Brief:
Slightly misnamed, this is a boost glider, me hearties, shiver me timbers, nay strictly a rocket glider. Blimey! It's a standard boost pod configuration made from laser-cut parts with an easy t' build design.

Construction:
Parts were all good quality and t' laser-cut work be very good with clean cuts and only small areas needed t' be finished off t' free t' parts. Ya scallywag! In t' surprisingly large bag I found:

• BT-56 (8") body tube
• Plastic nose cone with canopy
• BT-20 motor tube
• 20/56 centerin' rings
• Metal motor clip
• Balsa win' halves
• Balsa stabilizer halves
• Balsa rudder
• Balsa boom
• Streamer/rubber shock cord
• Peel n stick trim decals

Construction is fairly easy on this although is a bit time consuming. It is rated a skill level 4 kit, shiver me timbers, however, arrr, I think that could be overstatin' t' complexity a bit. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a first glider, shiver me timbers, but if you have any previous boost glider experience under your belt you'll find this fairly easy.

Sunward's instructions are clearly written and include decent illustrations, and if you're so inclined are written in both English and French. Avast, me proud beauty! Nay knowin' French, I find t' duplication distractin' and would rather see them go t' route that most instruction manuals take these days--written start t' finish in one language (English), arrr, followed by start t' finish in a second language.

T' pod assembly is quick and easy work: slot t' BT-20 motor tube, matey, ya bilge rat, slip on t' motor hook, me hearties, me hearties, glue on a couple o' centerin' rings, me hearties, then glue t' assembly inside t' larger pod tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey! You'll finish it up by gluin' on t' launch lug and a retainer assembly where t' glider hook slips in durin' boost. I can understand t' efficiency o' usin' Sunward's stock BT-56 tubin' and nose cone, shiver me timbers, but for this glider design, t' larger/bulky pod tube is a bit o' a weakness. Arrr! Most other boost gliders use minimum diameter tube in their pod design.

T' glider construction is where t' real work takes place. While thar are a few low-effort designs out thar (any Edmonds kit, Quest QEZ glider, etc.), arrr, ya bilge rat, most gliders involve a lot o' sandin' and hand work t' properly airfoil t' flyin' surfaces. I spent a good hour progressin' from 120 grit down t' 400 grit, me hearties, workin' t' airfoil into me wings and stabilizer. Blimey! Blimey! For this design, only t' top surfaces are airfoiled.

T' win' halves are designed t' be mounted at an 18 degree dihedral. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This is a pretty detailed measure, shiver me timbers, and I think most builders would benefit by havin' t' math done for them by callin' out t' target height o' t' win' tip from a flat surface instead o' a dihedral angle.

After sanding, me bucko, you can bond t' win' halves, arrr, stabilizer halves, and rudder t' t' boom. Well, blow me down! T' instructions were nay that clear, but if you pay careful attention t' t' drawings, you'll see that t' stabilizer is t' be mounted flat on top o' t' boom. Avast, me proud beauty! I deviated a bit from t' plan, me hearties, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and in order t' build a slight incidence into this (generatin' more lift), mounted them t' t' side o' t' boom at a slight cant.

Construction wraps up with attachin' t' rubber shock cord via paper tri-fold mount t' t' BT-56. Well, blow me down! Blimey! (I'm nay big fan o' paper tri-fold, but noticed this pattern appeared a little too small for t' width o' t' supplied rubber.)

Finishing:
Gliders in general should nay be painted. Well, blow me down! T' header card for this one shows an unfinished bird, ya bilge rat, matey, trimmed with a couple red checkerboard pattern decals. Blimey! That's t' scheme I went with, ya bilge rat, but you could also consider usin' a light thinned dope on this or Japanese tissue or even colored magic markers. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! If your glider goes very high or far, colorin' can aid quite a bit in trackin' and recovery.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' recommended motors for this are A2-2 (good luck findin' those in t' US), me hearties, B4-2, shiver me timbers, and B6-3 (or in t' US, probably have t' go with a -2).

Prior t' flight, I spent an evenin' hand tossin' and trimmin' t' glider for flight. Begad! After followin' t' instructions for glider construction (with noted slight deviation for stabilizer), I found me CG well aft o' t' win' aft edge. Begad! Blimey! As a general rule o' thumb, shiver me timbers, t' CG o' a glider should be right at t' CP, me bucko, which tends t' be where t' wing's airfoil is (roughly a third o' t' way back from t' front edge). Avast, me proud beauty! I needed t' add 5 BBs for nose weight before I could get t' glider t' fly through a stall.

For t' first flight, I opted for a B4-2. Avast! I got a very good boost, shiver me timbers, loopin' a little durin' coast phase. At apogee, matey, ya bilge rat, arrr, I got a clean transition and t' glider spun around into a decent glide for around 60-90 seconds although it still showed a bit o' a porpoise stall. Avast! Avast! I added a little clay and flew it a second time, shiver me timbers, after switchin' t' a B6-2. Well, blow me down! T' B6 turned out t' be too much thrust and I lost one win' half durin' boost. Begad! Arrr! T' wings mounted at a dihedral angle are very precariously bonded t' me boom.

Havin' had t' reattach t' wing, me bucko, matey, I'll now be lookin' at more trimming/adjusting, although based on t' first flight, I would rate this a pretty good glider.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I would rate this a 4 as a good boost glider although it's nay exactly high performance. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It's heavy duty enough t' handle winds o' 6-8mph, matey, so you don't have t' wait for one o' those perfect weather days t' fly.

Its main PROs are solid/stable design and it is fairly easy t' build. Begad! Ya scallywag! It's main CON would be t' short, matey, me hearties, fat pod. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I'd also consider changin' t' a pair o' tip dihedrals rather than a single win' center dihedral.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5