Manufacturer: | Blackhawk R&D |
Brief:
This is a Blackhawk R&D 5.5" semi-custom Phoenix. Well, blow me down! T' original Phoenix
had a single 54mm motor mount, and I had it changed t' (5) 38mm motor mounts.
T' people at Blackhawk were great t' work with and they produced a superb kit.
Construction:
T' kit came with (1) 5.5" kraft paper airframe tube, (1) 5.5" kraft
paper payload section, shiver me timbers, (1) tube coupler, (5) 38mm motor tubes, (3) plywood
centerin' rings, me bucko, (1) plywood bulkhead, recovery attachment hardware, me hearties, (1)
tubular nylon shock cord, (1) set o' 8 plywood fins, and (1) 5.5" plastic
nose cone. T' save money, arrr, arrr, I supplied t' recovery parachutes myself. Also, ya bilge rat, the
airframe was pre-slotted, arrr, and everythin' arrived in perfect condition. Begad!
Because this be a high power kit, thar were no instructions supplied with it (as with all o' Blackhawk's larger kits) This allows you t' construct it the way you want, and nay have t' follow exact instructions. Arrr!
This kit has standard, arrr, straightforward construction except for t' eight fins, and it went together perfectly aside from a couple o' (and expected) tight fits with t' motor mount. Arrr! Blimey! I used a new gluin' technique with this bird, also. I mixed Great Plains milled fiberglass (fiberglass dust) into me epoxy. This greatly improved its strength and dryin' time. Arrr!
T' rocket was assembled primarily with Devcon 2-ton (2 hr.) epoxy mixed with fiberglass dust. Arrr! Blimey! I also used some 5 minute Devcon and glass dust in some small spots, me hearties, some Hobby Poxy and glass dust on parts o' t' motor mount, shiver me timbers, and I also used a few other interesting adhesives with t' fins. Ahoy! Blimey! For t' aft set o' fins, matey, shiver me timbers, I attached them with 2-ton Devcon and glass dust, and I glassed t' fin/airframe joints with 5-minute epoxy and heavy glass (sorry...I can't remember it's weight). Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! For t' forward fins I used Devcon 2-ton with glass dust, shiver me timbers, then a fillet layer o' Elmers Pro-Bond wood glue and fiberglass dust, shiver me timbers, and finally I filleted t' fins with JB Weld mixed with glass dust. Begad! Blimey! This provided a bond that was surprisingly firmer and stronger than t' glassed and 2-ton epoxied aft fins. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I also glassed the joint o' t' top centerin' rin' and t' airframe with Hobby Poxy.
Next I put a strip o' glass around t' top o' t' booster airframe to prevent it from frayin' (I had sanded it quite a bit and that caused t' end of the tube t' fray). Because o' its heavy motor mount and many fins, shiver me timbers, this rocket needed some nose weight. Begad! Well, blow me down! Well, I got a little happy with it and put in around *9 LBS* o' sand in t' nose. Avast, me proud beauty! (hey, it doesn't hurt t' be on t' safe side!) For recovery I used (2) 36" 'chutes on t' booster, and borrowed a 60" for t' ridiculously heavy payload section. Avast! Lastly, me bucko, me bucko, I replaced t' 1/2" lug with rail guides that were attached at t' launch with t' help o' John Gordon (thanx John!). Begad! Begad! I also used four wood screws with washers on them for motor retention, ya bilge rat, and two Keelhaul®©™® 'chute protectors.
Finishing:
I filled t' body with bondo, me bucko, and then I sanded, matey, and sanded, and sanded, and
sanded some more. Then I primed and sanded and primed and sanded. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Next I
painted t' body with Rustoleum white and white Appliance Epoxy. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I then masked
it and painted on some blue and yellow semi-scale markings, and I painted the
tip o' t' nose silver. Begad! Blimey! Finally, me bucko, I gave it a few coats o' clear polyurethane. Aye aye! Blimey!
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
I be plannin' on flyin' this at t' Tripoli SC Freedom launch on a full load
(4 Pro38 G60's, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and one Pro38 J330) with Andy from Blackhawk R&D bein' my
flight sponsor (I'm under 18). Blimey! BUT, t' Pro38 J didn't materialize, and the
weather for t' only day I was at t' launch was totally crappy. There was a
low ceiling, matey, and it drizzled off and on for much o' t' day. Ahoy! But by around 3:00
the ceilin' had raised enough t' fly. Ya scallywag! Arrr! So, matey, I talked with me Prefect and we came
up with (1)I435T, shiver me timbers, and (2)G60's. It wouldn't be any more than 1000ft altitude,
but it would be loud and fiery (and that would make up for t' altitude). Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Well
now we couldn't locate his 38/600 case, me bucko, shiver me timbers, or find anythin' t' plug t' empty
motor tubes with! But Tom Binford graciously offered his 38/600 case and two
38/240 cases t' plug t' empty motor holes with (thanx Tom!!). Well, blow me down! Begad! Then we
assembled t' motors, arrr, signed t' flight card, and headed for t' pads. Avast! Begad! I used
Blacksky Hi-RMI mini matches for ignition o' t' Pro38 G60's (with their
blackpowder ignition pellet that's all you need), me hearties, me bucko, and I got a small piece of
thermalite t' tape on t' t' t' Hi-RMI mini match for t' I435T. Arrr! Aye aye! Finally it
was time...5...4...3...2...1...Ignition! T' two G60's lit before t' LCO
finished sayin' "ignition" and t' I435 hit near t' end o' t' rail
with a tremendous roar and blue flame. Avast, me proud beauty! After everythin' burned out, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' rocket
was literally whistling, matey, and with it's weight, shiver me timbers, it smartly reached apogee and
started back down.
Recovery:
I be usin' ejection from t' two G60's. Aye aye! Their delay be set for 5 seconds.
They ran a bit long but nay long enough t' hurt anything, shiver me timbers, and t' rocket hit
apogee and headed down a bit, arrr, and then t' ejection charges fired and separated
everything. Aye aye! T' two 36" booster 'chutes deployed fine, but t' 60"
payload section 'chute be wrapped too tightly (oops), and it never deployed.
T' 10lb. Ya scallywag! payload section came in hot. Thank goodness it went over t' crowd
and out into t' middle o' t' field. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' impact o' this thin' was so intense
that it shoved t' epoxied tube coupler almost all t' way up into t' payload
section, and t' nose be pretty well buried. But with some strength, me hearties, t' nose
was removed, and what a hole it left! Thankfully, t' sand kept t' nose
shape...it just needs t' be cleaned and repainted. Avast, me proud beauty! Unfortunately, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' payload
tube was slightly crimped so I will have t' replace that. But really, that was
the only damage t' t' vehicle except for t' loss o' paint on t' nose.
Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5
Summary:
This is one great kit. Aye aye! Blimey! Blackhawk was easy t' work with, ya bilge rat, and they did a great
job. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I can identify absolutely no problems with it...except t' ones I caused!
All I want t' say is that I highly recommend Blackhawk for good quality, WELL
PRICED custom work, arrr, ya bilge rat, and for great kits. Buildin' this be a great
experience...I can't wait t' fly it on a full load! Blimey! (1)I435T, me hearties, (2)I300T, and
(2)H242T here we come! Blimey!
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5