Brief:
Single stage, parachute recovery, me bucko, skill level 1 kit that featurin' a plastic nose cone and fin can, matey, makin' assembley virtually foolproof.

Construction:
Bought t' Bright Hawk kit at a Hobby Lobby 40% off sale in order t' have somethin' extremely simple that I could build with me 4 year old daughter without havin' t' worry about anythin' gettin' messed up. This kit appeared to be just t' thing. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Upon openin' t' kit, everythin' appeared t' be accounted for and o' t' usual high Quest quality. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! T' parts were:

• 1 T35 body tube, 17 inches long
• 1 motor clip
• 1 thrust ring
• 1 motor mount tube
• 2 fiber centerin' rings
• 1 plastic nose cone
• 1 plastic fin can
• 24 inch long elastic shock cord
• 21 inch long Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• 2 strips o' 3 gripper tabs each
• 3 26 inch shroud lines
• 1 14 inch parachute
• 1 self-adhesive decal sheet
• assembly instructions and launch procedure sheet

One thin' I noted was that t' quality o' t' parachutes has increased lately. They no longer have that poly grocery bag quality o' a few years ago that seemed t' tear very easily. Ahoy! Packagin' quality was very good and thar was no damage t' any parts.

My daughter and I sat down t' put t' Bright Hawk together at t' dining room table. T' only tools needed t' assemble t' kit (per t' instructions) are a hobby knife, me bucko, a pencil, shiver me timbers, white glue, matey, and either scotch or maskin' tape. Curiously enough, plastic cement, shiver me timbers, matey, for bondin' t' fin can t' t' body tube was not listed but more on that later.

T' first step was construction o' t' motor mount, arrr, arrr, which was very straightforward, included the installation o' t' standard Quest Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, arrr, me bucko, which was wrapped around t' engine tube for a very strong mount. Avast! A nice touch which I don't remember seein' before was that t' engine tube already had t' slit for t' engine hook cut into it. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I think that if t' nose cone didn't have had some plastic flash in t' shock cord eye, you could have gotten away with assemblin' this kit without even havin' t' hobby knife on hand.

After installin' t' dried engine mount, usin' either white or wood glue, the followin' step caused me some consern:

Step 7 - Slide t' one piece molded fin unit onto t' body tube as shown.

That's it. No mention o' plastic cement or tape. Ahoy! Ahoy! Nothing. Ya scallywag! Usin' glue be no problem for me, but I be concerned that another person, matey, perhaps buildin' this as a first model, me bucko, shiver me timbers, may have their model disassemble itself under thrust. Wonderin' if this was an oversite or possibly a way o' changin' out fin cans in case o' damage, me hearties, I made a call t' customer service at Quest and be promptly put through t' Matt Constabile (aka "El Chubbo" on T' Rocketry Forum). He assured me that it was nay an oversite but that t' fin can be molded with a bit o' taper on t' inside and that it friction fits quite nicely onto the body tube. However, plastic cement or a silicone sealer could be used t' secure it if so desired. Begad! Begad! I found Matt t' be quite personable and he answered some other questions nay related t' this kit as well (bein' t' nosy little man that I am...) I ended up nay gluin' it on but put a couple o' small pieces of maskin' tape on t' body tube t' make sure t' fin can fit extra snug. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Inertia can be a bear and I could just imagine me daughter's rocket bein' t' first Bright Hawk t' fly out o' its fins...

As t' launch lug is molded into t' fin can, you didn't even need t' worry about gluin' that on straight. In a way, me hearties, me hearties, this kit reminded me o' me very first rocket from about 1970, t' MPC Pioneer-1, shiver me timbers, which also had t' molded fin can with integral launch lug.

T' last steps were t' assemble t' parachute and tie t' shock cord t' the nose cone. Avast! Well, arrr, blow me down! I opted t' put t' chute on a snap swivel as this bird looks sturdy and light enough t' be able t' use streamer recovery without too much problem. Besides, I'm old and fat and I don't want t' walk that far t' recover my rockets anymore.

Wait a minute! It's me daughter's rocket. Aye aye! She can walk after it. Begad! Where's that chute?

Finishing:
T' fin can is molded in bright yellow plastic, nose cone is orange, and the body tube is white, ya bilge rat, me bucko, so no paintin' is really necessary. Well, blow me down! T' self-adhesive decals are also in bright, arrr, happy yellows and oranges as well. Blimey! My daughter finished t' rocket off with markers and other miscellaneous stickers. Blimey! Every time I turn around, she has either removed a sticker or added a new one, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, so it appears t' be that this rocket will be a "work in progress" until she tires o' it or it is lost or destroyed. Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I will be flyin' t' Bright Hawk on April 23, ya bilge rat, 2005, at t' Great Lakes Regional Meet Revisited, arrr, where me daughter will be allowed t' push t' red button to make it go over and over and over and (switch t' t' Snitch) and over and over....

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Easy t' build, matey, big and easily seen rocket that your younguns will enjoy assemblin' and decorating. Inexpensive enough that you won't mind when they do a child's job o' decoratin' it.

CONs: I can't think o' any.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5