Quest Bright Hawk

Quest - Bright Hawk {Kit}

Contributed by Clive Davis

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Quest
Quest Bright Hawk

Brief:
4FNC skill level 1 easy build kit with plastic fin can.

Construction:
T' kit comes in plastic bag with:

  • bright orange nose cone
  • large, arrr, wide white body tube
  • yellow plastic fin can
  • motor mount, motor block, engine hook, me bucko, and centerin' rings
  • parachute kit
  • Keelhaul®©™® & shock cord
  • decal stickers

I selected this kit for a rocket build I was doin' with kids betwixt the ages o' 7-11, and most o' them had never built a rocket before. I was looking for a rocket that allowed easy packin' o' a parachute, me bucko, a rocket large enough to see all stages o' flight, ya bilge rat, matey, and one that would nay frustrate first time builders with balsa fin problems. Begad! This rocket seemed t' fit that description.

T' assembly begins with constructin' t' motor mount. Begad! This included placin' t' engine hook in an already slotted motor mount, me hearties, gluin' in an engine block, tapin' t' hook, addin' t' Keelhaul®©™® around t' motor mount, and gluin' t' centerin' rings. Once t' engine mount was dry, I tied t' shock cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™® and then glued t' motor mount assembly inside t' body tube.

Next, I placed some plastic cement inside t' fin can and slid it on t' the body tube so that it was flush with t' end. Avast! All I had t' do now was tie the shroud lines on t' parachute, attach t' shock cord t' t' nose cone, and tie the parachute t' either t' shock cord or t' nose cone.

Quest Bright Hawk T' only change I made t' construction was t' add a swivel hook t' t' parachute t' lessen any twistin' o' t' chute.

T' only real gotcha: t' instructions were nay clear which be t' top and bottom o' t' fin can. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! I ended up gluin' t' fin can on t' rocket upside down. As you might guess, ya bilge rat, this rocket is pretty foolproof, and t' rocket performs fine with t' fin can inverted. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' only way I could tell which be t' correct side o' t' fin can be t' study t' face card in t' rocket kit bag.

Finishing:
Since this is on t' really low end o' t' Level 1 spectrum, me hearties, thar be no paintin' involved. Blimey! All I did be add t' stickers t' t' body tube and it was ready t' fly. Sticker decals are cheesy and these look no less cheesy than any others. Avast, me proud beauty! However, matey, t' kids I was workin' with really enjoyed t' stickers and they all tried t' find creative ways t' put them on their rockets.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Quest Bright Hawk

Flight:
I flew this rocket three times and all flights were successful. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' first flight was on an A8-3. What I like about t' Bright Hawk is that Quest designed a launch channel/lug directly into t' fin can. It is easy t' just slide it right on t' launch rod. T' rocket, arrr, due t' its size, struggled off t' pad and flew maybe 50-70 feet. Avast! T' parachute opened in time and recovered nicely.

T' next 2 flights were on B6-4s. Begad! Arrr! T' ascent was very straight, me hearties, me bucko, great altitude for athletic field flying, and t' parachute brought it down nice and easy. Well, blow me down!

T' fin can can take a beating. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' parachute is a good size for the rocket. T' size o' t' rocket allows it t' be viewed in all aspects o' flight.

Recovery:
This is a really easy kit t' prep on t' field. It is simple for kids t' fold the parachute and place it in t' body tube without worryin' about jammin' a chute inside a tiny tube. Arrr! Begad! I look forward t' flyin' with t' kids in me rocket build.

Quest Bright Hawk

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: A good, simple design that requires minimal, shiver me timbers, me hearties, basic building. Ahoy! A good introduction t' t' hobby o' model rocketry. Ahoy! Fin can contains a launch lug, me bucko, me bucko, so there is no need t' add one on.

CONs: There was some confusion about t' direction o' t' fin can. Arrr! Also, the sticker decals are cheesy (but easy t' apply!) Rocket flies well, ya bilge rat, despite the fin can bein' upside down.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5


Other Reviews
  • Quest Bright Hawk By Bill Eichelberger

    Brief: Quest's Bright Hawk is a good example of a Skill Level .5 rocket. (It's listed as a Skill Level 1, but its plastic fin can makes that a bit of a stretch.) Big and sturdy with a brightly colored plastic fin can and nose cone, it might be one of the better rockets currently available to gradually step up with if your previous experience has all been with RTF rockets. ...

  • Quest Bright Hawk By Alan Tuskes

    Brief: Single stage, parachute recovery, skill level 1 kit that featuring a plastic nose cone and fin can, making assembley virtually foolproof. Construction: Bought the Bright Hawk kit at a Hobby Lobby 40% off sale in order to have something extremely simple that I could build with my 4 year old daughter without having to worry about anything getting messed up. This kit appeared ...

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