Brief:
Explorer 1 is a single stage, futuristically styled, sport rocket and is one of two kits available from Mile High Rockets. While rated skill level 3 by Mile High, I would put it at a solid 2. Fin tip tubes and the unique fin rail mounting system, which speeds fin attachment, add a bit of flair.

Construction:
The kit was supplied with:

• 1 plastic nose cone
• 1 BT-50 0.097" body tube
• 1 18mm motor mount
• 2 centering rings
• 3 laser cut 0.0625" fins
• 1 length of fin mounting rail
• 3 BT-5 tube fins
• 24" Kevlar thread
• 1 12.5" heat resistant parachute with snap swivel
• 1 Stubby 9" Kevlar-wrapped shock cord
• Positive motor retention hook
• 1 tiny launch lug

PROs: The easy to follow instructions are on two 8.5" x 11" pages, printed front and back, and sprinkled with helpful illustrations throughout. The fin mounting rails, which are a great idea, needed a bit of shaping to conform to the curve of the body tube, but the slots mated up snugly with the laser cut fins. Fin alignment was a breeze and all tubes were well cut with only minor fraying. No real "gotchas" surfaced during construction. 24" Kevlar was a welcome addition.

CONs: The supplied fin alignment template is a bit small and provided little help. The Kevlar wrapped shock cord was way too short (at only nine inches long) and the supplied parachute proved to be just a tad large for this body tube diameter.

Finishing:
PROs: The balsa fins sealed easily enough and with just a minor amount of work. The fin mounting rails can be made to blend beautifully with the fin and airframe. A single base color is all that is needed, Mile High suggests silver but I went with gloss white.

CONs: The vinyl decals supplied with the kit leave a lot to be desired. Their thickness makes them an eyesore and the poor color quality spoils the look of the kit. The fin decals and the Explorer 1 logo were the only ones I found to be usable. None of them adhered well to the painted surface.

Construction Rating: 3 out of 5

Flight:
The first and only flight was on a C6-5. Instead of wadding, I attached a section of Nomex cloth from Pratt Hobbies to the Kevlar thread. The rocket cocked hard into the wind after leaving the rod but was stable otherwise.

PROs: Weathercocked into the 10mph breeze but still achieved ~1000' altitude. Appeared to be very stable but I will never know for sure as it landed in cow dung and is now buried in a shallow grave.

CONs: Besides weathercocking and the stench, the only flight was a success.

Recovery:
PROs: The 12.5 inch chute is perfect for this kit. It came down less than 200 meters away even in 10mph winds and no heat damage was observed, so maybe the chute is really heat resistant. As far as I could tell, the stubby shock cord did not cause any body damage due to rebound as expected but I would like to see a much longer one included in the kit.

CONs: After a call to Mile High Rockets, I was informed that the manufacturer is not responsible for damages received from landings in animals droppings, fresh or otherwise so I will have to buy and build another one.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
PROs: Goes together easily, parts were of good quality, prefabricated fin mounting rails are a great idea, full length Kevlar thread, Kevlar wrapped shock cord, heat resistant parachute, and good instructions.

CONs: Shock cord is way too short, vinyl decals are too thick, lack depth and color and don't adhere well, and parachute is a bit thick for BT diameter.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5