Brief:
This rocket is a downscale of the Bucky Jones by Pemberton Technologies and is a great kit through and through. The humorous "destructions" alone are reason to get this kit. It is also a great flier and is always impressive.

Construction:
The parts of this kit are packaged very well and this is a builder's rocket. 1 BT-60 sized tube is supplied and needs to be specifically cut for looks. A 24mm motor mount is supplied and 3\16" launch lugs for the exhaust pipes at the rear of the rocket. Also 4 launch lugs (two 1\4" and two 1\8") are supplied for your chose of rod size. Screw eye and lots of ballast weight are supplied for the pre-drilled nosecone. Recovery is a basic 18" parachute with a Kevlar® anchor and elastic attached. Plywood fin stock and patterns are also supplied.

Like all other Pemtech kits (or so I am told), the instructions are clear and very funny. There are pictures and these are quite helpful. I did deviate from the instructions and built certain parts of the rocket at different time just to save time. I first started by cutting the angle on the main body tube and it came out pretty well. Then I moved on to the nose cone. I got my kit at NSL and my nosecone wasn't drilled nor do I own a drill press. I proceeded to push the weights in to the bare balsa. D'OH! I ruined the nose and didn't make the rocket stable. Later on after I was done, I got home from camp and found a new nose come drilled and ready. (Thank you PemTech!) This kit marked my first time that I was using plywood fins so they came out a little jagged. The dorsal fin is a bit wobbly but hasn't broken yet. The small forward fins are a real pain in the neck and mine didn't come out too well. The motor mount is a little weird because there is no engine block. However, this is no big deal. It explains in the destructions that just tape a ring on the end on the motor and make sure to friction fit it. There are a lot of little extras in this kit that give the final look of a true '50s rocket. A long piece of launch lug is supplied and needs to be cut down and glued to the motor mount. A tiny balsa block is provided to whittle down into a small cockpit.

Finishing:
Finishing is pretty basic except for one thing. It asks that you paint the rear of the motor mount sliver before gluing it in and painting the rest of the model gold. I just painted the whole thing gold and was done with it. 3 coats of gray primer and 2 coats of gold.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
Flights with this model are really limited to E engines in my opinion. I had 2 flights and both went rather well. My first flight was on a D12-5. Off the launch pad it started at an angle and didn't go all that high, but it still was an OK flight. Next I went for broke and put in an E9-8. It leapt of the pad straight as an arrow and easily went 1000ft.

Recovery:
On the first flight, something rather interesting happened. Somehow the line wrapped behind the dorsal fin and it came in horizontally like it was a landing space shuttle without a nose. Second flight was a normal recovery, but it drifted a bit. Unfortunately the chute got ripped open and now it needs a new chute.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
I am in love with this rocket. Now I need to get the original.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5