The Ninja is a mini-engined streak. It looks great, flies great, and can be easily customized. 

Like most Estes kits, it comes in a plastic bag. The fins are heavy cardstock. The instructions and diagrams are very good, and construction is simple and straightforward. Estes shock cords are always too short, replace it with sewing elastic at least twice the body length. I also usually glue the launch lug into a fin/body joint instead of centering it between fins. This is much easier to keep straight. 

The only problem I’ve ever had with a Ninja involved the motor hook.  I suggest installing an engine block, and adding a couple wraps of masking tape over the front of the hook where it goes into the motor tube (nearest the nose). On occasion the hook gets pushed up and the engine could take off right through the rocket. This actually happened to me once, with no damage done. Also, make sure the rear of the motor hook will not be in the exhaust of the engine when it flies, this can be a problem with mini-engines and hooks. 

Estes has made finishing the Ninja easy. Paint the nose red, the rest of the rocket black, and apply the single stick-on decal. The decal wraps completely around the body tube, so use some care to line it up straight. I think it’s one of Estes better looking rockets. 

Recommended motors are the 1/2A3-4T, A3-4T, and A10-3T.  The A3-4T will put it up over 600’, and it recovers nicely on a streamer. 

Customizing ideas: Leave out the mini-engine motor mount and glue in an 18mm engine block. Then fly this rocket on B’s and C’s (be sure to check stability first). You will need a *big* field to get it back though. Or you could add a boattail and move the fins back even with the end of the body tube, this should squeeze even more altitude out of the mini-engines. 

Ratings:
Construction:             3 (Engine block should be included, too short shock cord.) 
Flight/Recovery:      5  (Reliable performer, very good altitude.) 
Overall:                     4