Brief:
I received this as a prize from Hawks Hobby in t' Dallas Area Rocket Society's 2007 Fall Classic Rocket Contest. Thank you! One word best describes this rocket: "Wow!"

It is one huge, arrr, me hearties, matey, fantastic rocket. Well, blow me down! It flies on 24mm motors and recovers by parachute. Avast! Begad! T' rocket flies on AeroTech E or F motors. Aye aye! You could easily convert this t' fly on 29mm motors, but remember t' fins are surface mounted and some nose or payload weight may need t' be added t' re-balance t' rocket at t' same CG with t' heavier motors. Begad! T' rocket stands almost 68 inches tall and has a fin span o' almost a foot!

Construction:
One thin' I have come t' expect from Hawks Hobby is their kits are always jam packed with a ton o' high quality parts! This kit is no exception. Well, blow me down! Also, shiver me timbers, all o' t' small parts are contained in plastic bags, arrr, arrr, which I greatly appreciate. Ahoy! Markin' guides are included t' assure proper alignment o' everything. Begad! T' instructions are very straightforward and include lots o' helpful illustrations.

T' forward and aft sections o' t' rocket are ST-16, one at t' rear, and three more at t' front. Two heavy-duty 29mm tubes are joined t' form t' center section o' t' rocket. Ahoy! Begad! Kraft couplers are used t' join t' two 29mm tubes and two o' t' ST-16 tubes that comprise t' forward payload section. Ahoy! Arrr! T' joined 29mm tubes extend t' t' aft o' t' aft ST-16 tube and are centered t' hold t' 24mm motor mount. T' forward end o' t' tubes is centered into t' aft o' an ST-16 tube that is used t' hold t' recovery system. A solid balsa coupler is inserted into t' aft o' t' payload section with a large eye screw provided for shock cord and parachute attachment. Begad! T' motor mount kit includes a 3.75" engine hook. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I modified t' construction o' t' motor mount t' allow installation o' t' engine hook usin' me standard method. Ya scallywag! Here's t' link on EMRR's tip page for t' general idea: ../../featured/tip_featured26.shtml

This method allows positive motor retention while nay havin' t' worry about t' hook gettin' in t' way o' t' delay element when usin' t' AeroTech reload motors.

I filled t' grain in t' nose cone and fins and t' seams in all o' t' tubes with Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' nose cone is very nice balsa. Avast! Blimey! T' main and "truss" fins are laser cut basswood. Ahoy! Blimey! T' centerin' rings are all laser-cut light-ply, and a Keelhaul®©™ 3/8" elastic shock cord combo is included, ya bilge rat, along with two big 3/16" launch lugs, a hefty eye screw, and some really nice waterslide decals. Arrr! Blimey! T' enlarged decals match t' original perfectly and are exceptionally reproduced. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' shock cord was super long as I modified t' way it is installed. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' instructions indicate t' attach t' Keelhaul®©™ cord t' t' forward rin' centerin' t' 29mm tube in t' aft o' t' forward section o' ST-16 and then attachin' t' elastic cord t' a loop at t' end. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I used me standard tri-fold shock cord attachment t' allow inspection o' t' shock cord. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I do love it though when t' manufacturer puts Keelhaul®©™ in t' kit! Blimey! T' pre-assembled, 30" rip-stop nylon parachute that is included is an excellent plus, too, and exhibits t' same level o' quality as t' rest o' t' kit: top notch!

