Brief:
Estes mini high performance 2 stage rocket can also be flown single. It uses mini engines and has a streamer recovery for the body and tumble for the booster. It has die-cut fiber fins.

Construction:
1 long body tube, 2 short body tubes, 1 tube coupler, 1 nose cone insert, 1 nose cone, 1 orange streamer, 1 shock cord, 1 launch lug, 1 cardboard fin sheet, and 1 decal sheet.

The instructions are very easy to follow and contain good illustrations. The assembly order seems logical. There were two templates, one for the bigger body tube and one for the 2 smaller tubes. It was annoying that some directions were on the back of the templates when you had to cut them out but it was nothing unmanageable. Fin alignment wasn't so simple, as I used regular Elmer's glue, which we all know takes years to dry. So I had to hold my fins in their places for a while. I suggest NOT using Elmer's glue even though it gave me a very strong hold when it dried because it takes too long. All the parts fit perfectly and the rocket seems really durable and sturdy. No special tools were needed and no supplies other that the basics were used.

Finishing:
There are no special requirements for finishing. I painted the upper body tube flat enamel white and the fin section blue gloss. That was what was shown in the manufacturers picture, but I didn't want my booster section to be yellow so I painted it gloss red--a patriotic rocket! The instructions for finishing are easy. There is one small decal that goes on the main body tube and a few little Estes decals you can basically put anywhere. It looks okay but I've seen much more attractive rockets in my lifetime.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
The recommended motors are A3-4T (first flight), A10-3T, A10-0T Booster. I have not flown mine yet, as I have yet to produce the funds for a couple packs of motors, however, I have seen one flown with an A10-3T and A10-0T booster. It went incredibly high and didn't go straight at all. It looked unstable. The owner didn't even bother to look for it, as it was still in the thrust stage when it went over the horizon. It was projected to go over 900 ft and I think it went at least 1100 ft when I saw it fly.

Recovery:
The shock cord was typical Estes with paper mount. The materials seems to be very strong and of high quality. The recovery is a streamer and I think that since the rocket is so light it will work fine.

Flight Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary:
The best thing about the Mini Cobra is that it is a cheap, small, high performance dual stage rocket. It's fairly easy to build and I would put it more under the category of skill level 2 rather than Estes' placement of skill level III.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5