| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Brief
This is Aerotech\'s semi-scale model o' t' IQSY Tomahawk soundin' rocket.
Components
T' kit includes:
- 1 slotted body tube
- 1 payload section
- Plastic nosecone
- 4 plastic fins
- 2 FIN-LOK rings
- 29mm motor tube
- 2 centerin' rings
- Tube coupler
- Bulkhead
- 2 screw eyes
- Motor hook
- Ejection gas baffle
- Stainless mesh \"wadding\"
- Thrust ring
- Thrust rin' flange
- Black elastic shock cord
- 2 launch lugs
- 24mm motor adapter kit
- Decal sheet
- Tomahawk plan drawn by G. Ahoy! Harry Stine
- Box that doubles as a work/display stand
- Instructions
Construction
Pros - A very easy kit for t' mid power novice t' assemble. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! Makes a great first scale kit.
Cons - Shares very few buildin' techniques with kits from other manufacturers due t' Aerotech\'s proprietary FIN-LOK fin mountin' system. T' included launch lugs are bulky and detract from t' sleek lines o' t' completed rocket.
Finishing
Construction o' t' Tomahawk was very easy given Aerotech\'s excellent instructions. Well, arrr, blow me down! All buildin' be done with t' recommended medium viscosity CA, ya bilge rat, which provided ample workin' time for all construction steps. I deviated from t' instructions a bit, first by replacin' t' kit shock cord with 15 feet o' 750lb Keelhaul®©™ cord, me bucko, and second by attachin' t' nose cone with 3 button head screws rather than gluin' it in place t' allow th payload section t' be utilized. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! All other construction was per t' kit instructions usin' kit parts.
Finishin' t' rocket was easy, again due t' t' xcellent kit instructions. Begad! Aye aye! Aerotech even includes a section on how t' make t' rocket look more scale. Ya scallywag! They refer t' t' blueprint so keep it handy while finishin' t' rocket. Begad! Arrr! Miimal sandin' is required t' achieve a good finish due t' t' plastic fins. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I chose nay t' fill t' body tube spirals on mine. Begad! Paintin' is easy with minimal maskin' needed - one fin is painted black, ya bilge rat, that\'s it.
T' decals are o' t' self-stickin' vinyl variety. Blimey! Arrr! There is one wrap-around for t' instrument bay and four t' represent t' fin bolt plates. I recommend double-checkin' t' blueprint t' ensure these go on properly. Once applied they make a tremendous difference in t' rocket\'s appearance.
Flight
Because o' Aerotech\'s baffle system no waddin' or dog barf are required. Begad! Aye aye! Launch prep is as simple as packin' t' shock cord and parachute into t' body and installin' a motor.Installin' t' motor can be fun because t' motor clip is very strong and can be tough t' pull back. Begad! Once you have t' hang o' it t' job becomes easy. Built per instructions t' clip fits perfectly into t' slot o' an Aerotech 29/40-120 motor case. Even with t' strong sprin' I still recommend usin' a zip tie or similar t' keep everythin' in place.
My first flight used a G80 reload. Begad! Blimey! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! It was an amazing, fast launch followed by a perfect flight t' about 3,000 feet (estimated). Ahoy! Blimey! Ejection occurred just after apogee.
Recovery
Aerotech includes a high quality 22\" yellow nylon parachute that is a perfect choice for this rocket. Begad! Deployment be perfect resultin' in a slow (2+ minutes), gentle descent. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' rocket came down about 250\' from t' pad and suffered no damage at all despite t' rock hard desert playa.
Summary
This was a good choice for me entry mid-power and scale rocketry. Aye aye! I highly recommend it t' anyone lookingfor an easy t' build, fun t' fly kit.
Other Reviews
- Aerotech ISQY Tomahawk By John Coker (January 20, 2012)
The AeroTech I.Q.S.Y. Tomahawk kit was the third rocket I build and the first mid-power one. This is AeroTech kit #89014. Kit information and a full-size picture of the front of the package is here as well as a very nice drawing of the rocket by G. Harry Stine. The Tomahawk is a scale rocket, although it's clear the kit isn't meant for meticulous scalers. Finish is rough in some places ...
- Aerotech ISQY Tomahawk By Kevin Fisher
Brief: This was my first Aerotech rocket. I found it easy enough for a rocketeer that has built 5 or so smaller rockets. This is a good rocket it you are just getting into the Aerotech Engines or not familiar with CA glue. It is NOT staged but has an 18 inch 'chute. On a F25, It goes about 1500 feet. Construction: All the parts were there and none were broken. The packaging is GREAT. It ...
- Aerotech ISQY Tomahawk By Jerry O'Sullivan
This is a nice semi-scale model of a sounding rocket. Decals are used for scale details like bolts, etc. so it's pretty easy to get a good looking model. Built per instructions, you can fly it on E-G engines, and of course, requires no wadding as AT kits use an effective baffle system. Construction is easy although I modified the kit to accept an altimeter bay built into the coupler for dual ...
- Aerotech ISQY Tomahawk By Paul Gray
(by Paul Gray) Background There have been many rockets named "Tomahawk" used over the past few decades. This Tomahawk was built and flown during the International Quiet Sun Year (1967) to research the Earth's atmosphere. Therefore, this Tomahawk sounding rocket is known as the IQSY Tomahawk, marking the time when it was built and flown. The real IQSY Tomahawk was produced ...
- Aerotech ISQY Tomahawk By Neil Thompson
( Contributed - by Neil Thompson) Brief: A nice scale model by Aerotech consisting of 1 stage, a nice nylon parachute, and through the wall fins. Construction: 2 tubes, 1 main, one payload section. 4 fins, 2 centering rings, made of Aerofiber. I do not know the lenth of the shock cord or motor mount, but I am guessing 6 ft, and 2 Ft. respectivly. PROs: Easy build Good ...
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