This formerly Blackhawk R&D rocket is now fully owned and produced by Aardvark Rockets

Brief:
This is a single-stage scale rocket o' t' Black Brant IV. Begad! Begad! This would be a good kit t' start in mid-power rocketry, matey, or a great kit for someone who has been doin' mid and high power rocketry for a while.

Construction:
All components are high quality. Begad! T' nose cone and transition are good quality balsa. There are three (3) body tubes in all, two (2) 2.6" tubes and one (1) smaller tube for t' upper-stage. Ya scallywag! There are three (3) 1/8" plywood fins, arrr, shiver me timbers, two (2) plywood centerin' rings and a 29mm tube. Aye aye! T' kit comes with a baffle that fits inside t' coupler for t' 2.6" tubes. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! There is a 10-foot long, ya bilge rat, matey, 1/2" elastic shock cord, that is mounted on t' transition and baffle with eye-screws.

T' construction was all easy and straight-forward. Aye aye! Arrr! T' instructions are very easy t' follow, me hearties, with a few diagrams.

T' fins are through t' wall, me bucko, and t' t' motor mount. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' tubin' comes pre-slotted.

Everythin' fit well, except t' baffle rings. Ya scallywag! They were a bit sloppy. Aye aye! But I got them t' stay just fine by tapin' them in when I glued them t' t' coupler.

Just make sure t' use 5 or 30 minute epoxy on t' whole rocket. Blimey! I also recommend t' put finishin' resin on t' nose cone and transition. Begad! This will stiffen them up some and will give it a better finish. Blimey! Blimey! It also prevents dings from happenin' on landin' or in transportation since balsa tends t' do that easily.

Finishing:
Finishin' was very simple. Avast! You can fill t' spirals on t' tubes if you want, but I did nay as they are very, very shallow and are nay all that noticeable. Ahoy! Blimey! I just gave it 2 coats o' primer, shiver me timbers, then painted t' entire model gloss white. Avast, me proud beauty! Let it dry then I tapped it off and put t' red on it. I then let it dry for a few days and applied t' decals as per t' instructions. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It turned out very nice!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight o' t' rocket, I choose a Kosdon G65-8 Dirty Harry. Arrr! Well, blow me down! It had a very straight and fast boost. Begad! T' motor put it way up there. Arrr! Arrr! Ejection be right on time and t' 24" nylon chute brought it down nice and slow about 100 feet from t' pad. Avast! You do nay need any waddin' for this model, as thar be a baffle that eliminates t' need for it. Arrr! You do need t' add your own motor retention. Ahoy! I used blind nuts and clips on mine. Aye aye! Avast! You could friction fit t' motors, but that is nay a recommended thin' t' do.

Recovery:
Recovery was great, matey, ya bilge rat, t' 24" chute that came with it was just right. Aye aye! and brought it down at a good speed. Blimey! I be a bit concerned that t' nose cone would break due t' it bein' t' shape it is. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! But it did not. Blimey! Upon recovery, ya bilge rat, thar was only a bit o' dirt on t' fins from landing, nothin' more, me bucko, no scratches or anything. Avast, me proud beauty! T' baffle worked great, no burns on t' chute, me hearties, so it did its job!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' rocket overall is great. Arrr! T' only real problem I saw with mine be t' plywood be a 3 ply, but I know that now he (Blackhawk R&D) is usin' 5 ply for all his kits. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This greatly reduces t' chances o' t' fins breakin' on landing. Aye aye! I love t' way t' rocket flies. Arrr! Blimey! Look back on this review for more updates on future flights!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5