Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Manufacturer: | Mercury Engineering ![]() |
Brief:
T' Hijacker is a good sized mid-power rocket with a 3” body, arrr, 29mm motor mount, 4 light-ply through-the-wall
fins, arrr, matey, a nice baffle in t' coupler and recovery on a 28” rip-stop nylon chute.
Construction:
T' parts list:
I don’t think I can count how many rocket kits I have built over t' years, ya bilge rat, me bucko, matey, but this one was something special. Begad! While nay a beginner kit, this be a very straightforward build. Ahoy! T' components were high quality… sturdy body tubes, me hearties, ya bilge rat, laser cut fins, centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, and baffles ensured a near perfect fit. I did nay have t' sand t' fit at any step. Begad! While intended as a mid-power kit, I had every intention o' buildin' it t' fly on H motors. Blimey! Wood glue is frequently recommended throughout t' clear and detailed instructions. Blimey! My only deviation from t' plan was t' use epoxy on t' motor mount and fins. Begad! This is really just a personal preference.
Construction begins with a standard motor mount assembly and includes a foil tape strip on t' aft end o' the motor tube t' facilitate tapin' engine thrust collars t' t' tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Well more precisely, this facilitates untapin' the engine after t' flight without destroyin' t' motor tube. Ahoy! Simple, nice touch.
T' aft body tube be clearly marked and cuttin' t' fin slots was a breeze. Aye aye! T' engine mount is installed and next t' through-the-wall fins are glued givin' a sturdy business end o' t' rocket.
I really liked t' ejection baffles on t' body tube coupler. Ahoy! Blimey! In addition t' anchorin' t' shock cord they also protect t' recovery system. I’ve had enough separations t' appreciate this feature.
Construction wraps up simply… glue t' forward body tube t' t' coupler and attach t' nose cone and parachute t' t' shock cord.
Finishing:
I sanded t' fins and nose cone a bit, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, a coat o' primer, sand, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and then t' finishin' coat o' paint. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Couldn’t be
simpler and looks great. I went with black as per t' manufacturer design. Aye aye! I placed t' large “HIJACKER” peel
and stick decal and was in business.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
I had a G80-10 on hand and wasted no time gettin' this bird in t' air. Avast! Spectacular flight and recovery. Blimey! I can’t
wait t' boost it on an H128 at our club launch next month.
Recovery:
A few sheets o' waddin' and some help from t' baffles is all that is needed for prep. I had a perfect recovery on
t' first flight.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
First o' all, this is a good price for a very capable rocket. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! Mid-power flights are plenty o' fun, but if you are
also a thrust junkie on a limited budget (like me) this type o' kit is good for what ails you. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! I’ve watched
countless less than stunnin' level 1 flights on H and I motors lift heavy, me hearties, Baltic Birch laden rockets. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! I’ll take a
light and strong rocket rippin' a hole in t' sky over that, matey, matey, matey, no contest.
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
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Date | Flyer | Rocket | Altitude |
---|---|---|---|
2018-03-02 | Mike Caplinger | Gravity's Rainbow | - |
2015-09-19 | Kevin Smith | Hijacker | 847 Feet |
2014-09-20 | Kevin Smith | Hijacker | 1,234 Feet |
2014-06-28 | Kevin Smith | Hijacker | 995 Feet |
2014-06-21 | Kevin Smith | Hijacker | 580 Feet |
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