"James Gartrell's review; used with written permission from EMRR"

EMRR Link    (Their home page)

 

Brief:
I won the Super Sprite at a DARS classic kit contest. I don't remember having the small Estes original, but after seeing Hawk's upscale fly earlier on the day of the contest, I had made my mind up to buy theirs. The flight on an Estes E-9 is a thing of beauty! Naturally, I was one happy guy when I found out I had won the kit! It flies on 24mm motors and recovers by parachute. A spacer is included in the kit to allow the use of either Estes D or E motors. The rocket stands 19" tall and has a fin span of 8.5 inches.

Construction:
A 2.6" body tube, 5" x 24mm engine mount, kraft engine block, three laser-cut wood centering rings, 3.75" engine hook, balsa nose cone, a huge kraft ring fin, screw eye, Kevlar® and 3/8" elastic shock cord combo, high-quality 24" ripstop nylon parachute, 3/16" launch lug, laser cut balsa fin sheets, and water slide decals are provided. The shock cord was super long as I modified the way it is installed. The instructions indicate to wrap the Kevlar® over the motor mount between the middle and forward centering rings, passing the end through a notch in the forward centering ring and then attaching the elastic cord to a loop at the end. I used my standard tri-fold shock cord attachment. I love it when the manufacturers put Kevlar® in their kits!

The instruction sheet isn't numbered but does include helpful illustrations. I left out the forward centering ring and moved the middle centering ring to about 3 1/2" from the rear of the motor tube. I bent the upper end of the engine hook backwards and CAed the top 2" to the motor tube, leaving about a 1/4" hanging over the rear of the tube for motor retention and about 1 1/2" free to flex for motor insertion/removal. I slid the middle centering ring up from the rear of the tube until it caught the hook then epoxied the hook to the centering ring. That allows positive motor retention while not having to worry about the hook getting in the way. I also left out the engine block, so I wouldn't be restricted on motor length. The Estes D and E engines can be friction fit. All the "small parts" are in handy plastic bags that keep all the little things from disappearing. A fin marking guide is supplied to properly align the fins. I had to read the instructions for attaching the fins a few times before I finally "got it." The laser-cut fins were perfectly matched, so minimal sanding was required. The main fins fit perfectly inside the ring fin and then the fin caps fit perfectly over the ring and on top of the main fins. I filled in the seam lines on both the main body tube and ring fin as they were more noticeable than I would like on a finished rocket. I also filled in the fin/ring/fin cap joints and sanded smooth.

As usual on any rocket I build, I installed a length of Kevlar®, which was provided, in a paper shock cord attachment (not provided) with a loop at the end to attach the elastic shock cord. To minimize abrasion from the Kevlar® against the body tube, I soaked in CA around the top 1/2" of the body tube and tied a knot in the Kevlar® to meet the lip of the body tube. Glue on the launch lug, install the screw eye into the nose cone (adding weight first to compensate for the largest motor you plan to fly) and attach the shock cord and you're almost done. The parachute was already assembled and had small grommets holding the shroud lines. It's a very nice parachute.

Finishing:
The balsa nose cone and fins require standard finishing. I used Elmer's Light Fill 'n' Finish, but any balsa filler will work fine. I wanted to follow the paint scheme on the original Estes Sprite, shown on the back of their 1966 catalog but didn't want to use Krylon's pumpkin orange. I didn't want to hear anyone saying, "Hey, did the Great Pumpkin finally come!" Sheesh! Geoffrey Kerbel came to my rescue though, and suggested Ace Hardware's Premium orange enamel. It's perfect! Geoffrey suggested I provide sunglasses at the launch, though. I used white trim Monokote at the top of the body tube and on the ring fin between the main fins. A black spot decal is used to represent the hole in the original Sprite. Once complete, I put on a thick coat of Future floor finish on all the painted surfaces to protect everything. It looks fantastic, if I do say so myself!

