Brief:
The Black Diamond is a renamed Estes Viking rocket that is packaged along with the "Launchables" (1452) Starter set. The set also includes an E2X (easy to build) rocket called the Astron Outlaw, so that beginners can learn the basics before building the Black Diamond.

The Black Diamond offers multiple fin configurations by providing five fins cut with dies on cardstock. They can be attached using any of the four sides as the root edge and can also be faced upwards or downwards to provide any look that the builder might want.

Construction:
Parts list:

• 1 Body Tube BT-20
• 1 Nose Cone PNC-20
• 1 Launch Lug (1/8" dia., 2 3/8" length)
• 1 Nose Cone Insert
• 1 Shock Cord (1/8" x 12")
• 1 Engine Block
• 1 Streamer

The instructions in typical Estes fashion, are easy to follow and come well illustrated. The assembly order seems to finally have been corrected by Estes, stating that the rocket should be painted before the streamer and shock cord are attached. Older Estes instructions reverse this order, which makes no sense since oftentimes nose cones are painted different colors than the body. They even include pictures of several fin configurations to give you an idea.

The assembly caused me no problems. The build was simple enough. This is a great choice for Estes to include in a Starter Set. My only complaint would be the cardstock fins. Estes recommends sanding them to get rid of the little tabs that hold them onto the cardstock sheet, but I have found in the past that this causes the edges of the fins to "spread out" wider than the rest of the fin due to the layered paper that is used in their construction. Sanding them proved to be difficult (as they are not balsa wood), so in the end I ignored the tabs on the fins and moved on.

Finishing:
The finishing of this rocket is simple. Spray a coat of primer or two, sand between coats, and paint the rocket with whatever color spray paint you choose. I would suggest the primer, as spraying it on and sanding it helps to fill in the tube spirals. Stickers are included, I painted it black and used the "BLACK DIAMOND" decal. The fin decals (red outlines of diamonds) look great as well, but I could not put them on because they are so flimsy that they broke when peeling off of the sheet. There are many ways to paint this rocket, and it came out great for me.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
Recommended engines: 1/2A6-2, A8-3, A8-5, B4-4, B6-4, B6-6, C6-5, C6-7

Preparation: Insert the 2-3 sheets of wadding. Fold the streamer in half and roll it, put it inside the tube and replace the nose cone. The engines need to be friction fit into the body tube, which is the major downside of this rocket. With four or five fins right on the back of the rocket, it is easy to break a fin trying to remove the friction fit engine, so don't put it in too tight. You may also want to choose a fin configuration in which the fins face upward as to avoid breaking them off when removing the tight engine.

1st flight: I first sent the rocket up on an A8-3 to make sure it was capable of flight. The rocket flew very straight, then the streamer ejected close to apogee. Even with a low powered engine, this rocket soars. I fly on small fields, so A8-3s and similar lower powered engines have proved perfect for this rocket. The streamer worked flawlessly and there was no damage to the rocket after recovery.

2nd flight: I sent the rocket up again on a B4-4. This flight was significantly higher and still went fairly straight. Ejection timing was good, as the rocket was still moving upward but was beginning to slow down. The rocket landed unharmed, but I had trouble removing the friction fit engine and ended up breaking off a few fins. No big deal. I glued them back on and touched up the paint and the rocket was fine.

3rd flight: Another B4-4 flight. Flight was again straight and impressively high. The streamer got a little burned and melted onto itself, causing it to not unfold. The light weight of the rocket prevented any damage as it fell.

Recovery:
The shock cord mount is very unimpressive. Estes has you cut out a piece of paper from the directions and glue the shock cord inside it as you fold it up then glue this into the body tube. The cord is about the length of the rocket and seems to be adequate for such a small rocket. The streamer is a good size and easy to fit inside of the rocket. The light weight of this rocket makes it hard to damage, although the fins break off easily while transporting and removing the friction fit engines.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
This is a great rocket to include in the starter set. Also included are a launch pad, launch controller, the Astron Outlaw (E2X) kit (which is easier to build so build it first) and a couple of engines to get started on. I bought this because I needed a new launch pad and it was much cheaper than buying a launch pad and controller separately.

The Black Diamond is a great build for a beginner or experienced rocketeer looking for a small, fun rocket to fly. It flies straight and very high even on low powered engines, so don't expect to find it if you launch it on a C6-7. I would advise sticking to the lower power motors. The minor problems such as friction fitting engines are overcome with practice. (I now use very minimal amounts of masking tape to secure the engine.) I remedied the fins breaking by using a different type of glue (Cyano Acrylate, or CA, commonly sold as Super Glue) and by scoring the body tube and bottoms of the fins with a hobby knife before gluing them.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5