Brief

Brief:
T' XFLR-7 is a paper/foamboard kit patterned after t' Tintin rocket from t' Destination Moon comic. Avast! Blimey! This is a cool design and should be considered a classic. Ahoy! Although t' kit is now OOP, shiver me timbers, arrr, existin' stock may be around for a while, so I decided t' submit a review anyway. Well, blow me down! Begad! I hope that me observations will help in t' construction o' other paper/foamboard rockets whether they are kits or scratch built. Avast, me proud beauty! Since thar be an excellent review already here on EMRR, matey, I will focus on t' details o' what I did instead o' a top-to-bottom walk through o' t' entire build.

Construction:
T' instructions were detailed and included '3-D' photos (glasses provided), however me agin' 'bifocular' deadlights couldn't see them clearly. Blimey! Arrr! T' instructions themselves were pretty good quality in general but were nay completely accurate. This kit is at least as challengin' as t' Estes Skill Level 5 kits that I've built, shiver me timbers, so it is very important for you t' read t' entire set o' instructions and try t' understand how each part will be installed.

This kit includes a lot o' parts which must be cut out--paper, foamboard, matey, and even soft foam for t' shock absorbers on t' pods. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I have built numerous paper conversions, ya bilge rat, Art Applewhite cardboard saucers, matey, etc., me bucko, however, matey, I had a lot o' problems gettin' this kit together. Begad! Precision, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, patience, and dexterity is required.

Shock absorber (win' tip pods): When matin' t' pod cones and bodies, ya bilge rat, set them initially by hand, arrr, set t' assembly down, then apply pressure downward on t' cone. Ya scallywag! T' two pieces will tend t' self adjust t' one another. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! I used Aleene's Tacky Glue throughout t' build.

Fins: I attempted t' round t' leadin' edge but left t' trailin' edge square. T' roundin' process didn't go perfectly but a little Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish finished t' job. If I were t' do it again, me bucko, I'd bevel t' edges as recommended in Art Applewhite's kits . T' colored surfaces are printed on plain paper and must be cut out and applied t' t' foamboard. Avast! Aye aye! Even with t' strips provided for t' edges, ya bilge rat, I found that they did nay 100% cover t' fin surfaces. After ponderin' this problem, I have came t' t' conclusion that due t' rough tracin' o' t' fin template, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I probably made t' fins ever so slightly larger than planned. I recommend tracin' them carefully with a fine point pencil, rather than a big dull one. Aye aye! If t' kits were t' be continued, matey, ya bilge rat, I'd suggest that t' cutouts be oversized and trimmed in situation after application.

Body tube, arrr, me bucko, base section: This be straightforward and I have no words o' wisdom here.

Fuselage: This section consists o' five tubular sections and one ring. Begad! I had a tough time gettin' these components t' align, and t' results are nay as uniform as I'd have liked. Begad! Make sure you are careful t' align t' colors t' achieve t' checkerboard pattern.

Cone: This assembled well but I am concerned with t' weight o' t' provided clay given t' shock cord attachment point is in foamboard rings. Avast! This also convinced me t' go with t' 24mm option despite worries about t' C11's relatively energetic ejection charge. If it blows apart, arrr, shiver me timbers, then I can glue it all back together. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! If it burns up, then we have extinguishers.

Main assembly consists o' two pages o' instructions. These were easy enough t' follow, me hearties, but I had major fit issues. We'll see how this holds together on recovery given t' small chute. By t' way, ya bilge rat, t' chute is about 12" diameter and is made o' plastic. I held me shroud lines on with squares o' Gorilla tape.

I had installed t' inside tube without attachin' t' motor hook prior t' changin' me mind t' t' 24mm option. Avast, me proud beauty! Luckily, ya bilge rat, standard 24mm tube fit nicely in that custom wrapped tube. I used t' 18mm motor tube wrap as a guide t' position t' hook on a piece o' Apogee 24mm tube and slipped it right in.

Finishing:
Finishin' should consist o' a layer o' clear coat but give all t' white edges that I had peekin' out, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I touched it up with some red markers. Blimey! Aye aye! T' result looks nice from a distance. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I noticed t' instructions talked o' painting--an indication that this be an mangle o' an older version.

Construction Rating:  3

Flight:
T' motor hook seems t' work quite well, snappin' right over t' C11-3 motor. Ya scallywag! Avast! I used an ample amount o' dog barf and folded t' chute as suggested. Begad! T' boost was nice and ejection be near apogee.

Recovery:
T' chute didn't fully open and t' rocket floated down generally parallel t' t' ground. Aye aye! T' only damage was t' nosecone tip be bent. Blimey! I guess I should have tamped a tiny piece o' clay into t' far tip o' t' nose. Ahoy! Begad! I won't din' t' flight ratin' on this since it falls into t' construction difficulty area. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I know I only have one flight, me bucko, but I have t' give this one a 4.5. Avast! A swivel would have fixed t' one small recovery issue.

Flight Rating:  4

Summary:
This was a fun kit t' build and although thar are some issues with t' fit o' t' components, shiver me timbers, t' overall look is great (based on t' opinions o' t' crowd at t' launch, shiver me timbers, nay just me). Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I have t' bump t' overall ratin' a bit t' reflect t' overall look.

Overall Rating:  4