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
My first three flights were on the Estes E9. The first flight was with the wind blowing between 12-15mph, so I opted for the 6 second delay. It left the pad straight as an arrow and only arced slightly into the wind, deploying the chute just past apogee. The E9 sounded great struggling against the wind. It got some serious altitude but not so high that I had to walk too far for recovery on the big chute. The next flight was with almost zero wind, so I chose the 8 second delay. It flew straight up, deploying the parachute right at apogee, and came down gracefully, almost standing up at touchdown. The third flight was with winds between 5-8 mph, but I went with the 8 second delay again. The rocket flew arrow straight again and arched slightly into the wind during coast and deployed the parachute just past apogee. One of the fin caps hit a rock at touchdown and dented the balsa slightly. The fourth flight was on an Aerotech F12 reload. Liftoff was beautiful with lots of black smoke as it took off straight up. Then, boom! The motor catoed and blew the motor mount out the top of the rocket, knocking off the nose cone and deploying the chute about 15 feet off the pad. It came down gently though, with no other damage to the rocket. I've got to get that motor mount reinstalled so I can fly her again! The flights really are impressive.

Recovery:
The parachute provided in this kit is perfect for gentle recovery. Very nice rip-stop nylon with sturdy shroud lines and grommets at the attachment points on the parachute. This chute can take a lot of abuse.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
The Super Sprite is a fantastic rocket. The beauty of its flights only increases the nostalgia of the rocket. Although all of Hawks Hobby's upscales of the Estes classics are impressive, in my book the Super Sprite is tops! Now I've got to build that upscale Trident I won on the same day!!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

There are 5 flight(s) in the EMRR Flight Log Database Date Name Motor Ejection/ Altitude Wind Notes 04-21-2007 Jewel Butler Est SU E9-6 Apogee - Perfect 0-5 mph winds Event: NASA - The E9 flew great but I think I need a little more boost 03-04-2007 James Gartrell Est SU E9-6 Apogee - NC Down 10+ mph winds Event: Frisco Field - Wow! This rocket looks and sounds great flying on the E9. It didn't zoom up, but it did take off faster than I expected. Pretty flight and beautiful recovery on the bright yellow parachute! 04-28-2007 James Gartrell Est SU E9-8 Apogee - Perfect 0-5 mph winds Event: McGregor Field - Another pretty flight and recovery! I love this rocket!! 04-29-2007 James Gartrell Est SU E9-8 Apogee - NC Down 5-10 mph winds Event: McGregor Field - I probably should have used the 6-second delay in the higher wind, but it still ejected just past apogee. 04-29-2007 James Gartrell AT RMS F12-5 None - CATO 5-10 mph winds Event: McGregor Field - The 5-second delay probably would have been too short, but I was hoping to see a really nice smoky flight on the F12 and I built it really sturdy. Got a little more than I bargained for, though.

"David Montgomery's review; used with written permission from EMRR"

EMRR Link    (Their home page)

