Brief:
T' Madcow Army Hawk is a mid-powered 1:5.4 scale version o' t' actual surface-to-air guided missile. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' Hawk features a balsa boat tail, arrr, Nomex chute protector, matey, shiver me timbers, vinyl decal, me hearties, matey, arrr, Keelhaul®©™ shock cord, and 30" nylon parachute recovery. Ahoy! Skill level wasn't mentioned, but I'd place this at a skill level 2 for its size and t' need for epoxy in construction.

Construction:
T' parts list:

• Balsa nose cone
• Balsa tail cone
• Pre-slotted body tube
• 2 Centerin' rings
• 29mm motor tube
• 4 Laser cut fins
• Eyebolt, matey, nut and washer
• Nose cone shoulder coupler
• Nose cone shoulder bulkhead
• Nose weight
• Keelhaul®©™shock cord
• Nomexchute protector
• 30" nylon chute
• 1/4" launch lugs (2)
• Vinyl decal

I dry-fit all o' t' parts before I started t' build, and was pleased t' see that everythin' seemed t' line up just as it would when it was time for t' actual construction. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! It be t' actual construction part that had me nervous, since I rarely venture into t' realm o' mid-power. Begad! Ya scallywag! My occasions t' use epoxy are scarce, shiver me timbers, matey, and when I do use it, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I wind up with a mess on me hands, feet, goatee, etc. Aye aye! (I don't even like t' think about t' etc. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! part.)

That said, almost everythin' about this build went smoothly. Begad! Blimey! I didn't wind up with too much o' an epoxy mess, me bucko, except for one occasion when a fillet refused t' cure, me bucko, me bucko, causin' me t' have t' go back and start over. Begad! Ahoy! T' instructions were well explained and adequately illustrated if one has previous buildin' experience and I found myself finished with t' basic construction almost too quickly. With t' exception o' paint and nose weight, matey, everythin' looked like t' illustration and all o' t' parts fit together seamlessly.

Finishing:
Finishin' was as easy as t' rest o' t' project. Begad! T' body tube had only t' slightest spiral, me hearties, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and thar be very little grain showin' in t' plywood fins. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! These were eliminated with t' last o' me thinned Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish. T' balsa nose and tail cones were treated t' several coats o' FnF and came out lookin' great after several sandings. Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Once t' rocket was smooth enough, I primed it with Valspar white primer, then sprayed t' fins with Valspar Gloss Black. I ran into a little trouble maskin' off t' fins because o' t' monster fin fillets that I had created, but it isn't easily noticed unless you're holdin' t' rocket. Begad! After two coats o' gloss black, t' fins looked great and I masked them off before paintin' t' rest o' t' rocket with several coats o' Valspar Gloss White. When this dried I installed t' vinyl decal as shown on t' instruction sheet. This was t' first vinyl decal I'd ever tried and I was impressed with how well it held its place once it be applied. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! T' finished product looks great: squat, bulky and sturdy. Ahoy! Blimey! My kind o' rocket.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Like many people, I found myself choosin' me motor based on t' what was available when I visited our on-field vendor, matey, Merlin Missiles. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Nay ownin' an RMS system and nay willin' t' chance borrowin' someone else's, me bucko, I went with t' Aerotech G38FJ-7--a choice that I be assured would be great for this rocket. Ahoy! Once I got it home, I installed it in t' motor tube and figured out how much nose weight t' install t' brin' t' CG up t' t' proscribed 20.75" from t' tip o' t' nose. Avast! In t' end, that wound up bein' almost all o' it.

With Christmas season fast approachin' and a personal health crisis on t' horizon, I managed only one flight with this bird before t' end o' me flyin' season. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! However, that flight definitely won't be t' last. Well, blow me down! Launch day was gray and overcast with a constant breeze. Arrr! Since this be goin' t' be only me third flight usin' an Aerotech motor and me first since 2002, shiver me timbers, I be a little nervous about t' impendin' flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Luckily t' VOA field was crowded with people t' whom a flight like this is almost as natural as drawin' a breath. Begad! Aye aye! Fellow QUARKer Mark "Loopy" VanLuvender helped out immensely and kept me from a full blown panic attack. I had an idea o' how t' proceed but havin' someone t' confirm that what I be doin' be correct made all t' difference in t' world. Arrr! Once t' motor was secured and t' ignitor in place, things got rollin' quickly, and after loadin' t' rocket on t' pad and gettin' t' obligatory pictures, t' launch followed quickly. Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I managed t' catch t' whole process with t' burst mode on me camera, matey, even though I've never had t' slightest bit o' luck timin' Copperhead ignitions. Ahoy! T' Hawk rose fairly smartly and followed an almost arrow straight flight path up t' t' point o' motor burnout. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! It weathercocked some durin' t' coast phase due t' t' large surface area o' t' fins, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but for t' most part, me hearties, everythin' occurred just over t' flight line.

Recovery:
At ejection, me hearties, t' rocket had taken a nose-down attitude, but even with a fairly violent jerk, thar was no damage. Begad! Ahoy! T' 30" nylon parachute brought t' rocket down softly about 100 yards into t' uncut overgrowth. It spread itself out nicely over t' vegetation, ya bilge rat, makin' for an easy recovery walk. T' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord looked as fresh as when I installed it and t' marks on t' Nomex sheet told me that it had done its job.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: High quality parts--especially t' balsa nose and tail cones in a kit o' this size. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Ease o' construction (aside from a personal difficulty with epoxy that I have no one but myself t' blame). Begad! Madcow now makes a Jayhawk kit. (Can you say Father's Day present?)

CONs: T' price seems hefty, but when you consider what you get with a kit o' this size, me bucko, it seems about right.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5