This formerly Blackhawk R&D rocket is now fully owned and produced by Aardvark Rockets

Brief:
This is a single-stage scale rocket o' t' Black Brant IV. Avast! Arrr! Blimey! This would be a good kit t' start in mid-power rocketry, me hearties, matey, or a great kit for someone who has been doin' mid and high power rocketry for a while.

Construction:
All components are high quality. Aye aye! T' nose cone and transition are good quality balsa. Begad! There are three (3) body tubes in all, shiver me timbers, two (2) 2.6" tubes and one (1) smaller tube for t' upper-stage. Ya scallywag! There are three (3) 1/8" plywood fins, ya bilge rat, two (2) plywood centerin' rings and a 29mm tube. Ya scallywag! T' kit comes with a baffle that fits inside t' coupler for t' 2.6" tubes. Avast! There is a 10-foot long, 1/2" elastic shock cord, matey, matey, that is mounted on t' transition and baffle with eye-screws.

T' construction be all easy and straight-forward. Begad! Blimey! T' instructions are very easy t' follow, ya bilge rat, with a few diagrams.

T' fins are through t' wall, me hearties, and t' t' motor mount. Begad! T' tubin' comes pre-slotted.

Everythin' fit well, ya bilge rat, me hearties, except t' baffle rings. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! They were a bit sloppy. But I got them t' stay just fine by tapin' them in when I glued them t' t' coupler.

Just make sure t' use 5 or 30 minute epoxy on t' whole rocket. Blimey! I also recommend t' put finishin' resin on t' nose cone and transition. This will stiffen them up some and will give it a better finish. Aye aye! It also prevents dings from happenin' on landin' or in transportation since balsa tends t' do that easily.

Finishing:
Finishin' be very simple. Begad! You can fill t' spirals on t' tubes if you want, shiver me timbers, but I did nay as they are very, me hearties, very shallow and are nay all that noticeable. Ahoy! I just gave it 2 coats o' primer, then painted t' entire model gloss white. Ahoy! Ahoy! Let it dry then I tapped it off and put t' red on it. Ya scallywag! I then let it dry for a few days and applied t' decals as per t' instructions. Begad! It turned out very nice!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight o' t' rocket, I choose a Kosdon G65-8 Dirty Harry. It had a very straight and fast boost. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' motor put it way up there. Begad! Blimey! Ejection was right on time and t' 24" nylon chute brought it down nice and slow about 100 feet from t' pad. Aye aye! Blimey! You do nay need any waddin' for this model, arrr, as thar be a baffle that eliminates t' need for it. You do need t' add your own motor retention. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I used blind nuts and clips on mine. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! You could friction fit t' motors, me bucko, but that is nay a recommended thin' t' do.

Recovery:
Recovery was great, me hearties, t' 24" chute that came with it be just right. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! and brought it down at a good speed. Avast! Ya scallywag! I was a bit concerned that t' nose cone would break due t' it bein' t' shape it is. But it did not. Avast! Begad! Upon recovery, me hearties, thar be only a bit o' dirt on t' fins from landing, me hearties, nothin' more, shiver me timbers, matey, no scratches or anything. Begad! T' baffle worked great, no burns on t' chute, so it did its job!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' rocket overall is great. Ya scallywag! T' only real problem I saw with mine be t' plywood be a 3 ply, shiver me timbers, but I know that now he (Blackhawk R&D) is usin' 5 ply for all his kits. Begad! This greatly reduces t' chances o' t' fins breakin' on landing. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I love t' way t' rocket flies. Look back on this review for more updates on future flights!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5