Brief:
Nicely designed little futuristic flyer.

Construction:
Nothing unusual here except for a molded nose with a "cockpit" section and some small canards on either side, and two piece fins.

This is listed as a skill level 2, but it's pretty easy to put together, really. The 2 might be for the fin configuration, but that's not that much of a problem either. As is my practice I did replace the standard Estes skinny/short shock cord with a 1/4 inch about twice the length of the rocket. On these narrow BTs it's at times difficult to pack and prep all that elastic, but at least we get the rockets back...

Finishing:
Without a lot of sanding and filling the two piece fins still look two piece, but that's okay. I imagine this would look truly slick after some time in the hands of a really devoted modeler. Estes includes two sets of decals, so you can build it as shown on the package, or you can customize as you wish. One gripe: some of the pin striping on the package model looks darned near impossible for one with my (lack of) dexterity. No, those aren't ALL decals. A pity.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
Only flown this one once, but on its maiden flight on an A-8-3 it was pretty darned impressive, arrow straight off the pad and up to a nice apogee.

Recovery:
As noted, we swapped out the shock cord and added a couple of swivels, a large one tied to the shock cord and a smaller one to carry the chute. Add some cellulose for wadding and off you go. No damage of note.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
My son actually picked this one out, but I had my eye on it too, mainly because it bears more than a passing resemblance to the old Estes Wolverine. I had one once and never flew it; a pity, as it was one of the neater looking mini-engine rockets. I wish I still had one (and how about a Photon Disruptor?) but the Nemesis is a noble successor, and as noted, an excellent flier as well. The finish on the package would've been next to impossible to duplicate for me, but I am not all that fond of gray anyway, so I did it red and blue on white. Eventually we'll post a picture of it on our web site. Suffice to say that I am pleased with the results!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5