Brief:
Art’s latest product line be t' Hourglass. Ahoy! T' Hourglass rockets resemble spool rockets. Avast! They have top and bottom circular plates with two cones between the plates providin' t' hourglass shape. Blimey! Aye aye! They are currently available in 13mm, 18mm, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and 24mm sizes with all sizes comin' in several colors. This review is for t' 24mm versions. Aye aye! T' shorter version uses Estes D12 length motors and the longer version uses t' E9 length motors. Arrr! Both will fly on most anythin' that will fit.

Here are t' specs:

Construction:
These use t' same paper and foamboard construction like t' rest o' Art's products. Ahoy! Blimey! Both sizes include:

• 1 sheet o' pre-printed cardstock
• 1 small rectangle o' foamboard
• 1 24mm motor tube
• 1 steel motor hook
• 2 pages o' instructions

Tools and supplied needed include:

• Scissors
• A new #11 X-Acto blade
• Elmer’s white glue
• Cellophane tape
• Spray-on clear coat

Construction was simple as expected. Avast! Blimey! You cut and form t' cones, glue the plate patterns t' t' foamboard, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, cut them out when dry, install t' motor hook, and glue all t' pieces together. Begad! Blimey! That’s it. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' only two things t' watch out for is t' keep t' plates parallel t' each other and t' make sure the launch rod holes are all aligned.

Finishing:
My Hourglasses used colored cardstock so no real finishin' is needed. Blimey! Avast! T' short version is day-glow orange and long is day-glow green. Begad! If you want t' paint them, shiver me timbers, Art recommends sealin' t' exposed edges o' t' foamboard with white glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! He also recommends sealin' t' whole thin' with clear enamel t' make them moisture proof. Arrr! I used clear acrylic. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' clear coat also gives them a nice shiny finish.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew t' short version on a D12-0 and t' long on an E9-P. Both had t' same flight profile but o' course t' E9 version went higher. Avast, me proud beauty! Both tore off t' pad like t' proverbial bat. Begad! Arrr! After burnout near t' top o' t' flight, me bucko, it was clear that they were spinnin' wildly end-over-end. Ya scallywag! Since t' boost be fast and straight, arrr, I assume t' tumblin' started after burn-out, me hearties, but I can’t be sure since they were so quick. Ya scallywag! Either way, ya bilge rat, t' crowd loved them!

Recovery:
Both tumbled in nice and slowly. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
These are easy t' build (as usual) and if you like Art’s cones, shiver me timbers, you will probably like t' Hourglass series. If you like spool rockets, me bucko, you will also like them. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! T' flight profile is a little different than a saucer. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! They don’t slow down as smartly and are totally unstable after burn out. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! They are however, at a very respectable altitude at this point and keep goin' it a generally upward direction, so this condition appears t' be a feature nay a bug.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5