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, fantastic rocket. It flies on 24mm motors and recovers by parachute. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' rocket flies on AeroTech E or F motors. Begad! Arrr! You could easily convert this t' fly on 29mm motors, matey, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Also, all o' t' small parts are contained in plastic bags, matey, me bucko, which I greatly appreciate. Aye aye! Aye aye! Markin' guides are included t' assure proper alignment o' everything. 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, shiver me timbers, and three more at t' front. Two heavy-duty 29mm tubes are joined t' form t' center section o' t' rocket. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Kraft couplers are used t' join t' two 29mm tubes and two o' t' ST-16 tubes that comprise t' forward payload section. Aye aye! T' joined 29mm tubes extend t' t' aft o' t' aft ST-16 tube and are centered t' hold t' 24mm motor mount. Begad! T' forward end o' t' tubes is centered into t' aft o' an ST-16 tube that is used t' hold t' recovery system. Ya scallywag! 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. Avast! T' motor mount kit includes a 3.75" engine hook. Avast, me proud beauty! I modified t' construction o' t' motor mount t' allow installation o' t' engine hook usin' me standard method. Aye aye! 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. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' nose cone is very nice balsa. Arrr! T' main and "truss" fins are laser cut basswood. Ya scallywag! T' centerin' rings are all laser-cut light-ply, and a Keelhaul®©™ 3/8" elastic shock cord combo is included, along with two big 3/16" launch lugs, me bucko, matey, a hefty eye screw, and some really nice waterslide decals. Ya scallywag! T' enlarged decals match t' original perfectly and are exceptionally reproduced. Ahoy! Blimey! T' shock cord was super long as I modified t' way it is installed. Ya scallywag! 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. Aye aye! I used me standard tri-fold shock cord attachment t' allow inspection o' t' shock cord. Begad! I do love it though when t' manufacturer puts Keelhaul®©™ in t' kit! T' pre-assembled, 30" rip-stop nylon parachute that is included is an excellent plus, me bucko, too, ya bilge rat, arrr, 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 bucko, 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. Arrr! Arrr! 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. Nay that cuttin' t' eleven dowels is difficult, shiver me timbers, but it just takes some time. You could cut them square and then sand them t' t' proper angle, arrr, me hearties, but I measured t' angles and then cut them t' minimize t' amount o' sanding. Blimey! I used yellow glue for all o' t' construction, except I smoothed in JB-Weld for t' fillets on t' three main fins since these are surface mounted, arrr, arrr, along t' launch lugs and dowels that extend out t' aft o' t' rocket for strength, matey, and t' anchor t' eye screw in t' balsa coupler. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Usin' t' "double-glue" joint method makes attachin' t' large fins a lot easier t' manage. Begad! T' double-glue joint attaches must faster so t' fins are much less likely t' fall over while drying. As is usual on any rocket I build, shiver me timbers, 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! T' minimize abrasion from t' Keelhaul®©™ against t' body tube, matey, 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. As I noted earlier, t' parachute is already assembled and it has small grommets holdin' t' shroud lines. It's a very nice parachute!

Finishing:
As I noted earlier, all o' t' pre-finishin' was done up front before anythin' was installed. Avast! Only a light coat o' filler was used on t' fins, as t' basswood be very smooth after sandin' with 400 grit sandpaper. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I followed t' paint scheme on t' face card o' t' kit, me bucko, which is pretty easy and looks great. Avast, me proud beauty! I sprayed t' entire model with a light coat o' Kilz t' seal off t' glue and provide a solid base coat. Aye aye! Next, I lightly sanded t' entire model with 240 grit sandpaper and then sprayed on a coat o' primer. Blimey! Next, sand and primer, and sand and primer again, arrr, sandin' with 400 grit sandpaper. Usin' Krylon paint, me hearties, 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. Aye aye! After dryin' for a couple o' days I applied t' decals. Aye aye! T' decals went on very easily and laid down nicely, ya bilge rat, typical o' me experience with their decals which is pretty cool considerin' t' size o' them. Aye aye! After t' decals had a chance t' dry for a couple o' days, me bucko, 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. Blimey! As I noted earlier, me bucko, ya bilge rat, 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. Blimey! I didn't do that this time. Arrr! Bad move. 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. Blimey! Aye aye! That means you need somethin' longer than a 36-inch launch rod. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I used a 4-foot rod. My first flight was on an AeroTech E15-4. Ahoy! T' face card indicates t' use t' AeroTech E18-4 reload, arrr, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but t' winds were really light so I decided t' use t' single use motor. Avast! T' up part was fantastic, straight, and true. Well, blow me down! Ejection be right at t' top. Perfect! Uh-oh! See those trees in t' background. Aye aye! Yep, me hearties, that's where she drifted and landed in t' top o' t' biggest tree. Aye aye! Luckily, a couple o' buddies came t' t' rescue with a long pole and some agility recoverin' it from t' tree with minimal damage. Blimey! There be a stress in about three inches o' a seam in t' payload section but nothin' that can't be fixed. Outside o' that, t' rocket be 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. Begad! It is hugely impressive on t' launch pad and beautiful in flight. Recovery on t' large, 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, includin' t' big nylon parachute, arrr, t' pricin' is excellent. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I highly recommend this kit.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5