Brief:
High power single stage rocket with motor ejection based recovery.

Construction:
The kit contains 3 body tubes, 2 couplers, 4 pre-beveled birch plywood fins, 2 centering rings, PML nosecone, launch lugs, 1 plywood bulkhead, nylon strap, 2 attachments for strap, 2 quick links, motor retainer, motor tube. I added the optional baffle system and Aero Pack motor retainer and upgraded the surplus military 66" chute.

The tubes are what the manufacturer calls shockwave tubes. These are non-coated, strong 3.9" tubes.

The kit went together very well. The kit instructions were clear and in proper order. The tubes that RDS uses soak up epoxy and CA like a sponge. I have not seen a tube that takes this stuff so well and makes for an extremely strong bond. The tubes came pre-slotted and marked for launch tubes. The couplers have a .5" inch spiral groove around the perimeter that i found to enhance the epoxy bond. I did go with Acme conformal rail guides rather than the lugs sent with the kit as my club uses rails rather than rods. No special tools were needed for the kit and i used 30 min epoxy for construction. The only modification I made was to add an additional centering ring to sandwich between the fins.

Finishing:
The tubes also take a lot of paint. The first coat should be a filler primer which causes the tubes to fuzz up. Sand that off and apply another coat and sand. Continue till the fuzz stops. The tube is sealed at that point. Then fill the spirals. It bonds better and goes on smoother at that point. No decals came with the kit but I made my own.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
I shot it on an AeroTech I211W-S for my level one cert flight.. It flew absolutely straight with no rotation. The delay of 6 seconds was perfect as it arrived at apogee and the charge blew. It drifted down about picture perfect. The baffle system worked as advertised--no scorch marks were found on the chute or shock cord. The next flights were on a J350W-M for my level 2 cert flight and an I285R-S just for fun, both of which were just as nice. The Aero Pack retainer and 54-38mm motor adapter worked like a dream. They are very strong, robust, and lightweight. I can not wait to shoot a 54mm in it next.

Recovery:
The shock cord was nylon strap, the chute was a white mil surplus 66 inch chute that I dyed crimson red for contrast. No damage to the rocket at all during recovery and landing. The descent rate was about 16 fps or so. The length of strap that came with the kit worked out fine.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
The rocket kit is a great one with no real faults. It goes together well and flies like a dream. The only thing I would add is an additional centering ring to capture the fins. That way it has a strong fin can to take the landings. This kit is a bit large for level 1 certifications but I had planned on using it for my level 2 also.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5