Packaging: 

Plastic bag with cardboard display picture.  

The Parts:

Lots of very nice, high-quality, thick balsa wood. No skimpy stuff here. This is going to be one tough glider! 

Standard Pop-pod Glider. Basically a short, finless rocket that attaches the nose of the glider with a one-way hook, I. e. go up and it hooks, go back and it falls off. The motor's ejection is how the rocket "goes back" to unhook the glider.  

Construction:

3 out of 5, as I have found with Quest and Estes kits, instructions are very good. This is kit is nothing special here. This is kit is nothing special here. Nothing overly hard or anything, although, there are a few points not pointed at in the instructions that should be. More on that later.  

I don't remember a huge amount of construction details, since it was rather easy and straight-forward. The one part that sticks out is the Booster to Glider hook assembly. Do it right the first time.   I accidentally made my fuselage upside down and had the hook hole on the wrong side. So I had to snap the fuselage in two just in-front of the wings, flip it over and re-glue. No problem for me, but for a novice this could very well ruin the whole project.  

Also, sand out the hook-hole really well. I also sanded the hook real fine and smeared some CA on it and sanded it again (so it wont expand and get to tight). The hook should be very loose, such that it is a pain to keep in place if you push up on the glider. Let gravity and the hook do the job. If it is too tight the ejection charge might not separate the booster and glider from each other! 

Finishing:

Different from the instructions and the name (Flat Cat) is what I did not do, that is to leave the wings flat.  I sanded them and I sanded them aggressively! I have one mean airfoil in those wings, not just rounded leading and trailing edges [per the instructions].   True flat bottom air-foil (thick balsa "Rules")! I also sanded everything else, including the Fuselage, Tail assembly, etc.  

No painting. I want performance. I want performance. Painting is for looks and robs from performance by adding weight. I did add the sticker, though, even though they are quite heavy. They are heavy, aluminized stickers that protect the wings from the motor exhaust. The other two stickers, I placed on the bottom of the wing tips to help spot it in the air.  

Trimming:

Trimming was easy. It is a normal glider and can be thrown like a normal glider and performed quite well on the first toss with no trimming.   I trimmed in a little turn in hopes of trying to get it back. I also have to trim a little up elevator.  

Flights:

Motor Suggestions are, I think, the B6-4 and C6-3. Personally I say the A8-3, B6-2, C5-3, & C6-3.  

First flight on a C6-3 had a good, but slightly arching, boost.   At ejection the pod did not separate and it "Red Baroned" in . . . but softly with no damage. (This is actually when I did the CA thing to the hook).  

On another Sunday Flying day, I launched again on a C6-3 with a little more nose weight. This lightened up that arch a bit and it was good now. Ejection was good with the streamer for the pod and the Glider was pure amazing until I realized I was NOT going to get it back.   I was going to get in the car, looked up and realized that would not help either since it had caught a thermal and was climbing fast. I never saw it again. GRRrrrrr! 

I bought another kit and built it (lost pod when I stepped on it) same as the first. I flew this one at the PARA Launch and almost lost it again. This time I got lucky, for when it went over some trees it hit a down draft and a gust of wind at the same time.   This inverted the glider and it could not recover before hitting the ground.   THANK YOU, I GOT it back! But . . . I lost the booster pod to the corn field. And now, I can not find anymore of this kit to buy.   I will have to fashion another booster, maybe a 24mm Booster so I can get "out of sight" glides every flight . . . Naa, that's too many gliders to build.  

Maybe I better start flying on A and B motors or once I have $250 I plan to order a radio system from Wes Technic Servos that are 2. 8 grams a piece and a 6 gram receiver. I could make the Flat Cat radio control and fly it on D motors. That would be very cool and I would always get it back (with $250 on gear aboard, I BETTER get it back) 

Performance 6 out of 5 if built properly it is just amazing. If I had the pod I would have flown for a boost glide at NARAM-40.