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, matey, an 18mm motor tube, shiver me timbers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, a launch lug, a waterslide decal, matey, and two sheets of laser-cut balsa parts.

T' instructions in this Semroc kit were well written, logical, ya bilge rat, and generously illustrated. Avast! Begad! Blimey! Construction is very straightforward. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey! T' laser-cut parts are well produced, and go together very smoothly. I found it easiest t' sand to shape and pre-seal t' parts before assembly. Begad! T' parts fit together very precisely, ya bilge rat, and t' model built very straight and true. Ya scallywag! I was impressed with t' quality o' balsa used in t' kit. Avast! It was very hard, me bucko, but still light and free o' any irregular grain. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! T' next day I sanded t' surfaces smooth with 220 grit sandpaper. 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. Begad! Blimey! Too much paint and smooth surfaces tend t' make them glide like a brick. Ahoy! Blimey! 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. 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. Begad! T' waterslide decal went on without a hitch.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Glide testin' was surprisingly tricky. Avast, me proud beauty! T' model is very sensitive t' slight changes in weight. As built, it stalled badly, me bucko, arrr, but just a small amount o' clay in t' nose be all it needed t' balance. T' main problem I found be that I could nay get t' glider t' turn at all. I tried steam-bendin' a win' or t' tail, matey, arrr, but it just refused t' turn. Avast, me proud beauty! I ended up puttin' a small bit o' clay on one wingtip t' get it t' turn. Avast! 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. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! 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. Begad! T' kick from t' motor caused it to loop and it flew with a slight stall on a long, gentle glide back. Well, blow me down! Begad! Recovery showed that a small chunk o' t' nose cone had popped off, perhaps from t' force o' ejection. Well, blow me down! 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. Avast! T' height was good and it corkscrewed less, ya bilge rat, but t' delay be too long and it was pointin' down at ejection. Blimey! T' glide was very good and flat. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Nice flight overall.

For t' third flight I tried an Estes B6-4. Corkscrewed up but went nice and high. Begad! Ejection be hard t' see, but seemed about right. Ahoy! It stalled again this time, 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, and I think it might be able t' handle a C6-3, but I didn't try it.

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

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very good model at a very reasonable price. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' materials are top-notch, and t' laser-cuttin' makes it a breeze t' assemble. T' people that saw this fly were very impressed and liked t' way it looked. Aye aye! Blimey! T' model develops a coatin' o' ejection blast but otherwise held up pretty well. Aye aye! Blimey! I thought it performed well for its type. 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