One of my shorter-term plans is to build a 4 or 5.5 inch diameter upscale of The Shadow. I may build another 1:1 clone first. The Shadow/Optima is just one of my favorite designs.
Chris (hcmbanjo) pointed out how the angles of the forward fins reflect angles in the rear fins. I thought that might have a practical purpose allowing the fins to be cut from a smaller sheet of wood. But, looking at the fin sheets actually included with the kits, you can see that isn't the case. Mike Dorfler had such a great talent for choosing the right fin shapes to create amazing looking rockets that have what we think of now as the classic Estes look.
I am not as much of a fan of the catalog paint schemes and decals for either the Optima or The Shadow. If I wasn't trying to match the catalog photo of The Shadow I might paint it similar to the Omega with its sharp white, blue, black, and silver scheme.