Madcow Rocketry AQM-37 Jayhawk

Madcow Rocketry - AQM-37 Jayhawk {Kit} (K-109)

Contributed by Drake "Doc" Damerau

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Diameter: 2.60 inches
Length: 30.75 inches
Manufacturer: Madcow Rocketry
Style: Scale
Madcow Rocketry AQM-37 Jayhawk

Brief:
T' Madcow Rocketry AQM-37 Jayhawk is a high quality mid-powered kit that is a close scale t' t' US Navy’s target drone.

Construction:
T' parts list:

  • 2.6” heavy wall body tube
  • Aircraft plywood fins and centerin' rings
  • Shock cord, ya bilge rat, chute, ya bilge rat, and even a Nomex® heat shield
  • Balsa nose cone with unusual ballast compartment
  • High quality decals

T' first thin' I noticed be t' way t' kit was packaged. Begad! Well, blow me down! Everythin' was neat and protected. T' decals were covered with tissue paper and were sandwiched betwixt cardboard t' keep them protected. Arrr! Even t' balsa nose cone was wrapped t' keep it from bein' dinged durin' shipping. Blimey! Avast! T' smaller components were sealed in a smaller bag t' keep them from movin' around. Begad! This has t' be one o' t' best packaged kits I’ve ever seen

T' kit is well designed with through t' wall fins and even a laser cut tab/slot for mountin' t' winglets to the main fins. Aye aye! Everything, me hearties, includin' t' airframe, shiver me timbers, me hearties, is laser cut.

Madcow Rocketry AQM-37 Jayhawk T' directions were easy t' follow with instinctive and straightforward steps. Arrr! Ya scallywag!

This kit has a unique nose cone assembly. Avast! Like other Madcow kits, ya bilge rat, matey, rather than t' nose cone bein' simply inserted into t' body, matey, you glue t' nose cone into a coupler with a bulkhead. This creates a space for you t' add nose ballast to shift t' CG forward. I absolutely love this feature. Aye aye! Avast! T' kit comes with a pre-measured bag o' shot. Begad! Well, blow me down! I simply mixed the shot with a pump o' West Systems and poured it into t' nose cone cavity. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Although I don’t like balsa nose cones, me bucko, arrr, this be a good one and pretty easy t' finish.

Finishing:
As with all me kits, I primed it with several coats (sandin' in between) o' Rustoleum sandable primer. Arrr! A few coats of an “orangey-red” paint finished t' painting. Arrr! T' two sheets o' decals are precut and t' highest quality, not that Alps or color printer stuff that’s plaguin' t' market. My kit finished out at 22.6 oz.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Madcow Rocketry AQM-37 Jayhawk

Flight:
They list several F motors for t' kit that take it from 820’ t' 1,000’, matey, but this kit could easily handle G and H motors. They do tell you that you can use larger motors, shiver me timbers, but you may need t' add nose weight. Begad! First flight be on an F40-4W.

Recovery:
If t' quality o' t' kit wasn’t enough, t' kit comes with a very nice rip stop nylon chute and a Nomex® heat shield. T' well designed recovery system deployed just fine and returned her back unscathed.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This easy t' build kit has all t' quality and precision as t' other Madcow kits available. Begad! T' finished rocket is pleasantly unusual and correctly detailed with t' canards in t' correct position on t' nose cone. Begad! Blimey!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Madcow Rocketry AQM-37 Jayhawk By Dick Stafford (November 8, 2008)

    Brief: This is a nice scale model of the Navy's AQM-37 Jayhawk. It features high quality components and flies on 29mm motors. The kit has been upgraded with a plastic nose cone since the prior review. Construction: The parts list: Plastic nose cone and screw eye Balsa tail cone Pre-slotted 2.6" body tube One plywood centering ring 29mm motor tube ...

Flights

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