Brief:
T' Super Mark is one o' about nearly a half dozen kits Hawks Hobby has put on t' market that are upscale versions o' very popular Estes classic OOP from years ago. Ahoy! Hawks Hobby is located in Crosby, TX which is basically a suburban area just outside o' Houston. Arrr! I'm very impressed by t' fantastic line up o' t' current kits Mark and Loretta Hawkins, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, owners o' Hawks Hobby, matey, me hearties, that I had t' make t' Super Mark me first purchase. Avast! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Since t' Estes Astron Mark was one o' me first model rocket back in 1969 when I got started in this great hobby, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I knew ownin' t' Super Mark would brin' back wonderful memories and add t' me always growin' fleet.

T' Super Mark is a skill level one beginner kit, single (24 mm) stage that is designed t' be recovered via 16" nylon parachute that Loretta herself makes for their kits. Ya scallywag! In addition t' t' specs mentioned at t' beginnin' o' this review, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' Super Mark's fin span is 6.5 inches.

After sendin' me loot order via snail mail t' Hawks Hobby, me kit arrived within a week in great condition--maybe livin' in t' same area helps! One other thin' that struck me about this mail order is that in addition t' t' kit, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I received a nice Hawks Hobby ink pen with a business card size ID that gives interestin' info on t' kit ordered. Ahoy! In addition t' listin' t' kit's specifications, this card shows that me model is production # 0014. Savin' these tag cards could become collectors items years from now.

Finally, near t' back o' t' instructions, Hawks Hobby has a 100% satisfaction guarantee promise. I've already seen first hand t' seriousness Mark and Loretta Hawkins take this guarantee.

Construction:
T' parts list are as follows:

• 1 Nose Cone (Balsa)
• 1 Body Tube
• 1 Centerin' Rin' Set (looks like thin but sturdy plywood)
• 1 Fin Set (Balsa, shiver me timbers, with three precision cut fins)
• 1 Engine Mount (EM-9-150)
• 1 Launch Lug (LL-320)
• 1 Screw Eye (ES-1-38)
• 1 Keelhaul®©™ Shock Cord Anchor (KC-36)
• 1 Shock Cord (SC-36-38)
• 1 Decal (D-040)
• 1 Parachute (P-16-4-48)
• 1 Instructions (IN-040)
• 1 Black Monokote (BM-040-17)
• 1 Coupler (HTC-16)

In addition t' t' parts listed, me hearties, you'll find a 24mm size coupler in t' bag. Well, blow me down! I had a heck o' a time tryin' t' figure out what it was for. Begad! Blimey! An email t' Loretta cleared t' confusion--this coupler is a spacer for use inside t' engine mount when usin' t' C11 and D12 motors. I felt like a real dummy on learnin' this!

As with any model rocket kit you decide t' build, arrr, shiver me timbers, read through t' instructions fully before beginnin' construction. Ahoy! Additional items needed for buildin' this model are: Fine sandpaper, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me bucko, a pencil, weight for balancing, me bucko, clear tape, screw for weight if usin' washers or other such item if needed, wood or white glue, CA, sandin' sealer, paint, me hearties, and, o' course, engines, wadding, and launch system.

T' instructions are pretty easy t' follow, arrr, however, I made several slight deviations. Ahoy! Begad! Before I glued t' third fin in place t' t' body tube, shiver me timbers, I used that fin's leading/root edge as a "pattern" for cuttin' t' angle t' t' launch lug, matey, so t' angle will be uniform. Aye aye! Then I glued t' third fin in place followed by t' launch lug once all t' joints have completely dried.

Finishing:
Since this model has plenty o' balsa surfaces that needed some work, I used fine sand paper and sandin' sealer t' fill in t' grains and make t' surfaces smooth. How much work you put into it will determine t' quality o' finish.

T' Super Mark is suppose t' be painted a gloss orange from nose t' tail, matey, but since I felt this model will be a high performance kit for t' motors it's designed t' use (anyone remember t' performance o' Estes' original Astron Mark?), ya bilge rat, I painted me Super Mark florescent orange t' aid trackin' and visibility. Usin' this concept came in handy on me model's first (and t' date only) flight.

