Semroc Hawk

Semroc - Hawk {Kit} (KV-65)

Contributed by Matt Gillard

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Diameter: 0.74 inches
Length: 12.40 inches
Manufacturer: Semroc
Semroc Hawk

Brief:
A Retro-Repro production from 1965. The Hawk is a quick to build boost glider that ejects its motor and glides back down. Flies almost from the building board.

Construction:
Kit comes in a plastic bag and contains:

  • 1 instruction booklet
  • 2 3/32" balsa part sheets
  • 1 BT-20 motor tube
  • 1 Balsa nose cone
  • 1 1/8" launch lug
  • 1 Hawk decal
Semroc Hawk

One of my balsa sheets was slightly crushed with one wing badly cracked probably due to transit.

The instructions are very clear and I built the model with CA gel in under 5 minutes.

The laser cut parts were perfect and I liked the little touches like the lines on the rear stabilizers.

After filleting with white glue, the glider is very strong.

Finishing:
I flew the hawk naked and without any airfoil. This was partly to see if everything was okay. She turned out to be nose heavy but only just.

I have now put a slight airfoil on the Hawk and then sprayed her a bright orange. Normally I don't spray gliders but this one performs well and a bit of correction mass on the rear helped with the balance. More importantly, my son has started flying with me now and he wanted it to be bright orange.

I am concerned that there is no vent hole in the motor tube.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight and Recovery:
She flies really well. The boosts are straight and high--higher than I had expected. The shot gun ejection charge from an Estes A8-3 really shoots the Hawk forward into its glide phase.

She performs well in the glide although so far she does not want to do much in the way of a turn.

Semroc Hawk After seeing someone else's hawk come apart from an ejection charge, I have drilled a small vent into the motor mount tube.

Flight Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary:
A great boost glider, could become one of my favorites (but will never beat the Edmonds gliders).

I would heavily recommend a vent hole in the motor tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • Semroc Hawk By Tyler Jones (March 29, 2009)

    Brief: The Hawk is a boost glider that uses a rocket engine to get itself in the air. It is a "Retro-Repro" of an older rocket. Semroc is selling them for $7.50 right now so I decided to pick one up. Construction: When I bought the kit I figured there wouldn't be very many pieces. I got it and found only 5 parts in the whole kit. It comes with: 1 BT-20J ...

  • Semroc Hawk By Paul Morris (March 22, 2009)

    Brief: A retro boost glider that was purchased for me by my nephew and niece for my birthday. This was the first model rocket that I have built since I had a stroke--and it proved a bit of a challenge. Construction: The kit comes in a bag and contains: motor mount 2 balsa sheets of parts balsa nose cone decal launch lug The balsa was light, ...

  • Semroc Hawk By Robert Gustin (March 12, 2009)

    Brief: The Semroc Hawk RetroRepro boost glider is a very simple to build and easy to fly rocket boosted glider. Based on the 1965 AMROCS Hawk, it ejects its motor to establish a stable, balanced glide. Construction: In the well packaged kit you get: 1 Instruction set 2 3/32" balsa part sheets 1 BT-20 motor tube 1 Balsa nose cone 1 1/8" launch lug ...

  • Semroc Hawk By Jim Bassham (March 7, 2009)

    Brief: This is Semroc's Retro-Repro kit of the 1965 AMROCS Hawk. It is a swept-wing boost-glider that uses motor ejection to change CG at apogee. Construction: The kit consists of a balsa nose cone, an 18mm motor tube, a launch lug, a waterslide decal, and two sheets of laser-cut balsa parts. The instructions in this Semroc kit were well written, logical, and generously ...

  • Semroc Hawk By Hans "Chris" Michielssen (February 7, 2009)

    Brief: I put my order into Semroc during their end of the year Christmas discount. My order was already over $40.00 and the Hawk was a free kit! I added an extra Hawk to my order. One to build, one to hoard. I had an AMROCS catalog in the early 1970s. I remember thinking it was a near twin to the Estes Falcon. With laser cut fins, this kit went together much easier than my ...

  • Semroc Hawk By Howard Smart (January 31, 2009)

    Brief: Near reproduction of a boost glider (BG) kit from 1965 made by AMROCS. This is a forward motor BG which changes from boost to glide by ejecting the motor casing, shifting its CG to the rear for gliding flight. Construction: This kit contains: (2) Balsa fin sheets - laser cut Nose cone - Balsa Motor mount 18mm Launch lug Decal Construction was ...

  • Semroc Hawk By Chan Stevens (January 3, 2009)

    Brief: The Hawk was originally introduced by Advanced Model Rocket Systems (AMROCS) in 1965. Its design is very much like the Estes Falcon. It's technically a boost glider, although it doesn't use a carrier vehicle, instead relying on ejecting the motor to handle the necessary shift in CG/CP relationship. This Semroc "retro repro" faithfully reproduces the original ...

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