This formerly Blackhawk R&D rocket is now fully owned and produced by Aardvark Rockets

Brief:
This is a single-stage scale rocket o' t' Black Brant IV. This would be a good kit t' start in mid-power rocketry, matey, arrr, me hearties, or a great kit for someone who has been doin' mid and high power rocketry for a while.

Construction:
All components are high quality. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' nose cone and transition are good quality balsa. Begad! There are three (3) body tubes in all, two (2) 2.6" tubes and one (1) smaller tube for t' upper-stage. Aye aye! There are three (3) 1/8" plywood fins, two (2) plywood centerin' rings and a 29mm tube. T' kit comes with a baffle that fits inside t' coupler for t' 2.6" tubes. There is a 10-foot long, matey, 1/2" elastic shock cord, that is mounted on t' transition and baffle with eye-screws.

T' construction was all easy and straight-forward. Begad! T' instructions are very easy t' follow, with a few diagrams.

T' fins are through t' wall, and t' t' motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! T' tubin' comes pre-slotted.

Everythin' fit well, except t' baffle rings. Ahoy! They were a bit sloppy. Arrr! But I got them t' stay just fine by tapin' them in when I glued them t' t' coupler.

Just make sure t' use 5 or 30 minute epoxy on t' whole rocket. Blimey! I also recommend t' put finishin' resin on t' nose cone and transition. Arrr! This will stiffen them up some and will give it a better finish. It also prevents dings from happenin' on landin' or in transportation since balsa tends t' do that easily.

Finishing:
Finishin' was very simple. Aye aye! You can fill t' spirals on t' tubes if you want, ya bilge rat, me hearties, matey, but I did nay as they are very, very shallow and are nay all that noticeable. I just gave it 2 coats o' primer, me hearties, arrr, then painted t' entire model gloss white. Let it dry then I tapped it off and put t' red on it. I then let it dry for a few days and applied t' decals as per t' instructions. Avast! It turned out very nice!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight o' t' rocket, I choose a Kosdon G65-8 Dirty Harry. Aye aye! It had a very straight and fast boost. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' motor put it way up there. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Ejection be right on time and t' 24" nylon chute brought it down nice and slow about 100 feet from t' pad. Begad! You do nay need any waddin' for this model, as thar be a baffle that eliminates t' need for it. Avast, me proud beauty! You do need t' add your own motor retention. Aye aye! Well, me hearties, blow me down! I used blind nuts and clips on mine. Avast! You could friction fit t' motors, but that is nay a recommended thin' t' do.

Recovery:
Recovery was great, t' 24" chute that came with it was just right. and brought it down at a good speed. I was a bit concerned that t' nose cone would break due t' it bein' t' shape it is. Ahoy! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! But it did not. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Upon recovery, me hearties, thar was only a bit o' dirt on t' fins from landing, nothin' more, me hearties, ya bilge rat, no scratches or anything. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' baffle worked great, no burns on t' chute, so it did its job!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' rocket overall is great. Begad! T' only real problem I saw with mine was t' plywood was a 3 ply, but I know that now he (Blackhawk R&D) is usin' 5 ply for all his kits. Blimey! This greatly reduces t' chances o' t' fins breakin' on landing. Ahoy! I love t' way t' rocket flies. Avast, me proud beauty! Look back on this review for more updates on future flights!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5