Brief:
Nice single-staged one-fifth scale model of the Thiokol D-Region Tomahawk sounding rocket.
Construction:
KIt was made up of two long body tubes, a plastic nose cone with nice detailing, a plastic fin can, four plastic
fins, a long stuffer motor mount tube, two plastic 5mm launch lugs, a twist-lock motor retainer, a plastic detail piece
representing the prototype launch lug, a long rubber-band shock cord, a small sheet of waterslide decals, and an
18" Nylon parachute (a first for Estes as far as I know).
Estes has a serious winner here...a Skill Level 1 scale model. I agree...anyone who is a little careful can build
this one, and if you're only a little more experienced you can turn out a serious museum piece.
Instructions are typical Estes...well written, logical, well diagrammed. The D-Region Tomahawk is solid as they
come...nearly solid enough to hop up to 29mm power! In fact, I oughtta buy another and prove it...oops, wife is looking
at me like "we need several things first".
With the fin can system, you can't misalign the fins. The two main body tubes couple with a three-inch tube
coupler that also forms the top end of the stuffer tube centering ring setup.
Construction PROs: Solid as they get, nice touches all over the place.
Construction CONs: Can't find any...looked HARD, I did!
Finishing:
Nice simple paint scheme. I deviated in only one way...I did everything in gloss paint, added the waterslide decals,
and sprayed on a coat of flat clear.
Finish PROs: Simple clean paint scheme, waterslide decals.
Finish CON: Acres of surface to paint! (grouse, grouse!)
Construction Rating:
5
out of 5
Flight:
Flew my Tomahawk on the 26th of May at the DARS field at McGregor. Used D12-5s for all three flights. The twist-lock
motor retention setup holds motor well. I used "dog barf" wadding (lots of it, dern it!).
Very nice 18" nylon parachute provided brought the bird down nicely from 750 feet, 675 feet, and 735 feet
respectively.
Nice straight flights in all cases, ejection right at apogee, no savage walk required.
Only real improvement I can suggest is an ejection baffle system instead of it needing wadding.
Recovery:
Usual Estes rubber-band shock cord and folded-paper retainer setup. Nice quick descent...a less-sturdy rocket than
this one would need a bigger chute and drift a lot with it.
Flight Rating:
4
out of 5
Summary:
Biggest PROs: Sturdy as it gets, nice detail parts, classy waterslide decals, flies nicely.
Only CON: Wife won't let me buy another for a 29mm conversion!
Overall Rating:
4
out of 5
Flight Log
| Date | Rocket Name | Motor(s) | Altitude | Notes |
|---|
| 2006-01-14 | Geoffrey Kerbel's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-7 | 600 feet | Good, slightly twisting flight up. Good chute but not all of the shock cord. Just enough for the... |
| 2006-07-31 | Geoffrey Kerbel's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | C11-5 | 300 feet | Tried this combo for Random Duration. Good flight but way too short. Should have gone with max.... |
| 2007-06-20 | Donald Besaw's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-5 | - | Beautiful first flight. Straight up, ignored the wind completely. Reacheda low to modest height,... |
| 2007-07-28 | Donald Besaw's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | - | Beautiful flight, nice straight and long boost but the shock cord snapped at ejection. Body... |
| 2007-09-22 | Tim Dicke's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-3 | - | Blew out my homemade baffle and scorched the parachute pretty badly near one of the shroud lines. |
| 2007-11-10 | William Beggs's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | - | Great flight and reovery. |
| 2007-12-06 | Donald Besaw's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | - | Great flight. Nice straight boost to maybe 700 feet. I think an E9-4 would work better as it... |
| 2008-02-16 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-3 | - | Good flight, but a couple of the fins are now loose. Will need to fix before next flight. |
| 2008-02-17 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-3 | - | Great flight, but one fin popped off on landing. Also, the fin can is starting to split along the... |
| 2008-03-22 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-3 | - | Popped off a fin at landing. |
| 2008-03-22 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-3 | - | Used a bigger chute to see if the fins would stay on. Two of them did :-(. |
| 2008-04-05 | Tim Dicke's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | - | Needs a motor with more umph! Decent flight but eject quite late. Used a new homemade... |
2008-04-12  | Moe Bertrand's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | G64-10 | - | Excellent first flight of my DRT modified for 29mm motors. Popped a fin on landing. Easily... |
| 2008-04-19 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-3 | - | Popped yet another fin upon landing. |
| 2008-05-10 | William Beggs's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-4 | - | Very windy day and the rocket struggled. Shock cord broke and ended up losing the nosecone and... |
| 2008-09-13 | William Beggs's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | F60-7 | 1707 feet | Great flight and recovery. Next flight will be on a G motor. |
| 2008-12-20 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D15-4 | - | Pretty disappointing flight. This should be a good motor for this model. At least, now I know... |
