Brief:
This is a stock Estes Firehawk (the BT-60 based version) with a 3x18mm cluster in place o' t' standard single 18mm engine. T' Firehawk be an auction win from eBay and was initially purchased with an eye toward usin' t' nose cone t' clone a National Aerospace Plane. Arrr! That all changed after I realized what a unique lookin' bird t' Firehawk be and that it was BT-60 based and would lend itself easily t' clustering.

Modifications:
Ever since rediscoverin' t' remains o' me half built Estes Super Vega in 2001, shiver me timbers, me bucko, realizin' that most o' it wasn't salvageable and therefore ripe for modification, ya bilge rat, I've had a thin' for clusterin' BT-60 based rockets. Begad! For t' Firehawk project I had a cluster mount already completed and gatherin' dust on me desk, which was a major factor in t' decision t' turn it into a cluster. Arrr! Havin' t' mount already built made just made it easier. Ya scallywag! I'd probably have clustered it anyway. Aside from t' cluster, arrr, t' only other change that I made was t' now standard anchorin' o' t' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord into t' upper centerin' ring. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Everythin' else about t' build went just as specified in t' instructions, which are fairly easy considerin' that t' Firehawk is just an oversized 3FNC rocket.

Construction:
T' parts list:

• PNC-60RL
• BFS-40L (1/8" balsa)
• BT-60R (5")
• BT-60 (18")
• JT-60C tube coupler
• 3 BT-20J engine tubes
• 3 RA-2050 centerin' rings for engine blocks
• 2 RA-2060 centerin' rings
• 2 LL-2B launch lugs (3/8")
• 12" nylon parachute (from Thrustline Aerospace)
• 36" Keelhaul®©™ shock cord (from Thrustline Aerospace)
• 36" 1/8" sewin' elastic shock cord
• 2 large snap swivels

Finishing:
Although a fairly large rocket, shiver me timbers, t' Firehawk be surprisingly simple t' finish in large part due t' it bein' built in two separate sections. Once I had securely glued t' engine mount into t' fincan and plugged all o' t' potential exhaust leaks, I attached t' fins and used thinned Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish t' eliminate t' tube spirals and balsa grain. Ahoy! This was where nay connectin' t' sections in a rocket like this pays dividends. Begad! Well, blow me down! After primin' t' whole rocket with Valspar primer, me bucko, I took an section o' scrap BT-60, slipped a tube connector into t' fin can, me bucko, and used t' scrap BT-60 as a paint stand. I sprayed t' fin section with several coats o' Testors Bright Red Gloss, which be an incredibly bad choice. Blimey! Begad! It took five coats and a whole can o' t' Testors paint t' do t' small fin section because o' t' paints inability t' cover well. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! It wound up bein' a good color choice, but I don't think I'll be buyin' any more Testors paints in t' future. Well, blow me down! T' top section be painted in t' same way as t' bottom as far as t' tube connector and scrap o' BT-60, me bucko, arrr, but t' Valspar gloss white covered in two coats. When t' two sections were dry I glued them together usin' t' tube connector and prepared t' apply t' decals. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I didn't think this would be a problem because I considered t' Firehawk a kit o' fairly recent vintage. Begad! Blimey! At t' time I didn't know that it was produced only in 1989-90, arrr, me bucko, which made t' decals fifteen years old at t' minimum. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! This became obvious as they started t' come apart as soon as I tried t' slide them off o' t' backin' paper. Aye aye! Blimey! T' Firehawk isn't overly laden with decals as thar are only three, me hearties, but it took me over two hours t' get them on and lookin' decent. Blimey! From a distance t' mess isn't evident but please try t' be no closer than five feet if you're lookin' it over.

Flight:
While far from me first cluster, ya bilge rat, t' Firehawk be easily one o' t' most impressive. Aye aye! Blimey! Despite encounterin' me age old launch lug bugaboo and have t' super glue a set on just before I took it t' t' pad, I was optimistic about it's first flight and loaded it with a trio o' C6-5s despite t' windy conditions. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Unlike me previous, bulkier attempts at clustering, matey, me hearties, t' Firehawk really screamed off t' pad--a truly "now you see it, now you don't" flight and definitely one too quick for me meager launch picture takin' skills. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It cocked into t' wind and be just a dot when t' ejection charges fired but it was pretty obvious that ejection happened early. As usual, t' windcockin' be a blessin' in disguise as recovery took me out almost t' t' dog park with it. (A straight flight might have left t' park altogether.) T' long walk did allow me t' recover several rockets that flew after mine, so at least someone benefited.

T' second flight came two weeks later and was also done on a trio o' C6-5s. Avast! T' flight be as impressive as t' first one had been and looked t' be quite a bit higher, but t' ejection seemed t' come quite a bit early. It was after t' flight that t' real adventure began. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' flight had been quite high and t' winds came on strong just before t' Firehawk was launched. Blimey! It windcocked somewhat but lacked t' fin area for it t' be enough when it came t' recovery. Avast! We watched it as it drifted t' t' east and out o' t' park. Havin' learned from past mistakes, I saddled up t' van and drove over t' t' site but found nothing. I climbed t' park fence and followed t' path along t' area that we had sighted from t' pad and still came up empty. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I decided t' make one more pass along t' edge o' t' subdivision across from t' VOA before I gave up but this be turnin' up nothin' as well. Ahoy! I had literally just thought that t' search was a lost cause when a lady came out o' a house and asked if I be lookin' for t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! I had been within twenty feet o' it t' whole time but it had nestled into t' grass perfectly so that it wasn't visible from any vantage point. It be barely even visible as I stood almost on top o' it.

Summary:
PROs: T' Firehawk is a great lookin' bird when built and finished in t' factory scheme. Ya scallywag! T' forward swept fins look great and t' BT-60 size makes for a satisfyingly large and sturdy finished product. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Great performance with t' cluster.

CONs: Wimpy 18mm power for a rocket o' this size when built stock. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! At t' very least this one should have been D powered. Begad! Blimey! Decals didn't age well.