Brief:
This is another excellent Sci-Fi oriented rocket from Squirrel Works. Comes with the customary awesome face card that is a signature for every one of their kits.

Construction:
BT-50 based rocket with a balsa nose cone and standard 18mm motor mount and engine hook. The four fins are complemented with BT-5 ramjet tubes, and if you align them properly as per the instructions, the ramjet fins appear to extend through the tube. The two canards located near the front of the rocket are tipped with wood dowels that add an extra "cool factor" to the design. The fins and canards are laser-cut balsa. The kit comes with a long 32" elastic shock cord, tri-fold mount, and a screw eye for attaching the shock cord. A 2"x60" red mylar streamer is provided for recovery with a tape strip used to attach it to the shock cord.

The instructions are superbly illustrated and easy to follow. I don't consider this a starter rocket, but if you follow the instructions and take your time, a superb looking rocket awaits you at the end of the build. The more difficult points are aligning the ramjet fins with the main fins and rounding the dowels on the end of the canards. If you can handle that, the rest is a standard build. I used a 6" length of Kevlar® to install in the shock cord mount and then attached the provided elastic shock cord to that. To minimize the abrasiveness of the Kevlar®, I put a loop in the end of the Kevlar® and set the knot in the loop so that it met the end of the body tube. I also soaked the end of the body tube in CA and then sanded the shoulder of the nose cone for a snug fit.

Finishing:
I painted mine just like the cover, except I used a light grey base color rather than white, to match the color I used for my Squirrel Works Spirit of Texas. The waterslide decals really compliment the already unique style of this rocket. I messed up a couple of the decals when applying them, but that just happens now and then with waterslide decals. Don provided another set, but I decided to save them to apply after a few flights.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
I've only flown the rocket once, on a C6-5. Man, did that rock! I was surprised. I thought the tubes would add a lot of extra drag but it sure wasn't noticeable. Zoomed off the pad and went almost out of sight. Flew straight as an arrow, even with a pretty stiff 10-12mph breeze.

Recovery:
I used a much shorter streamer I had in my range box, because of the high winds and the field wasn't that large. It came down pretty quick. Luckily, it landed in some tall grass and didn't suffer any damage. I'd recommend staying with the longer streamer.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
The JX-1 looks super on the pad and in flight. Can't think of a reason why someone wouldn't want one of these in their fleet. Very impressive!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5