I pre-sanded and prepped all o' t' parts before startin' construction, me usual routine. Well, blow me down! That way I am sure t' have sanded any attachment points and minimize any sandin' in tight places that might otherwise be required in t' final finishin' steps. Just follow t' instructions carefully and you'll find construction o' t' rocket is pretty straightforward. There are several measurements you need t' get right for everythin' t' align, ya bilge rat, but if you've installed couplers before thar really isn't anythin' difficult about buildin' t' rocket except for havin' t' angle cut t' 1/8-inch wood dowels. Aye aye! Nay that cuttin' t' eleven dowels is difficult, me bucko, but it just takes some time. Well, blow me down! You could cut them square and then sand them t' t' proper angle, but I measured t' angles and then cut them t' minimize t' amount o' sanding. Arrr! I used yellow glue for all o' t' construction, shiver me timbers, except I smoothed in JB-Weld for t' fillets on t' three main fins since these are surface mounted, ya bilge rat, arrr, along t' launch lugs and dowels that extend out t' aft o' t' rocket for strength, and t' anchor t' eye screw in t' balsa coupler. Blimey! Usin' t' "double-glue" joint method makes attachin' t' large fins a lot easier t' manage. Ahoy! Arrr! T' double-glue joint attaches must faster so t' fins are much less likely t' fall over while drying. Ya scallywag! As is usual on any rocket I build, me hearties, I installed a length o' Keelhaul®©™ (which be provided!) in a paper shock cord attachment (not provided) with a loop at t' end t' attach t' elastic shock cord. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' minimize abrasion from t' Keelhaul®©™ against t' body tube, ya bilge rat, I soaked in CA around t' top 1/2" o' t' body tube and tied a knot in t' Keelhaul®©™ t' meet t' lip o' t' body tube. Begad! As I noted earlier, shiver me timbers, t' parachute is already assembled and it has small grommets holdin' t' shroud lines. Blimey! It's a very nice parachute!

Finishing:
As I noted earlier, all o' t' pre-finishin' was done up front before anythin' was installed. Only a light coat o' filler was used on t' fins, as t' basswood was very smooth after sandin' with 400 grit sandpaper. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I followed t' paint scheme on t' face card o' t' kit, which is pretty easy and looks great. Ya scallywag! I sprayed t' entire model with a light coat o' Kilz t' seal off t' glue and provide a solid base coat. Next, me bucko, I lightly sanded t' entire model with 240 grit sandpaper and then sprayed on a coat o' primer. Next, shiver me timbers, sand and primer, and sand and primer again, matey, ya bilge rat, sandin' with 400 grit sandpaper. Ahoy! Begad! Usin' Krylon paint, I masked off t' forward section and painted t' aft white, and after that dried for 24 hours, I masked off t' aft section and painted t' front red. After dryin' for a couple o' days I applied t' decals. T' decals went on very easily and laid down nicely, ya bilge rat, arrr, typical o' me experience with their decals which is pretty cool considerin' t' size o' them. Begad! After t' decals had a chance t' dry for a couple o' days, I put on a thick coat o' Future Floor Finish t' protect everything.

I did experience one problem unrelated t' t' kit when applyin' t' Future. Well, blow me down! T' red stripe behind t' number 12 on one side o' t' fin stripped right off. Begad! As I noted earlier, matey, I had waited a couple o' days before applyin' t' Future. When applyin' Future I normally very carefully apply a light coat over t' decals and let that dry for about 24 hours t' secure t' decals before application on t' entire rocket. Ahoy! Begad! I didn't do that this time. Well, blow me down! Bad move. Begad! I thought I would note this for folks usin' Future.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' first thin' t' note with this rocket is that it is 33 inches t' t' bottom o' t' upper launch lug. Arrr! That means you need somethin' longer than a 36-inch launch rod. Aye aye! I used a 4-foot rod. My first flight was on an AeroTech E15-4. Ahoy! Arrr! T' face card indicates t' use t' AeroTech E18-4 reload, shiver me timbers, but t' winds were really light so I decided t' use t' single use motor. T' up part was fantastic, me bucko, straight, and true. Ya scallywag! Ejection be right at t' top. Arrr! Perfect! Uh-oh! See those trees in t' background. Arrr! Begad! Yep, that's where she drifted and landed in t' top o' t' biggest tree. Ahoy! Luckily, me bucko, ya bilge rat, a couple o' buddies came t' t' rescue with a long pole and some agility recoverin' it from t' tree with minimal damage. Begad! Begad! There be a stress in about three inches o' a seam in t' payload section but nothin' that can't be fixed. Ahoy! Outside o' that, shiver me timbers, t' rocket was retrieved with hardly a scratch. Aye aye! Hopefully I will get it fixed up in time for t' next contest!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Super Solar Sailer is a great rocket. Ahoy! Begad! It is hugely impressive on t' launch pad and beautiful in flight. Recovery on t' large, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, red 30-inch rip-stop nylon chute is a big plus for a soft landing--assumin' you don't land in a tree! As with all o' t' Hawks Hobby kits, when you consider t' size and quantity o' top quality parts that come in their kits, ya bilge rat, includin' t' big nylon parachute, t' pricin' is excellent. Blimey! Aye aye! I highly recommend this kit.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5