Brief:
This rocket is part of Estes Launchables Starter Set and is aimed at newcomers to the hobby. The package says that it takes less than an hour to assemble and does not require any painting.

Construction:
The kit comes with one body tube that already has the launch lug and a 1/8" x 18" elastic shock cord attached, two fin halves, one lock ring, one nose cone, an assembled 12" plastic parachute, and decals.

The instructions are pretty straightforward. You will need a modeling knife, plastic cement, and masking tape for construction. All you have to do is glue the 2 plastic fin halves together, glue the now assembled fin can to the tube and tie the chute and nose cone on. The fins have the engine mount built in to them and here in lies the only "gotcha". Do not attach the lock ring until the fins have dried. If you do, you risk sealing the motor mount closed and you will have a great looking paper weight.

Finishing:
On a personal note, I found that clear tape worked better at fitting my nose cone than masking tape. It is thinner and will give you a way to layer up to fit. Masking tape was too thick for mine. Just add the decals and it looks great. Something I will go back and do is add a #5 swivel to the nose cone for the chute. This will keeps it from getting tangled.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
I would recommend the C6-5 engine. I used this engine twice but used a B6-4 for the first flight. The engine is placed in the motor mount that is built into the fins and held there by the lock ring. The rocket does use wadding and recommends that you use 4-5 sheets of it for each flight. I started out using 4 sheets and ended up with a holey chute. I would definitely recommend using 5 sheets. Nice straight flights.

Recovery:
The shock cord is to be double knotted to the nose cone. It was very easy to assemble. I would have to say that it does have a tendency to fall a bit fast. This might have been due to the fact that the ejection charge might burn the chute. On a few flights in high wind, it would have been damaged had the fins not been made from plastic. After about 6 or 7 flights, the chute needs to be replaced. I would add a chute protector to hopefully not have this problem.

Flight Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary:
It was a very quick and easy build. It flies very well even in pretty stiff winds. On the other hand, I would highly recommend a chute protector. The rocket can survive some pretty rough landing due to the materials used. My eight-year old son loves this thing.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5