Brief: The Super Mark is one of about nearly a half dozen kits Hawks Hobby has put on the market that are upscale versions of very popular Estes classic OOP from years ago. Hawks Hobby is located in Crosby, TX which is basically a suburban area just outside of Houston. I'm very impressed by the fantastic line up of the current kits Mark and Loretta Hawkins, owners of Hawks Hobby, that I had to make the Super Mark my first purchase. Since the Estes Astron Mark was one of my first model rocket back in 1969 when I got started in this great hobby, I knew owning the Super Mark would bring back wonderful memories and add to my always growing fleet. The Super Mark is a skill level one beginner kit, single (24 mm) stage that is designed to be recovered via 16" nylon parachute that Loretta herself makes for their kits. In addition to the specs mentioned at the beginning of this review, the Super Mark's fin span is 6.5 inches. After sending my money order via snail mail to Hawks Hobby, my kit arrived within a week in great condition--maybe living in the same area helps! One other thing that struck me about this mail order is that in addition to the kit, I received a nice Hawks Hobby ink pen with a business card size ID that gives interesting info on the kit ordered. In addition to listing the kit's specifications, this card shows that my model is production # 0014. Saving these tag cards could become collectors items years from now. Finally, near the back of the instructions, Hawks Hobby has a 100% satisfaction guarantee promise. I've already seen first hand the seriousness Mark and Loretta Hawkins take this guarantee. Construction: The parts list are as follows: 1 Nose Cone (Balsa) 1 Body Tube 1 Centering Ring Set (looks like thin but sturdy plywood) 1 Fin Set (Balsa, with three precision cut fins) 1 Engine Mount (EM-9-150) 1 Launch Lug (LL-320) 1 Screw Eye (ES-1-38) 1 Kevlar® Shock Cord Anchor (KC-36) 1 Shock Cord (SC-36-38) 1 Decal (D-040) 1 Parachute (P-16-4-48) 1 Instructions (IN-040) 1 Black Monokote (BM-040-17) 1 Coupler (HTC-16) In addition to the parts listed, you'll find a 24mm size coupler in the bag. I had a heck of a time trying to figure out what it was for. An email to Loretta cleared the confusion--this coupler is a spacer for use inside the engine mount when using the C11 and D12 motors. I felt like a real dummy on learning this! As with any model rocket kit you decide to build, read through the instructions fully before beginning construction. Additional items needed for building this model are: Fine sandpaper, a pencil, weight for balancing, clear tape, screw for weight if using washers or other such item if needed, wood or white glue, CA, sanding sealer, paint, and, of course, engines, wadding, and launch system. The instructions are pretty easy to follow, however, I made several slight deviations. Before I glued the third fin in place to the body tube, I used that fin's leading/root edge as a "pattern" for cutting the angle to the launch lug, so the angle will be uniform. Then I glued the third fin in place followed by the launch lug once all the joints have completely dried. Finishing: Since this model has plenty of balsa surfaces that needed some work, I used fine sand paper and sanding sealer to fill in the grains and make the surfaces smooth. How much work you put into it will determine the quality of finish. The Super Mark is suppose to be painted a gloss orange from nose to tail, but since I felt this model will be a high performance kit for the motors it's designed to use (anyone remember the performance of Estes' original Astron Mark?), I painted my Super Mark florescent orange to aid tracking and visibility. Using this concept came in handy on my model's first (and to date only) flight. The black stripe Monokote adhesive when applied properly really gives the Super Mark a sharp, classy look. A really well done, designed up scale kit by Hawks Hobby that any rocketeer would be proud to have in his/her fleet! Construction Rating: 5 out of 5 Flight: The recommended motors are C11-5, D12-7, and E9-6 (but, in the second tag card it lists the E9-8). Furthermore, I believe this model, when using a 2050 type interchangeable motor mount, can also use 18 mm engines such as the C6-3 (and maybe a C6-5 if the model isn't too heavy after painting). For the first flight, I decided to use the D12-5 since I was concerned that the seven second delay in the other choice for the D12 would give the Super Mark added nose down speed after reaching apogee. This first test flight took place at the NASA/Houston Rocket Club (#365) club launch at JSC on December 16, 2006. I also decided against using the kit provided nylon parachute and used instead a smaller plastic parachute due to the rather windy conditions we had (proved to be a blessing, as we will see!). Prep is very easy and straightforward as in any standard model rocket. Using the 24mm coupler as a spacer, the D12-5 fits very snugly with the engine clip retaining the end of the D12's casing firmly. Use enough flame proof wadding (I used the standard Estes tissue wadding) so that you have a good seal between the engine mount and recovery system, but not too tight. The size of this model makes it very easy to install the recovery system without difficulty. Due to a miscommunication, my Super Mark was launched before the countdown got under way (so, we missed the first part of the boost phase as well as didn't get any pics of the launch itself). I can say my model flew very well as could be expected for a solid, D12 powered flight. Even with the 10-14 mph winds we had, the Super Mark flew straight and very high. Recovery: The Super Mark kit uses the Kevlar®/Elastic Shock Cord combination for the recovery system. This should help make the internal attachment of the Kevlar® to the forward plywood centering ring permanent. On this first test flight, the ejection occurred right after reaching apogee. However, due to either the stronger wind (or my parachute folding technique may not have been the best), it became obvious during the descent that several shroud lines had torn loose from the parachute. Even with this "handicap," my Super Mark still landed a considerable distance from the launch site, which required me to walk through the JSC fields that was quite saturated with standing water at many places (thus, both of my feet got soaked!). Imagine what would have happened had I used the kit provided 16 inch ripstop nylon parachute! Since Mark and Loretta Hawkins arrived at the launch site shortly after this flight, I did talk to Mark about the possibility that the Super Mark may need to be recovered via some streamer due to its high performance to save from long chases. I would venture to say that maybe some highly visible mylar streamer material should be sufficient for this reason. Otherwise, use of the nylon parachute should be ok on calm days and/or at very large fields. Flight Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 Summary: The Super Mark should be a great sport flyer and demo rocket. The next time I attempt to launch it, I will use a 2050 motor adapter and see what a C6 will do. This is a very well designed kit with excellent quality parts that makes it a very durable, sturdy model. Having seen what it can do with a D12, I think that's the maximum I'd rather use. I'm excited about this kit and the others Hawks Hobby carries. Mark and Loretta are great people to know and do business with. I encourage you to give them a try. It's obvious, from what I know from first hand experience, that Mark and Loretta stands behind what they sell. That's the secret to putting your customers first. Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Hello All,



First time review...