T' black stripe Monokote adhesive when applied properly really gives t' Super Mark a sharp, matey, classy look. A really well done, me bucko, designed up scale kit by Hawks Hobby that any rocketeer would be proud t' have in his/her fleet!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors are C11-5, D12-7, and E9-6 (but, in t' second tag card it lists t' E9-8). Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Furthermore, shiver me timbers, I believe this model, ya bilge rat, when usin' a 2050 type interchangeable motor mount, shiver me timbers, matey, can also use 18 mm engines such as t' C6-3 (and maybe a C6-5 if t' model isn't too heavy after painting).

For t' first flight, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I decided t' use t' D12-5 since I was concerned that t' seven second delay in t' other choice for t' D12 would give t' Super Mark added nose down speed after reachin' apogee. Ya scallywag! Begad! This first test flight took place at t' NASA/Houston Rocket Club (#365) club launch at JSC on December 16, me bucko, me bucko, 2006. Begad! I also decided against usin' t' kit provided nylon parachute and used instead a smaller plastic parachute due t' t' rather windy conditions we had (proved t' be a blessing, shiver me timbers, me hearties, as we will see!).

Prep is very easy and straightforward as in any standard model rocket. Begad! Ya scallywag! Usin' t' 24mm coupler as a spacer, t' D12-5 fits very snugly with t' engine clip retainin' t' end o' t' D12's casin' firmly. Use enough flame proof waddin' (I used t' standard Estes tissue wadding) so that you have a good seal betwixt t' engine mount and recovery system, me bucko, but nay too tight. Ahoy! Well, arrr, blow me down! T' size o' this model makes it very easy t' install t' recovery system without difficulty.

Due t' a miscommunication, me Super Mark was launched before t' countdown got under way (so, shiver me timbers, we missed t' first part o' t' boost phase as well as didn't get any pics o' t' launch itself). Avast! Blimey! I can say me model flew very well as could be expected for a solid, D12 powered flight. Arrr! Blimey! Even with t' 10-14 mph winds we had, me bucko, t' Super Mark flew straight and very high.

Recovery:
T' Super Mark kit uses t' Keelhaul®©™/Elastic Shock Cord combination for t' recovery system. Arrr! This should help make t' internal attachment o' t' Keelhaul®©™ t' t' forward plywood centerin' rin' permanent.

On this first test flight, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' ejection occurred right after reachin' apogee. Ya scallywag! However, shiver me timbers, matey, due t' either t' stronger wind (or me parachute foldin' technique may nay have been t' best), it became obvious durin' t' descent that several shroud lines had torn loose from t' parachute. Avast! Even with this "handicap," me Super Mark still landed a considerable distance from t' launch site, me hearties, which required me t' walk through t' JSC fields that be quite saturated with standin' water at many places (thus, me hearties, both o' me feet got soaked!). Well, blow me down! Imagine what would have happened had I used t' kit provided 16 inch ripstop nylon parachute! Since Mark and Loretta Hawkins arrived at t' launch site shortly after this flight, I did talk t' Mark about t' possibility that t' Super Mark may need t' be recovered via some streamer due t' its high performance t' save from long chases. Well, blow me down! I would venture t' say that maybe some highly visible mylar streamer material should be sufficient for this reason. Aye aye! Otherwise, matey, use o' t' nylon parachute should be ok on calm days and/or at very large fields.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Super Mark should be a great sport flyer and demo rocket. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' next time I attempt t' launch it, ya bilge rat, I will use a 2050 motor adapter and see what a C6 will do.

This is a very well designed kit with excellent quality parts that makes it a very durable, sturdy model. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! Havin' seen what it can do with a D12, arrr, arrr, I think that's t' maximum I'd rather use.

I'm excited about this kit and t' others Hawks Hobby carries. Mark and Loretta are great people t' know and do business with. Avast! Ya scallywag! I encourage you t' give them a try. It's obvious, arrr, from what I know from first hand experience, arrr, me bucko, that Mark and Loretta stands behind what they sell. Avast! Aye aye! That's t' secret t' puttin' your customers first.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5