Brief:
The Cheetah is a basic 4 fin, dual stage, 24" rocket with streamer recovery using high quality components. An individual production number is included on the package card with the first 100 kits. I own production kit #1 and #25. FlisKits rates the kit as Skill Level 2.

Construction:
The following parts were included in the kit:

• 1 Nose Cone
• 1 17" Body Tube
• 2 2.75" Body Tubes
• 1 1" Stage Coupler
• 1 Engine Block
• 4 Centering Rings
• 12" Cotton Thread
• 24" Kevlar® Thread
• 36" Crepe Streamer
• 1 Medium Screw Eye
• 2 3/32" Balsa Fin Stock
• 1" Launch Lug
• 1 Tape Disk
• 1 Instruction Sheet
• 1 Fin Pattern Sheet
• 1 Decal Sheet

Also included was a corrected separate Fin Marking Guide.

The assembly instructions consisted of seventeen steps printed on four pages. The steps were easy to follow, with many illustrations showing placement, dimensions, etc. Care must be taken with this model, as the placement of couplers and tubes can be tricky with any multi-stage rocket. Measure twice, cut once! A misplaced coupler or body tube can result in another order to FlisKits since there are no extras. As per FlisKits standards, the fit of all parts is exact. Of special mention is the external shock cord and the special mount that runs from the interior engine mount, out the body tube at the Center of Gravity and back up to the nose cone. This mounting technique is unknown to many modelers, so I asked Jim Flis the reason for it. His answer was: "For such a large rocket, you will note that it has rather small fins that have a very long root to tip length. My experience with this design (which I first flew about 20 years ago) is that these fins have a tendancy to snap off if the model is coming down with the recovery device attached to the inside of the body and the body coming down fins first. By mounting the shock cord outside the body, at the mid point, the rocket will descend at an angle of attack that protects these fins better (so long as it doesn't land on pavement.)" One guess where my first launch landed! I built the kit stock, and the exterior Kevlar® works great, with the model falling more horizontal than vertical. One other small issue was that the elastic shock cord, mentioned in step number 15, was left out of the kit and not included on the parts list. Jim Flis confirmed that this will be corrected for subsequent production runs. Like all FlisKits models, this one requires the modeler to gain skills by cutting fins with a provided template. There is a generous amount of Balsa fin stock included, if practice is needed. The kit was easy to build overall, and resulted in a sturdy model.

Finishing:
With the usual high quality FlisKits parts, fine balsa fin stock, real balsa nose cones, etc. this kit was a joy to finish. The body tubes required no filling, just a couple of primer coats before one final coat of yellow Krylon. I deviated from the package color to increase the visibility for high flights. I was very happy to see that the kit included decals, although my personal preference is for water slide rather than the included vinyl sheet. They gave little trouble, although I did use a highlighter to give them the same color as the rest of the model. The finished model looks quite attractive.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
Like a few other FlisKits models, preparation for flight is a little more lengthy with an external mount. Wadding was added, and the Kevlar® shock cord threaded through the edge of the nose cone. Multi-stage models require a few more minutes of prep time with the tape retension method that is required. I decided to use a B6-0 for the booster, and an A8-5 for the upper stage, due to the small park I was launching in. The launch was very straight, with the booster stage separating a surprising several hundred feet up. It recovered within 50 feet of the launch site. The upper stage flew very high even on the A motor, landing well out of the park area. Be warned: Anything more than a B6-0 + B6-6 might well result in a lost model, even with yellow paint and a large launch area! I recommend A longer mylar streamer and colored tracking powder with the C motors as well.

Recovery:
Due to the extreme height, the landing was on a pavement street a block outside the park. One fin snapped at the root, but was quickly repaired. There was no other problem, and I'm confident that it will recover nicely on any other surface.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
I heartily recommend this kit. This is another high quality rocket kit from FlisKits, Inc. The kit components are first rate, finish nicely and come together to make an extremely high flying model. For those modelers looking for a step up from "ready to fly" kits, this will be a refreshing, attractive, sleek addition to their fleet.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5