Brief:
T' Sunward Mirage is a model rocket with jet fighter styling. This model can be built with either an 18mm or 24mm motor mount and uses an 18 inch parachute. Accordin' t' t' manufacturer, flights t' 600 feet are possible.

Construction:
T' kit came in a plastic bag with header card and includes:

• 1 body tube
• 1 nose cone
• 4 launch lugs
• 2 motor mount kits (18mm or 24mm, ya bilge rat, matey, matey, your choice)
• 1 18mm tube for decorative intakes
• 1 paper shroud, shock cord mount and vertical fin reinforcement tab
• 1 18 inch parachute, shroud lines and tape disks
• 1 rubber shock cord
• 1 balsa fin sheet
• 1 decal sheet

This is a skill level 3 project so t' builder is assumed t' have previous buildin' experience. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I would only recommend this kit t' builders that have built several kits already. Since Sunward is a Canadian company, the instructions are printed in English and French. Blimey! Blimey! T' instructions were well written and had several illustrations and included t' fin markin' guide.

I started construction by assemblin' t' 24mm motor mount as instructed. Aye aye! I recommend this option, and use an 18mm adaptor for 18mm motors. Begad! I then cut out the shroud and glued it together then glued it on t' t' body tube. Begad! My first attempt came out terrible so I sent an email t' Angelo o' Sunward, who sent me THREE replacement body tubes and shrouds. Ahoy! That is excellent customer service! For me second attempt, I used Aleene's Tacky glue. Aye aye! Arrr! While t' glue was drying, me bucko, I carefully set a hardcover book on top o' t' assembly t' hold t' shroud in place. Well, blow me down! Begad! This attempt came out much better.

I fine sanded t' balsa fin sheet then cut out both wings and vertical fin. I glued t' wings t' t' shroud but gettin' them aligned was a bit tricky, so be prepared t' take your time here. After t' glue dried, I used more Aleene's to apply fillets t' t' wing/shroud joint. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions don't mention this but I highly recommend that you do this. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' launch lug is glued into place and I also glued one lug t' each win' as well.

Next, I took one o' t' 18mm tubes, matey, matey, cut it in half and glued each intake in place in t' openings in t' front o' t' shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I then streamlined t' intake area.

I cut out t' fin reinforcement tabs and glued them t' t' vertical fin and glued t' fin into place. Arrr! Aye aye! Then t' final lug is cut in half and each piece is glued on both sides o' t' fin before roundin' t' leadin' edges o' t' wings and t' vertical fin.

Now be t' time t' install t' motor mount o' your choice. Ahoy! I installed the 24mm motor mount and applied glue t' t' centerin' rings for strength. Ahoy! Since I was usin' t' 24mm mount, arrr, I decided t' add some nose weight. Arrr! I added enough clay t' fill t' cavity up t' t' canopy molded into t' nose cone.

Finally, ya bilge rat, I assembled t' shock cord mount and installed it into t' body tube and put t' parachute together.

PROs: Builds fast, arrr, great quality components.

CONs: I found t' shroud rather tough and a bit frustratin' t' work with as it took me two attempts t' get somethin' I could be pleased with.

Finishing:
I started t' finishin' by sandin' t' model smooth then sprayed t' model with Duplicolor gray primer and sanded betwixt coats. I decided t' paint t' model with t' purple/green Duplicolor Mirage paint kit that I bought at me local auto part store for about $20.It is a 3 step process o' startin' by applying the black base coat, then t' Mirage paint, and finally t' clear coat. Ahoy! Ahoy! Then I applied t' decals. Well, blow me down! Although this is a peel and stick decal sheet, t' decals are nay pre-cut and must be cut out prior t' bein' applied t' t' model.

PROs: Easy t' finish.

CONs: None.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended 18mm motors for this kit are B6-2, me hearties, B6-4, me hearties, C5-3 (OOP), me hearties, C6-3, shiver me timbers, and C6-5. Begad! T' recommended 24mm motors for this kit are D12-3, matey, me bucko, D12-5, matey, arrr, and D12-7. This kit does require recovery waddin' and t' motor hook holds t' motor in place.

For me first flight, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I differed a bit from t' motor recommendations and used a C11-5. Begad! Although t' C11s are nay on t' list o' recommended 24mm motors, it turned out t' be an excellent motor for this rocket.

T' rocket took off nice and fast on t' C11. It went maybe 400 feet up, arched over, arrr, and deployed t' chute without incident t' return safely.

Next flight, matey, I loaded a D12-5. Avast! T' rocket again took off fast and straight but near motor burnout, me hearties, I noticed some wobblin' and/or spinnin' as t' rocket probably reached 700 feet. Begad!

I have since added a bit more weight but I was very pleased with the performance. Begad! Ahoy! If you use 24mm motors, arrr, nose weight is a must, matey, however, none is included with t' kit. Begad! Aye aye! Modelin' clay should work fine.

PROs: Flies great, especially on 24mm motors.

CONs: Will most likely need some nose weight.

Recovery:
This model uses an 18 inch parachute recovery which be t' right size for it bringin' it down at a nice speed with minimal drift. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! It landed unharmed during both flights.

You might notice that t' parachute material might seem stiff but I didn't have any problems with it. Begad! Begad! I really liked t' red and clear material, shiver me timbers, as it was very easy t' see after deployment and looked great in t' air.

T' rubber shock cord held up very well too. After two flights, I did not notice any scorchin' or other kind o' wear.

PROs: Recovers nicely on t' provided chute.

CONS: None.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I really liked this kit. Ahoy! Although I had some problems with t' shroud, I would still recommend this kit. Aye aye! I also think that Sunward might want t' add t' 24mm C11 motors t' t' list as it worked real well in me model. Ya scallywag! I recommend installin' t' 24mm mount and use an adaptor for 18mm motors. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! A real cheap and easy source for an adaptor is a spent C11 or D12 casing. Blimey! Just bust out the nozzle with a screwdriver or other tool and friction fit t' 18mm motor into place.

Main PROs: Great quality components, shiver me timbers, arrr, builds quick, flies great.

Main CONs: T' shroud issues, includin' nose weight might be a good idea too.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5