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

Brief:
Aerobee 350 scale mini-missile kit, 18mm mmt, streamer.

Construction:
T' kit contained:

• BT-50 size kraft body tube
• solid balsa-foam nose cone w/screw eye
• basswood fin material
• mylar streamer
• 18mm mmt (tube, cardboard centerin' rings, me bucko, engine block)
• Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• elastic shock cord
• launch lug
• 3/32" balsa strips (for cosmetics)

After openin' any kit I usually browse through t' components both t' check that all components arrived intact as well as t' examine t' quality o' the kit. Blimey! Well, blow me down! This be t' first BRD mini-missiles kit that I've purchased so I looked over t' contents pretty closely. Ya scallywag! I first read through t' instructions, me hearties, which are quite good, shiver me timbers, albeit lackin' in diagrams/pictures, but well written and easy to follow. Ya scallywag!

I next noticed t' nose cone which is quite unusual in comparison t' a similar sized/priced Estes/Quest/Custom/etc. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! kit. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' nose is solid, shiver me timbers, arrr, heavy (again in comparison), and o' an unusual make. Blimey! T' RockSim file that I downloaded from t' manufacturer's site has t' material defined as "balsa-foam". Ahoy! That description sounds much lighter than t' actual product which weighs in at 1.5 oz. with t' screw eye in place. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Although on the heavy side for this size o' rocket it be shaped nicely, with no seam t' sand. However, I did find that t' diameter at t' base o' t' cone is slightly smaller than that o' t' body tube so thar be a slight, matey, abrupt transition from cone t' tube. In addition, t' shoulder o' t' nose cone is similarly undersized so tape is required t' keep t' cone from fallin' out o' t' tube when inverted (or even turned on it's side, for that matter). Avast! Blimey!

T' remainin' components and materials were all o' good quality and in good shape. T' instructions were easy t' follow and t' kit goes together quite nicely. Avast! It's a fairly simple design and construction is straight forward.

T' fins for t' kit must be cut from a sheet o' basswood usin' an included template. I was quite impressed by t' ample sheet o' high-quality basswood that be included for this purpose. Begad! No skimpin' here. I would easily be able to cut twice t' required four fins from t' supplied sheet. Aye aye! I cut just four and put aside t' extra for some yet-to-be-built scratch rocket (thanks!). Avast, me proud beauty!

There is only one step that confused me when buildin' t' kit and that was in t' location o' t' four balsa strips that run along t' side o' t' tube, aligned with t' four fins. Aye aye! Accordin' t' me reference material (ROTW), ya bilge rat, if I'm readin' it correctly that is, t' runners should butt against each o' t' four fins. Begad! T' instructions however clearly show t' runners located startin' an inch or so forward o' each o' t' fins. I will continue t' research but despite my concerns I followed t' instructions t' t' letter. Avast! Blimey!

Finishing:
One o' t' features I like about BRD's scale kits be t' nice color scheme and paintin' description that are included in t' instructions. Arrr! I found t' kit finished quite nicely followin' this guide.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
Because o' t' sturdiness o' this kit and design I decided I could start with a motor on t' higher end o' t' recommended list and started with an Aerotech C4-5W 18mm reload. Ya scallywag! T' motor casin' fit fairly loosely in t' mount so I added a strip o' tape t' tighten t' fit somewhat. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' motor ignited slowly but resulted in a picture-perfect flight t' approximately 1000'. T' streamer ejected perfectly at apogee, me bucko, me bucko, however so did t' motor casing.

Recovery:
T' rocket descended smartly as I expected, matey, but faster than I would like, led by t' solid nose cone and followed by t' airframe and streamer (and lastly the tumblin' motor case). Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket landed just yards from t' launch pad. Because o' t' high rate o' descent thar be a small dent made in t' top of the body tube, but no other significant damage. T' motor casin' was recovered another 50' away (gotta like those dry lake bed launch sites!). Avast!

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
Pros: Good quality kit for those who like buildin' as much as flying. Avast, me proud beauty! Good instructions and finishin' descriptions. Aye aye! Very good quality and ample materials. Cons: Nose cone sizin' needs improvement. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Nose cone either needs t' be hollowed by manufacturer or should include instruction t' do so. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Nose is too heavy for recovery device as is.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5