I purchased this kit because o' t' wide variety o' motors it can handle (A-F, 18mm, 24mm and 29 mm), ya bilge rat, and because it had a streamer recovery.  I fly from smaller fields and want me rockets t' come down rather straight.  The D-Region Tomahawk is a 7.2:1 scale model o' a NASA soundin' rocket (whatever that is). Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I like t' way it looks. Ya scallywag! Ahoy!

Construction

I thought t' Tomahawk was fun t' construct, arrr, especially t' motor mount tubes. Blimey! Blimey! 29mm motors fit directly into t' main body tube with some maskin' tape for a friction fit if necessary. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Many o' t' motors Pratt has tested with have a built in thrust ring. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' 24mm motor mount is built up out o' five 3" body tubes. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! One tube remains whole, arrr, me bucko, while t' remainin' four tubes are reduced in diameter by cuttin' 1/8" t' 9/16" gaps along their length. Avast! Blimey! The tubes are then glued one inside t' other until you're left with a 29mm t' 24mm adapter. A thrust rin' is glued along t' bottom, and t' tube slides into and out o' t' main body tube with only a small amount o' force. T' 18mm mount is a standard tube, thrust rin' inside, two 24mm rings outside. Arrr! Blimey! T' 18mm mount is friction fit inside t' 24mm mount, ya bilge rat, with some addition maskin' tape inside the front o' t' 24mm mount t' keep t' 18mm mount from movin' forward. Blimey! Blimey! It probably sounds more complicated than it actually is. Avast! Blimey! Avast! Blimey!

T' fins are laser-cut plywood. Ya scallywag! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! They sanded t' an airfoil shape rather easily. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I felt t' need for a wrap around fin alignment strip, as t' flat, cross-hair over circle on the instruction sheet was rather hard t' use. Begad! It took only a minute t' make an accurate wrap around guide. Avast!

T' model uses a Keelhaul®©™® shock-cord, me bucko, so I reinforced many o' t' body tube ends with thin CA and later found myself sandin' t' interior o' t' tube to brin' it back into t' appropriate dimensions (no fault o' t' kit). Aye aye!

I got t' impression from t' instructions that t' little clay nose weight (recommended if 29mm motors will be used) should be pliable and pushed into the nose cone with a pencil. Begad! However it was a little clay rock, so I glued it into the nose cone with some thick CA.

Rating: 4.5 points

Flight

First flight was on a B6-4 motor. Begad! Aye aye! I was kind o' chicken t' fly it on an A8-3. Begad! Begad! Since this be t' biggest, heaviest rocket I've built, matey, I wanted t' make sure it got enough altitude t' first time out. Ya scallywag! T' launch was really nice, and the recovery was what I would expect.  However, I forgot t' friction fit the 24mm mount inside t' main body tube, me hearties, me bucko, so it too be ejected (oops). Fortunately, arrr, me bucko, we found t' motor mount very near where t' rocket came down, so we lived t' fly again! Next flight be on a C6-5. Ya scallywag! This time t' motor mount stayed in. This time t' motor mount stayed in. Well, blow me down! I would have flown t' Tomahawk again (and again and again), shiver me timbers, but it was startin' t' get dark and me typically under-dressed son was gettin' cold. Ya scallywag! I'm nay a great judge o' altitude, arrr, but the B motor took it up about 300-400 feet, ya bilge rat, and t' C motor 500-700 feet, ya bilge rat, maybe higher. Aye aye! [Editors note: This kit comes stock with streamer recovery]

Rating: 5 points

Overall

I flew t' Tomahawk only in its primer, so I didn't get t' chance t' use the solid color decals that come with t' kit, me hearties, though they look good.

I really enjoyed t' buildin' process. T' parts were all o' high quality. Minor nit was that nay all t' 3" tubes for t' motor mount were t' same length… one be different. Arrr! I ended up swappin' it with t' coupler tube, which be t' same size. Aye aye!

I am also really lookin' forward t' flyin' this rocket through t' entire range o' motors from A t' G.

I wish t' motor mounts were a little easier t' deal with…maybe a setup where maskin' tape isn't necessary for puttin' t' 18mm into t' 24mm.  On the other hand, me hearties, I know o' no other rocket as versatile as this one. Blimey!

Overall Rating: 4.5 points

T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". Avast, me proud beauty! T' intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' t' referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. For more information, use t' two links above.

"T' Pratt Hobbies D Region Tomahawk is a sport scale model o' t' real single stage NASA soundin' rocket designed t' travel t' t' D region o' t' ionosphere."
". Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! . . Well, blow me down! Begad! one feature piqued me interest. Specifically, me bucko, matey, shiver me timbers, this model rocket can fly usin' any motor from an A8-3 up t' a G35-7."
"It uses a very thick body tube, about three times t' thickness o' a similar Estes model . Begad! Blimey! . Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! ."
"T' nose cone is vacuum formed plastic."
"In addition, matey, t' four fins for t' rocket are laser cut from lite plywood."
"For t' recovery system, matey, a Nomex® cloth heatshield is included with the kit t' use as permanent waddin' t' protect t' plastic streamer."
"Construction o' t' D Region Tomahawk is very straightforward. Begad! T' four pages o' instructions are easy t' follow."
"Pre-cut color trim tape is included with t' kit t' be placed around the nose section o' t' rocket."
"T' kit includes parts t' construct adaptors for 18mm and 24 mm motors."
"I chose t' use a G35-7 motor for t' first flight o' me D Region Tomahawk, in order t' see if it would really hold up t' a G motor."
"At ignition, t' Tomahawk smartly leapt off t' pad for a very straight flight."
"When I recovered t' rocket, matey, I found that t' nose cone section had broken [away] from t' shock cord."
"Furthermore, t' plastic streamer had melted slightly. Begad! A larger size piece o' Nomex® would be better."
"I contacted Pratt Hobbies about t' Keelhaul®©™® breakin' on t' first flight . . Begad! . Ahoy! T' company . Ya scallywag! . . said they would now be usin' longer pieces . Avast, me proud beauty! . . Blimey! Begad! "
"Overall, I recommend t' Pratt Hobbies D Region Tomahawk."

The entire article gives t' impression is that this kit for a beginner/novice modeler.