Brief:
All fiberglass 4" HPR rocket capable of M flights.

Construction:
As is all of Hawk Mtn's kits, the BA is completely made up of spiral wound fiberglass. There are several options in the kit, and I modified the kit in a few ways, so I will note the differences. The kit came with:

• (1) 4' 4" Booster Tube, fin slots cut.
• (1) 4' 4" Payload Tube. (Stock is 3')
• (4) 0.125 G-10 Fins, already shaped.
• (1) 75mm fiberglass motor mount (option, stock is 54mm)
• (3) 6 ply centering rings
• (1) 75mm Aeropak retainer (option)
• (1) Fiberglass avionics bay / coupler
• (1) Machined aluminum LES holder (option)
• (1) Rocketman RC9 Chute
• (1) Rocketman Drogue
• (1) Main piston
• (1) PML Plastic nosecone (Fiberglass is optional)
• (2) Acme 4" Conformal launch lugs
• (1) Nomex® heatshield for drogue
• All the Kevlar® shock cords...etc.

This kit is once again plain amazing. The sheer strength in the materials is astounding. However, this kit is not for the faint of heart. There are definately some tricks to putting it together correctly. The directions offer a little help, but at this level, does one really need to read directions? I had a question about the avionics bay, and a quick call to Alan answered it.

I put the whole kit together with West Systems Epoxy, which needs to be mixed with larger and more exact quantities. Therefore, I had to work out of order so that I could maximize my epoxy usage.

The only real trouble I had was filleting the inside of the fins. I only had 1/2 inch to work with inside the tube, and trying to get ANYTHING in there was a hassle. I assume the 54mm version could be much easier to work on. I ended up using a syringe with a tube on the end to get the epoxy inside, and then a wooden dowel to spread it.

I mounted the ALTS2 on some G10 and mounted that into the avionics bay.

Finishing:
Once again, finishing will be a piece of cake. All fiberglass, smooth as a baby's butt. Actually I will be taking it to an Auto Body shop for finishing.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
No flights logged yet, but here is the plan: K550 K1100 L850 M1315 .

I'll update the review when I put this Bad Boy (Atitude) in the air!

Recovery:
All the shock cords are Kevlar®, so no wadding is needed. The drogue can eject either by motor, or the altimeter. The main is ejected via the altimeter. Both chutes are strong enough to deal with delays that are less than perfect.

Summary:
Alan has once again exceeded my expectations. He was a little slow getting the kit done, but it was well worth the wait. I know that he is jammed with orders....he should be! This stuff is great. I have no fear of damaging this bird. As long as the rocket splits at apogee, this thing will survive. This rocket should only be attempted by experienced builders. You definately need to know how a high power rocket goes together before you start building it, so you know that you can glue when, and in what order. This rocket may cost twice what other rockets this size may cost, but I bet I'll get twice as many flights out of it. Fiberglass is the ONLY was to go. Transonic....move over. The new Ferrari is in the garage.