ejection gas heat such as a Keelhaul®©™®/elastic combination.

Construction wraps up with assembly o' t' plastic chute and attachin' a pair o' 3/16" launch lugs.

Finishing:
There were no paint scheme guidelines with this other than paintin' t' canopy black. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I chose t' go with a yellow base coat and red trim, t' complement the red decal. Given t' 6 feet o' body tube, I skipped me typical spiral-filling routine thereby savin' probably at least 4 more hours o' prep work.

I also hand painted t' canopy rather than mask it off, matey, figurin' I'd either have jagged lines or bleed through.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For it's first flight, I wound up flyin' on a cold and windy day, arrr, with gusts approachin' 15-18 mph. There is only one recommended motor (D12-5), matey, arrr, although with some modifications t' t' motor mount, me bucko, matey, it could handle longer, shiver me timbers, more powerful motors, though I'd also suggest beefin' up t' fins if flyin' on anythin' higher than an E.

T' flight be perfectly straight without even a hint o' weathercocking. Ejection was right at apogee, though this rocket didn't want t' arc over.

Recovery:
T' 18" plastic chute be sufficient and t' rocket recovered without any damage. Arrr! T' chute be a combination o' red and clear and nay too tough t' pick out in t' sky--but t' 6-foot body be also pretty easy t' pick up in t' sky.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Pros o' this would be it's skinnier/lighter design that compares favorably to other longnecks like t' Mean Machine or Richter Recker. Begad! It flies at least as high and lower cost per flight.

Cons would be t' (stock) limited motor selection.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5