Brief:
T' Hawk is a boost glider that uses a rocket engine t' get itself in t' air. Arrr! Blimey! It is a "Retro-Repro" o' an older rocket. Semroc is sellin' them for $7.50 right now so I decided t' pick one up.

Construction:
When I bought t' kit I figured thar wouldn't be very many pieces. I got it and found only 5 parts in t' whole kit.

It comes with:

• 1 BT-20J body tube (2 3/4" Long)
• 1 1/8" launch lug (1 1/4" Long)
• 2 balsa wood sheets (laser cut)
• 1 rolled balsa nose cone
• 1 small decal that says Hawk
• and t' instructions

T' instructions are perfect. Blimey! They give you each step in order with illustrations. Ahoy! They even give you boxes to check after each step. Begad! At t' beginnin' o' all o' Semroc's "Retro-Repro" rockets instructions, thar be an interestin' description o' t' company that originally made it. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down!

T' fins were easily taken out o' t' balsa sheet with an X-Acto knife. Begad! Some o' them just fell out. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I then proceeded t' sand t' parts smooth with fine sandpaper. Ya scallywag! T' balsa wood parts have lines on them t' show you where to glue them t' other parts, just be careful that you don't sand t' much or t' lines will disappear. T' balsa wood included in this kit is nice and hard, but you still need t' pay attention t' how and where you are sanding. Ahoy!

Attachin' t' wings is a little tricky but was nay a hassle. Blimey! Well, blow me down! You are supposed t' invert t' assembly in order for the body tube t' glue on properly. Begad! Aye aye! You also attach t' wings at this point. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! It is hard t' get t' wings t' stay in place while they are gluin' (if you're usin' wood glue), but I figured out a way t' make it easier. Begad! Ya scallywag! Just apply t' glue and wait a minute or two before attachin' t' wings. Avast! (This also works great when gluin' on t' stabilizer tips)

Once you have finished puttin' everythin' together you then need t' add fillets t' all o' t' joints. I found that toothpicks and Q-tips were invaluable in this step.

After that you need t' sand all o' t' edges smooth and create an airfoil. Avast, me proud beauty! (Airfoilin' is optional.) This step was easy enough t' do. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I had t' find a picture o' an airfoil in order t' figure out what I needed t' do, arrr, but after that it was easy. Well, blow me down! I then tested it by flyin' it off o' me second story deck into t' grass. Aye aye! Arrr! My glider nosedived into the grass at a right angle on t' first try. Avast, me proud beauty! I used small paper clips as weights on t' aft stabilizer. Aye aye! I taped them on so that I could adjust them later (to make it turn). Aye aye! After two more throws it be ready.

I am amazed at how sturdy it is. Blimey! I have never built anythin' out o' balsa wood before and expected it t' be flimsy. Avast! Arrr!

All I needed t' build this rocket was an X-Acto knife, me bucko, some sandpaper, ya bilge rat, me hearties, matey, wood glue, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and paper clips. (I'm sure you could find somethin' better.)

Finishing:
With boost gliders paintin' is nay recommended. Ya scallywag! It will cause them t' glide for a shorter amount o' time. It is recommended that you put one thin layer o' clear coat on though, in order t' protect t' rocket. Ya scallywag! I did nay clear coat my rocket because I didn't have any layin' around and didn't have any time t' use it (as t' launch was t' next day).

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this kit are A8-3s and 1/2A6-2s. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I did nay have any 1/2A6-2s so I used an A8-3. Avast! Ahoy! I set it up at t' launch put and got ready t' fly. When it launched it flew straight up, no circles, me bucko, loop-de-loops or anything. It be perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! Then t' engine burned out and t' rocket continued upward. Right at apogee t' ejection charge went off. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' ejection charge was so powerful it broke off t' tail section! It may have been t' engine hittin' t' rear part o' t' fuselage as I can see a little bit o' damage there. Then t' rocket came down, shiver me timbers, ever so slowly, fluttering to t' ground. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I be so mad! That wasn't supposed t' happen. Ahoy! But I have heard that Estes engines, me bucko, which are what I used, can have an overly energetic ejection charge. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I'll have t' reinforce it with somethin' next time, if thar be a next time. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Oh well, I pretty sure it's repairable so I'll get on that.

Recovery:
It went up so straight that t' two broken pieces landed within 15 feet o' t' launch pad!

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
I feel that Semroc has made a very good kit with easy t' follow directions. Well, blow me down! T' balsa might just be a little bit too weak t' handle t' forces o' rocket flight though. Ahoy! Well, matey, blow me down! I am goin' t' try some o' Quest's engines in it and see what happens. Avast! Although it may have that one problem I'm sure it can be overcome somehow so I am still goin' t' recommend it to you. Arrr! Ya scallywag! It is a fun kit t' build and a great thin' t' launch, at least from what I saw.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5