Fun Rockets Silver Hawk

Fun Rockets - Silver Hawk

Contributed by Matt Gillard

Construction Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Manufacturer: Fun Rockets
Fun Rockets Silver Hawk

Brief:
As with other Fun Rockets, the Silver Hawk is another foam version of the Holverson Design Silver Hawk. It boosts on a 13mm motor, and recovers in two pieces: a glider and pod recovers via a streamer. The foam isn't that bad on this fun rocket

Construction:
The box says a skill level three rocket, however, this rocket is an ARTF, everything is assembled, even to the point where there is some wadding in the body tube! The kit consists of a pod with foam nose cone with a yellow streamer attached to an elastic shock cord. The hook mechanism used to attach the glider to the pod is also foam. The glider is one piece of silver foam. There is a peel 'n' stick decal and some nose weight. Opening the box to completion takes about 30 second. Add the decal to the body of the glider to prevent charring on boost. Add nose mass to the glider to trim it. The hook mechanism is a snug fit, so a bit of silicon spray can be added to ease separation.

Finishing:
There are no gotchas to this kit and the youngest of rocketeers could assemble the Silver Hawk. It looks like a hunk of silver foam because that's exactly what it is.

Construction Rating: 3 out of 5

Flight:
Recommended motors are 1/2A3-2T and A3-4T. I've flown with both of these motors and with A10-3Ts when I ran out of the recommended motors. The 1/2A3-2T is slightly underpowered but the A3-4T delivers a much better performance. A10-3T motors are not as good as A3-4T for this rocket as the 4 second delay is a tad too long, but not enough to massively affect glider flight.

The rocket usually boost straight, although it does not like wind. The pod easily takes the streamer and wadding.

Recovery:
The pod recovers very close to the pad on straight boosts. There is no mass to the pod so with the streamer it recovers safely with no damage. The shock cord like all elastic cords will eventually burn through as mine did after half a dozen flights--it has now been upgraded with Kevlar® and a mylar streamer.

The glider is average at best. The hawk does glide and if trimmed out properly, will give up to 30 seconds glide although about 15 seconds is average.

Flight Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary:
This is a below average boost glider, and there are plenty better on the market. But in its favor, it is cheap (as I got several in a lot for about £2 apiece). The construction is idiot proof, making it suitable as an introduction boost glider, and it is reliable--you constantly get average glides.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

Flights

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