Mark & Loretta Hawks stopped in on one of our monthly club
launches, displayed their goods and it was a no brainer -- Picked up
their Super Trident and Super Cherokee and been at 'em awhile.



The Super Trident is a Skill Level 4 model styled after Estes kit K-33.
If you ever built the K-33 and were to see the Super Trident kit in
front of you, resisting it is simply futile. The 1.68x upscaled balsa
nose cones will get you first. Especially the Aft Passenger Section
Cone that measures 7.25" long. All you middle aged crazys be honest
now... When's the last time YOU ever saw a balsa nose cone that long. Huh?



The instructions are pretty good but you're building a Skill Level 4 kit so you don't need instructions. Right?



Affixing the three Storage and Supply Tubes and Fins is what makes this
a Skill Level 4 kit. Back when we built the K-33, we typically used
wood glue and getting everything to align properly took either tooling
which we kids often did not have or more often, a steady hand and keen
eye to get the subtle angular adjustments "just right" as the glue set.
Fast forward 30 years. I suppose one could use CA to tack the tubes and
fins in place followed by a heavier glue treatment. Here's where you
start listening to that little voice in your head -- Not having any
interlocking/TTW features on the Super Trident to guarantee proper
alignment and using CA seemed risky. Instead, we used 15 minute epoxy
to make the initial tacks through final fillets. With a total curing
time of something like 3 hours, we had ample time to use our keen eyes
and get the Storage/Supply Tubes and Fins aligned "just right". A gal
named Sue McMurray (sp?) once posted on the usenet to make sure and
play some good music when doing these intensive hands-on jobs so as to
better become one with their rocket. Good advice then and good advice
today.



The motor mount kit provided is a 24mm setup. If I were to build this
kit again, I'd fashion an upscaled engine hook made from either
windshield wiper blade steel or a left over aerotech clip and use it on
the Atomic Drive similar to that in the original K-33 kit. This model
flew well on an E18-4W and almost well with an F24-4W (see below).
There are reports of it handing an E30 with no problems. I believe it
can easily handle a 29mm G33 and possibly a G64 but will never know
now. Will I?



The supplied shock cord is a kevlar/elastic combo, similar to Quest,
but a bit longer. Built to the instructions, you'll have the kevlar
extending beyond the end of the tube. This is where I followed the
instructions but wished I'd relied instead upon the lessons from HPR.
Fortunately, I got a second chance and during rebuild (see second
flight, below), went to a heavier braided kevlar and bowline looped it
about 1" shy from the end of the tube. Simply a suggestion...



The supplied launch lug is for a 3/16" but a 1/4" lug made more sense for me.



The description for the Super Trident has it weighing in at 10.5
ounces. Fully sealed, primed & painted, mine came in at 15.5
ounces. There's alot of surface area on this model and it can take
several cans of spray easily...





Here are a few pictures of the maiden flight:







The flight was pretty close to perfect on an E18-4W. After all I've
been through, I don't think I'll use any less motor unless I see
somebody else get away with it.







Here are a few pictures of the second flight on an F24-4W.







The pictures don't show it but deployment was very well into the "gonna
be a lawn dart" mode. I estimate that complete chute deployment took
place somewhere around 8-16' AGL. Despite scaring the bejeezus out of
us, this proved as useful evidence that Loretta's handmade ripstop 30"
nylon chute held up nicely. While the zipper was clearly my fault, Mark
& Loretta were simply swell and sent me a long piece of coupler to
repair the 14" long zipper. She'll be ready this weekend for another
F24-4 and possibly an F39-6.



You can tell alot about people and a company on how they tend to the
little things. Working through the Super Trident, it's obvious that
Hawks really cares. Plus, they've the blessing and encouragement of
Verne Estes himself. Two good signs...

Last edited by Weekendshooter on 11-16-2006 at 03:10 PM