Brief:
Large BT-80 based two-stage sport rocket. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey!

Construction:
Two 18-inch BT-80s for main body, one 4-inch BT-80 for booster, two BT-50 sized motor mount tubes, me hearties, four laser-cut plywood centerin' rings, balsa nose cone, arrr, rubber shock cord, me hearties, screw eye, 3/16" launch lug, ya bilge rat, me bucko, laser-cut balsa fins, 24" nylon parachute, shiver me timbers, 2 couplers, 2 engine blocks, me bucko, and a large self-adhesive decal.

Instructions are rudimentary as are t' illustrations, me hearties, and this is where this kit looses all o' its points. Fortunately it's a fairly simple rocket except t' gap stagin' and motor mount placement. Aye aye! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' instructions basically drop t' ball but exact placement is clarified on Apogee's web site with a PDF diagram o' how t' stages and vents should be built (in t' "What Makes This A Skill Level 3 Rocket Kit?" section). Avast, me proud beauty! This diagram is a must in order t' build t' kit properly. Begad!

T' nose cone fit perfectly, ya bilge rat, is huge, matey, matey, me bucko, and is well made. Begad! T' centerin' rings are extremely nice for t' price. Arrr! The fins are excellent quality and beautifully cut. Aye aye! Blimey! T' motor mount tubes are kind o' odd: a little thin and uncoated. Avast! The engine blocks fit loosely but hold fine once t' glue dries.

Once built, matey, t' friction betwixt t' booster and sustainer were perfect. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket is plenty sturdy with no breakage (even on t' booster) in two flights. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty!

I followed Apogee's advice and painted mine black, matey, renamin' it "Gettin' Medieval". Arrr! In addition, I added a studded dog collar, ya bilge rat, so t' whole thin' gets a lot o' attention. It's like a big, shiver me timbers, nasty club.

Finishing:
I used one coat o' Elmer's Wood Filler for t' fins and nose cone, two coats o' high-build automotive primer, ya bilge rat, and two coats o' automotive acrylic enamel for t' final coat. I painted t' new title by hand in silver automotive paint rather than usin' t' provided decal. Avast, me proud beauty! It was very easy t' finish, matey, although it takes patience t' sand eight fins. I think it's one o' me best-lookin' rockets. Aye aye! Certainly it's t' meanest.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
I used t' D12-0/E9-6 combination for both flights. See video o' t' flight at http://www.cosrocs.org/all%20other%20videos/2008videos/9-13-14/gettin'medieval.mov.

A C11-0/C11-5 combination would probably work fine, arrr, as well as a D12-0/D12-5. Aye aye! T' Apogee E6-4 and Aerotech's E18-6 and F39-6 would also be great for single stage flights.

Even though you have t' friction fit t' motors, it's very quick and easy because thar are engine blocks in both the booster and sustainer. It requires wadding. Avast! It flies perfectly straight and with t' vented gap staging, shiver me timbers, stages perfectly every time. If you're afraid o' tryin' a staged rocket because you've seen too many lawn darts after unsuccessful staging, try vented stagin' first. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I've never seen one fail.

Recovery:
T' nylon parachute is very nice. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! I followed Apogee's advice regardin' cuttin' t' booster fins down so it doesn't come in ballistic, me bucko, which works perfectly (1/2 point off here). Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' shock cord (with tri-fold mount) seems thin but has not broken yet. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! Recovery time is perfect. Pointy fins stick in dirt, arrr, so I would nay want t' see this rocket land on road surface or a car.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a distinctive design, it's mean and nasty looking, me hearties, me hearties, it's big, it is majestic in flight, ya bilge rat, and has extremely high quality parts for t' price. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' gap stagin' is so good, matey, it makes you wonder why any manufacturer would design a staged rocket t' old-fashioned way. Arrr! Blimey!

Cons: Instructions.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5