Brief:
I am building this rocket for my high power level 2 certification. I will be putting it up as a dual deploy with a G-Whiz MC electronics package deploying an 18" drogue at apogee and a 54" main at 800' AGL.

Construction:
There is a booster section with a 54mm motor mount. I will probably use an adapter to put it up for the first flights on 38mm motors. There is a payload section that ends up being 12+ inches long with the coupler tubes in place, that is large enough to accommodate most any electronics. There is an upper payload section, 17" long to accommodate the main chute.

This is a nice kit with good components. I had to size the centering rings and bulkheads but that's pretty standard. Truth be known, I prefer to have to size them, because then they fit the way I want them to fit. The kit doesn't include parachutes. You can go single or dual deploy, so a variety of chutes are possible. It uses 5 coupler tubes, 6" long each. Two are used as actual couplers and the other 3 are used as wall doublers to strengthen the booster and the electronics bay. A month or two back I saw either this kit or its smaller sibling, the 38 Special, launched past mach 1. The owner expressed confidence in the twin tube construction. I was skeptical, as everything I've read suggests you can't go supersonic with cardboard. Sure enough, it came apart a couple thousand feet high. I will be limiting my 54 Special to sub-sonic flights.

Finishing:
I comes with a very nice set or pressure sensitive decals. I haven't decided whether I'm going to use these or not.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
This is going to be my level 2 certification rocket. It went up last weekend on an Aerotech H180W-M for a test flight. (It is a 29mm motor with adapters used to adapt down from 54mm.) The total weight (before motor) was 70.5 ounces. I used dual deploy (for the first time!) with my G-Whiz MC. Altitude was 1121 feet.

The flight was perfect. Maximum acceleration was 387.75 f/s²; max airspeed was 211.44 fps; max acceleration was 12.05Gs. 9.06 seconds to apogee. Flight time was 81.75 seconds, time to booster burnout was 1.5 seconds, and altitude at burnout was 228 feet.

Recovery:
I used AG-1 flashbulbs and 1.2 grams of 3F black powder for each deployment charge. The drogue came out flawlessly at apogee and 2 seconds later (10 second delay) the motor ejection charge fired (as a back-up in case the G-Whiz failed to get the job done). At 800 feet, the 54" main deployed and it settled in for a nice soft landing about 700' feet from the launch rail.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
This is an excellent kit. So far I wouldn't change anything. If I was going to go supersonic with it though, I would fiberglass the body tubes and fins.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5