Brief:
This is Semroc's Retro-Repro kit o' t' 1965 AMROCS Hawk. It is a swept-win' boost-glider that uses motor ejection to change CG at apogee.

Construction:
T' kit consists o' a balsa nose cone, an 18mm motor tube, me hearties, a launch lug, matey, a waterslide decal, arrr, and two sheets of laser-cut balsa parts.

T' instructions in this Semroc kit were well written, ya bilge rat, logical, arrr, and generously illustrated. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Construction is very straightforward. Begad! Begad! Blimey! T' laser-cut parts are well produced, ya bilge rat, and go together very smoothly. I found it easiest t' sand to shape and pre-seal t' parts before assembly. Blimey! Blimey! T' parts fit together very precisely, and t' model built very straight and true. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I be impressed with t' quality o' balsa used in t' kit. Aye aye! It be very hard, me bucko, matey, but still light and free o' any irregular grain. Truly some o' t' best balsa I have seen in a rocket kit.

Finishing:
I sealed t' balsa with a 50/50 solution o' Titebond cement and water. I brushed this onto t' shaped parts and let it dry overnight. T' next day I sanded t' surfaces smooth with 220 grit sandpaper. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I did no additional finishin' to the glider. Avast, me proud beauty! My experience has been that this be t' best finish for all-balsa gliders. Aye aye! Too much paint and smooth surfaces tend t' make them glide like a brick. Ahoy! Arrr! I added a few extra coats o' t' diluted glue t' t' nose-cone and painted t' power-pod with Tamiya white primer and Red. Begad! Glide tests indicated that t' nose-weight was needed and it was me hope that t' bright red would be easier t' spot on t' ground. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' waterslide decal went on without a hitch. Ya scallywag!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Glide testin' was surprisingly tricky. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' model is very sensitive t' slight changes in weight. Aye aye! As built, ya bilge rat, it stalled badly, but just a small amount o' clay in t' nose was all it needed t' balance. Ya scallywag! T' main problem I found be that I could nay get t' glider t' turn at all. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I tried steam-bendin' a win' or t' tail, but it just refused t' turn. I ended up puttin' a small bit o' clay on one wingtip t' get it t' turn. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Blimey! I would recommend you build it with t' rudders turned just 1/32nd o' an inch t' one side.

T' recommeded motors are 1/2A6-2 and A8-3. Arrr! I could nay find a 1/2A motor so I flew it on an Estes A8-3 for the first flight. T' Hawk jumped off t' pad and flew in lazy circles until ejection. T' kick from t' motor caused it to loop and it flew with a slight stall on a long, ya bilge rat, me bucko, gentle glide back. Begad! Recovery showed that a small chunk o' t' nose cone had popped off, perhaps from t' force o' ejection. This may have resulted in t' stall.

I took a pinch o' clay from t' wingtip and placed it in t' nose and flew it on a Quest A6-4. T' height was good and it corkscrewed less, but t' delay was too long and it was pointin' down at ejection. Arrr! T' glide was very good and flat. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Nice flight overall.

For t' third flight I tried an Estes B6-4. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Corkscrewed up but went nice and high. Ejection was hard t' see, but seemed about right. It stalled again this time, arrr, and when recovered I found another chunk was missin' from t' nose. Perhaps some vent-holes are in order? T' glider showed no other damage from t' oversized motor, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and I think it might be able t' handle a C6-3, ya bilge rat, but I didn't try it.

Recovery:
T' motor ejection is a very big kick. Begad! T' Edmonds CiCi uses a similar motor ejection, but has vent-holes near the nose. Blimey! I think that might help. T' swept-wings make this model very sensitive in balance and I think t' chunks being lost from t' nose were causin' t' stall. Aye aye! I think a slight turn built into t' tail or wings would be advised. Overall, arrr, it was still a very impressive flier and stays up a long time on just an A. Well, blow me down! Avast! A very good performer.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very good model at a very reasonable price. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' materials are top-notch, matey, and t' laser-cuttin' makes it a breeze t' assemble. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' people that saw this fly were very impressed and liked t' way it looked. Avast, me proud beauty! T' model develops a coatin' o' ejection blast but otherwise held up pretty well. Begad! I thought it performed well for its type. Arrr! Blimey! If I built it again, I would build a turn into it and provide a vent hole in t' engine tube t' ease that kick at apogee.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5