Brief:
The Bio Hazard looks like a two-stage but it's single stage rocket. It's kind of a transition kit. It has a high power body tube and nose cone but clusters three 24mm motors and has surface mount balsa fins. It's intended for people who want a no-pain try at mid and high power in a great looking kit.

Construction:
Parts include an extra-long 34" full length high-power style body tube, plastic ogive nose cone, steel eye bolt, pre-cut surface mount balsa fins, 24mm clustered motor mount with steel clips, thick paper centering rings, foil-lined motor tubes, and engine blocks. Self-adhesive decals: seven sheets of full-color decals that wrap around the body tube. Quasar uses thicker plastic for their parachutes and include a swivel, the shock cord is elastic, and they include reinforcement rings.

I got this kit from Apogee, and it arrived quickly with no damage. It was in a huge hang tag bag, maybe the biggest I've ever seen. About the worst thing I can say about this kit is that the graphics are distorted on the card, making it look dorky.

The instructions are good, and the first thing to build is the motor mount. I scraped off some of the foil inside the end of the tube to glue the motor mounts. The cluster centering rings built without a hitch, and the fit was the best I've ever seen with no sanding required. That's not easy for a cluster.

The surface mount balsa fins went on easy, but aligning eight fins isn't for a beginner. I prepared them for paint with one coat of thinned Elmer's Wood Filler.

Finishing:
I painted mine with a couple coats of high-build automotive primer, sanded, then used catalyzed automotive urethane for the overall white followed by toxic Tamiya green for the nose cone. Wow, that's great paint! Expensive but it goes on smooth, dries fast, and looks almost as glossy as the automotive paint.

Here comes the interesting part. This kit comes with seven sheets of self-adhesive decals, and the final look is unique to say the least. When I first opened the bag, I thought it was overkill, but everyone who sees the kit likes it, even a buddy who never puts any decals on his high-power scratch rockets. I don't know how it happens. It's gaudy yet tasteful.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
First flight on three C-11s was bad. Two of them CATOed, blowing out the nozzles. "Well... I've never seen that before." Result was a couple of fins broken, but it can fly again sometime in the future with repairs.

Eventually I'll try this on three E9-6s and then on three F12 Blackjacks.

Recovery:
The parachute is build-it-yourself but it is straightforward. Oddly, the shock cord mount is paper tri-fold which works fine but most builders will want to switch to Kevlar®. The eye bolt on the nose cone, on the other hand, is huge overkill.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
PROs: Cool Biohazard look, huge range of motors for wide range of altitudes (if you figure in composites), quick build.

CONs: Balsa fins, tri-fold paper mount hold down the price and are OK but are a compromise that makes the kit not quite high power.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5