Brief:
A 1/30 scale model of the original NASA test version. test version of the vehicle.

Construction:
The kit has a BT5 balsa nose cone and BT50-BT60 transition three air frame tubes BT60, BT50 and BT5. One checker decal. Four (4) centering rings, three (3) fins, a really nice 16" nylon parachute and other misc bits.

The kit went together nicely, I used Elmers yellow glue and fill-n-finish on the balsa parts. This was my first experience with paper transitions the instructions were easy to follow and the illustrations were quite clear, so I had no trouble with them. There was only one step that I had problems with, Step 4G mentions lining up the engine hook with reference lines but this kit does not use a hook, a minor matter.

Finishing:
Finishing was the hardest part for me, This was my first "Scale" kit and I wanted it to be best I could make it. Filling the balsa took the longest and I think there are a couple spots where the grain shows. I got the decal a little crooked but its barely noticeable, I wish the kit came with a water slide instead of a peel and stick.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
Flight prep is pretty much the same as an Estes kit, 4 squares of wadding 3 in the tube one wrapped around the folded chute. Being that this model has no motor hook you wrap the motor with tape till it's snug. I've flown the Scout on all of the recommended motors. The B6-4 gives the best looking flight, fairly slow lift-off, straight flight with reasonable altitude and ejection right at apogee. The C6-5 is also good, ejecting at apogee but the lift-off is too quick to look realistic (also hard to photograph!) The A8-3 is one of the recommended motors, but I don't recommend it. The flight was too slow and the altitude was low. Ejection occurred at apogee, but the chute barely had time to open before the nose hit the ground, no damage.

Recovery:
This model uses the same shock cord most Estes kits. The 16" nylon chute does an excellent job of slowing the rocket and it opens very gently. the tail cone is showing a little scorching but other than that it's holding up very well.

Flight Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary:
I really enjoyed building this model. It requires a bit of skill, most notably the paper shrouds. Take your time. This is a great sport scale model that flies straight and is very impressive on the pad. I think they should have included more history of the actual vehicle and they should remove the A8-3 as a recommended motor.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5