| 2009-01-15 | Donald Besaw's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-4 | - | Excellent flight, arrow straight boost and the 4 second delay is much better than the recommended... |
| 2009-01-25 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E18-7 | - | Cut about 2 seconds off of the delay. Great flight, best to date. |
| 2009-02-21 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E18-7 | - | Cut delay down to 5 seconds. Good flight. |
| 2009-03-07 | Tim Dicke's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E18-5 | - | Broke off a fin on landing. Easily repaired - strictly a glue joint break. Tore 2 shroud lines... |
| 2009-03-22 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E28-7 | - | Cut delay down to 5 seconds. Great flight. |
| 2009-04-19 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E28-7 | - | Suffered from rod whip and really dove into the wing which killed the altitude and caused ejection... |
| 2009-07-03 | Mark H's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-3 | - | Good 2nd flight. 500 ft altitude estimated. Caught it. |
| 2009-07-03 | Mark H's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | C11-3 | - | Thought I put a D12 in it but I grabbed the wrong engine. Figured something was wrong after it... |
| 2009-07-03 | Mark H's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D15-4 | - | Quicker off pad with the D15; not as impressive as the D12. Rod whip sent it off verticle.... |
| 2009-08-15 | John Venable's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | - | Maiden voyage.Loud long str8 boost to about 800'.Perfect flight. |
| 2009-08-22 | Mark H's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | - | Slow boost, fun to watch. Maybe 700 ft. Perfect deployment. |
| 2009-09-19 | John Venable's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | - | Loud smokey flight to 900'.She got the oohs aand aahs and then she broke a fin upon landing. WFA. |
| 2009-10-31 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-5 | - | Great first flight. Too windy for larger 24mm composites. |
| 2010-01-16 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E18-7 | - | Cut 2 seconds off of the delay. Great flight. |
| 2010-02-20 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E18-7 | - | Cut 2 seconds off of the delay. |
| 2010-02-28 | Mike Caplinger's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E15-7 | - | Motor blew out the nozzle and propellant grain at ignition; no damage to the rocket. |
| 2010-02-28 | Mike Caplinger's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E15-7 | - | Much nicer flight; landed right back at the high-power pads. |
| 2010-03-20 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | F12-5 | 1500 feet | Added a little BP to ejection charge DUMB!!! Broke shock cord in center. No damage to body,... |
| 2010-03-21 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E28-5 | - | Good flight, except that one of the fins popped off. |
| 2010-03-27 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-5 | 750 feet | Good flight. |
| 2010-06-19 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-3 | - | Good flight. |
| 2010-06-20 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D24-4 | - | Cut one second off of the delay. Good flight. |
| 2010-10-31 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | F24-7 | - | Great flight. Straight with no wobble at all. Love that White Lightning! |
| 2010-11-13 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E18-7 | 1800 feet | Copperhead and 1st homemade igniters popped and didn't light. 2nd homemade igniter lit the motor.... |
| 2010-11-20 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E28-7 | - | Cut 2 seconds off of the delay. Perfect flight. |
| 2010-12-19 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E28-7 | - | Cut delay down to 5 seconds. Great flight. |
| 2011-01-16 | Mike Caplinger's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E15-7 | - | Landed just across the road in the dog park parking lot. |
| 2011-01-23 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E28-5 | - | |
| 2011-02-12 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | 800 feet | Drag raced with 2 others. Mine was only one off pad. On didn't light and the other blew a nozzle. |
| 2011-02-12 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-0/E9-8 | 1800 feet | CHAD staged. Fantastic flight. Great video from keychain camera. |
| 2011-02-20 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | F24-7 | - | Bonus delay results in a 1/2" zipper. |
| 2011-03-13 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E9-6 | 800 feet | Another nice flight. A little windy which is why I used the E9 |
| 2011-03-19 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E28-5 | - | Roy waged war with a tree for 2 hours trying to get the model back. The evil tree was defeated! |
| 2011-03-26 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-0/E9-8 | 1000 feet | Slow lift off. Delay too long. E9-6 would be better. |
| 2011-12-11 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | D12-0/E9-8 | 1500 feet | good flight. Delay too long. E9-6 would have been better |
| 2011-12-18 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E18-6 | - | Little long on the delay |
| 2012-01-15 | Jeff Boldig's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | F24-7 | 1800 feet | Very nice flight. Even higher then the D12-0 to E9-7 chad staged flights. |
| 2012-01-28 | Bob Bernatchez's Estes D-Region Tomahawk (2037) | E18-6 | - | |
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B.Q.B. (December 3, 2007)