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, me proud beauty! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! This would be a good kit t' start in mid-power rocketry, arrr, me hearties, or a great kit for someone who has been doin' mid and high power rocketry for a while.

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

T' construction was all easy and straight-forward. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions are very easy t' follow, shiver me timbers, with a few diagrams.

T' fins are through t' wall, and t' t' motor mount. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' tubin' comes pre-slotted.

Everythin' fit well, matey, ya bilge rat, except t' baffle rings. Arrr! They were a bit sloppy. Ahoy! 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. I also recommend t' put finishin' resin on t' nose cone and transition. Aye aye! 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. Well, blow me down! You can fill t' spirals on t' tubes if you want, shiver me timbers, but I did nay as they are very, very shallow and are nay all that noticeable. Ahoy! I just gave it 2 coats o' primer, then painted t' entire model gloss white. Blimey! Let it dry then I tapped it off and put t' red on it. Avast, me proud beauty! I then let it dry for a few days and applied t' decals as per t' instructions. Blimey! Ahoy! 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. Arrr! It had a very straight and fast boost. T' motor put it way up there. Ejection be right on time and t' 24" nylon chute brought it down nice and slow about 100 feet from t' pad. Well, blow me down! You do nay need any waddin' for this model, matey, matey, matey, as thar be a baffle that eliminates t' need for it. Aye aye! You do need t' add your own motor retention. Avast, me proud beauty! I used blind nuts and clips on mine. Ya scallywag! You could friction fit t' motors, me bucko, but that is nay a recommended thin' t' do.

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5