Brief:
I think this newest release may outdo Red River's flagship, the Predator. The Stratos is a BT-50 kit that uses an 18mm motor and parachute recovery, but its looks are a lot more. Our local club was having a Classic Kit contest with an Open category for all other rockets. I had just finished the Stratos, so I thought I'd enter it just for grins. Not only did it win the Open category, it also took Best in Show out of over 50 rockets. The sleek lines of this kit will remind you of several very cool rockets, but John Dyer put it all together into one fantastic rocket that not only looks great but flies great too.

Construction:
The parts list

• 1 BT-50 kraft main body tube
• 2 BT-50 kraft engine nacelle tubes
• 1 BNC-50 balsa nose cone
• 2 laser cut balsa fin sheets
• 1 standard 18mm motor mount kit with motor clip
• 1 standard 1/8" launch lug
• 1 screw eye
• 1 shock cord, 24" Kevlar® line plus 1/8" x 18" elastic
• 2 toothpicks
• 1 16" mylar parachute kit
• 1 decal sheet, water slide

Mine was a beta test kit, so it came in the standard plastic bag but minus the face card. That was too bad, as the face card is usually very nice. The parts are all top quality and the instructions are laid out in logical steps with key illustrations.

I sanded all the tubes and balsa first and filled the nose cone using Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish to get that all out of the way in the beginning. The spirals in the tube were not that noticeable, so I didn't worry about filling them. After that, I followed the instructions except for a couple of personal deviations including papering the fins to add strength and reduce finishing time.

The wings come in three pieces that have to be glued together. Since the parts are laser cut, this is pretty easy to do as everything fits together very nicely. While that's gluing the motor mount can be constructed, a standard build except the 24" Kevlar® line is added into the mix. The recommended method for installation of the Kevlar® line is neatly done, but I prefer to have the Kevlar® further up the tube so I can inspect it. So, instead, I made a standard paper shock cord attachment and used the Kevlar® with that. It's my own standard.

A marking guide is provided to aid in cutting out the angles in the nacelle tubes. Since there were only two tubes that had to be cut, it wasn't that big of an issue. While some might complain about doing that kind of thing, I grew up doing it so it wasn't that big of a deal. Any more than that and groaning is acceptable though. Just be sure to have a sharp blade and follow the directions. They looked nice when completed.

The wings are glued on first, angled down from the tube, then the nacelle tubes, skid fins, and finally the nacelle fins and launch lugs are attached. All of this was done with double glue joints and allowing appropriate drying time. I still haven't migrated to CA for tacking on fins. It seems un-American, even though I come right behind and lay on the fillets. My grandson keeps trying to get me to change, but I'm stubborn. Finally, I installed the shock cord and connected it to the screw eye in the nose cone. I used my standard installation here: CA around the forward end of the tube and tie a knot in the Kevlar® at the exit point, then add a loop in the end of the Kevlar® and tie on the 1/8" elastic cord. Then I put the parachute together and it's done.

Finishing:
Finishing the rocket was standard, except there are some tight spots for sanding around the nacelle tubes and skids. The entire rocket was painted gloss white with Krylon. The instructions suggest painting the toothpicks black separately and then adding them to the tip of the nacelle fins at the end. I was going to do that and forgot. Considering the results of the contest, those toothpicks will never make it there. In between waiting for glue to dry I had managed to get the umpteen decals cut out, so I was ready to start applying those. They laid down nicely and look great. Next I applied a couple of coats of Future Floor Wax to protect the finish and improve the shine. Beautiful!

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
Our October launch was rained out, so I had to wait until November to fly the Stratos. Then I had to wait until the contest was over on Saturday, so my first flight wasn't until Sunday. The winds were under 10mph though, so it was a perfect day for flying: nothing but blue skies and soft dirt. Both flights were on C6-5s with nice straight boosts to some serious altitude. I was surprised at how quickly it got off the pad. I was anticipating the rocket to have much more drag than was exhibited by the flight. Very nice!

Recovery:
The chute popped right at the top both times and landed perfectly. It was a little windier for the second flight with some stronger gusts though. Before I could get to the rocket the second time, a couple of gusts caught the parachute after landing and dragged it across the ground. No real damage though, just some minor scuffing that should clean up fine. It was a great day!

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
The Stratos doesn't really take that long to complete and the build is very straightforward. Parts quality is superb. The decals really enhance the look of the rocket. Look sharp, now. You're a member of the U.S. Air Force Space Command. Yeah! Well, O.K., it's a very nice looking rocket.

PROs: Outstanding design, quality parts with laser cut fins, excellent instructions, and a nice long shock cord

CONs: None. I made the change with the shock cord and papered the fins, but that is personal preference.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5