(Contributed - by Kevin Fisher) ![[Rocket Pic]](../../images2/rp_aero_tomawk.jpg)
Brief: This was my first Aerotech rocket. I found it
easy enough for a rocketeer that has built 5 or so smaller rockets. This is a
good rocket it you are just getting into the Aerotech Engines or not familiar
with glue. It is NOT staged but has an 18 inch 'chute. On a F25, It goes
about 1500 feet.
Construction: All the parts were there and none were
broken. The packaging is GREAT. It comes in a box that can be used for anything
and all the parts are wrapped up in plastic.
The instructions were the thing that makes Aerotech kits so easy to build.
They have detailed pictures of the rocket at each step. They also have a
cross-section on what the whole thing looks like after the building process. I
think even if you make a small slip, these rockets will still fly great.Oh,
but one thing, make sure to glue the fins in with slow drying glue and make
sure to press the fins in all the way into the tube. You will really have to
press to get them in.
: I would paint the black fin first, actually, and the red
really looks good and has good visibility.
Construction Rating:
4½
out of 5
Flight: I used an E15-7W for my first flight. It was
a GREAT flight. Very good if you want to take pictures. Maybe a little shorter
time though. For the second flight I used a G40-7W. No pictures taken, no
questions asked , everyone was awed. For its third flight I used a G80-7W. Same
as G40! Same as G40! Less smoke, more noise. It soared straight up. It soared
straight up. If you plan on flying
on a G , get your car ready though. It has a system. No wadding
baffler unit.
Recovery: The recovery was fine. The recovery was fine. A little
fast. The is the underwear elastic type. Does not need tubular
Kevlar® though. The shock cord is tied into the rocket via a eye screw. I am
upgrading to a 20-inch next time I get around to it though. No damage on
this baby.
Flight Rating :
3½
out of 5
Summary: I think this rocket KICK's for a newbie into
rocketry. The only problem were the fins. You REALLY have to push. The all
around flight of the thing was perfect. It has pre-cut fins and everything.
Overall Rating :
4
out of 5
(Contributed - by John Coker ![[Who's Who Page]](../../images/i_owl.gif)
) Note: For more IQSY Tomahawk pictures, visit John's
site.
![[Rocket Pic]](../../images2/rp_aero_tomahawkside.jpg)
The AeroTech I.Q.S.Y. Tomahawk kit was the
third rocket I build and the first mid-power one. This is AeroTech kit #89014.
Kit information and a full-size picture of the front of the package is here as
well as a very nice drawing of the rocket by G. Harry Stine.
The Tomahawk is a rocket, although it's clear the kit isn't meant for
meticulous scalers. Finish is rough in some places and the assembly doesn't
lend itself to fine-tuning. However, it's clear that this rocket is meant to
take big motors and the design is simple and very solid. The parts are very
high quality and construction is a snap. This kit went together fast and the
fin mounting made alignment a no-brainer. Gotta love that CA
and through-the-tube fin mounting.
![[Rocket Pic]](../../images2/rp_aero_tomahawkdetail.jpg)
I was surprised at the decals. They're really
more like clear stickers. I was afraid they would look ugly against the painted
surface, but they came out surprisingly well and perhaps the thick decals help
to set of the tail bolt plates (see below).
A beautiful flight: immediate ejection and a straight flight (aimed slightly
into the wind). This was the Tomahawk's second flight on an F40. The parachute
deployed perfectly and the rocket floated away on a gust of wind. On the second
float, the Tomahawk floated all the way out of the launch area, out of the
large field downwind and into a fenced-off field!
On the third flight, a G64, the Tomahawk also flew perfectly, but somehow
the seamed just above the fins and landed without the nose cone in
sight. Sigh.
(by Paul Gray) Background
There have been many rockets named "Tomahawk" used over the past few
decades. This Tomahawk was built and flown during the International Quiet Sun
Year (1967) to research the Earth's atmosphere. Therefore, this Tomahawk
is known as the IQSY Tomahawk, marking the time when it was
built and flown. The real IQSY Tomahawk was produced four times with all four
rockets flown. Two of the flights were successful, and the other two were not.
No attempt was made to recover the rocket. But now, over thirty years after the
last IQSY Tomahawk was flown, AeroTech makes a high quality scale model of this
sounding rocket. This one, when built and flown properly by the owner, is
guaranteed to have successful flights and recoveries every time.
Construction
The kit, like all other AeroTech kits, is made up of very high quality parts
including a strong body tube, plastic nose cone, sturdy aerofiber centering
rings, fin locking rings, strong through-the-tube plastic fins, and an ejection
gas that also works as a good shock cord mount. If you follow the
instructions carefully as you build, you can't go wrong. The only thing that I
would do differently from what the instructions say would be to use . A
cheap 5 minute epoxy is not recommended. I recommend using a 30 minute Bob
Smith type epoxy or 45 minute Hobby Poxy, which is what I used to build my IQSY
Tomahawk. Perhaps the thing that I disliked most about building this rocket was
gluing on the fins. You will have to do some test fitting to make sure that
they all fit. The reason that this is a problem is that you have to snap the
fins into place, then you have to remove them in order to apply epoxy. Removal
of the fins is not easy because the fin locking rings grab so hard. All I can
advise though is, live with it. The firm grip of the fin locking rings adds an
incredible amount of strength, and they are well worth the hassle of working
with. Be aware that epoxy can act as a lubricant and cause the fins pop out
while it is drying. Keep on eye on the fins to make sure that they're down
until the epoxy is set. Have a long, thin, wood epoxy stick handy. You'll need
it to apply internal fillets to the fin tabs where the meet the inside wall of
the body tube and the outside wall of the motor tube. This will make it so that
you won't need to apply any typical external fin fillets. In fact, external
fillets are not recommended because the fins are already shaped with a molded
plastic external on both sides. What I recommend, however, is to put a
very thin bead of thick CA along where the molded plastic fillets meet the body
tube. This will add more strength to the fins, and the CA will cover up any
gaps formed between the molded fillet and the fin slot. As with all other
model rockets, the appearance of this rocket depends entirely on how much time
you spend finishing it. The instructions just say, "paint this, paint
that" but I put a lot of work into my finish because I used this rocket to
compete in the Sport Scale event at -40. I used Elmers Carpenters Wood
to fill in the spiral grooves on the body tube. Along with several coats
of Krylon White , it made the grooves almost invisible. When painting, it
is best to paint the nose cone separately from the rest of the rocket. When
painting a fin black, use Scotch tape and trash bags to mask the rest of the
rocket off. Remember, even the smallest black particle will be visible on white
paint.
Once the paint is dry, you can apply the decals to make the rocket look like
the actual prototype. The most tricky part of this is determining where to
place the decals. You'll want to study the notes of the instructions and the
included blueprint very carefully. In addition, you may have to try several
times to apply the fin decals that have the bolts running in rows between them.
It takes patience as well as many tries to get them in the right position.
Flight
Even though AeroTech might recommend an E motor for this rocket, I do not. An E
will not take it high enough every time to the point where it is guaranteed to
deploy the parachute before hitting the ground. Perhaps the best motor for this
rocket is an F22-5. This motor creates a slow, realistic flight that is easy to
follow. It takes the rocket to a visible, recoverable , and the five
second delay allows parachute deployment at . AeroTech recommends a seven
second delay with the F22 for this rocket, but that is way too long. Other good
motors to fly this rocket on include the F20, F25, and the F40. You might want
to use the higher thrust motors such as the F25 and the F40 on days when there
is wind. You could put a G motor in it, but good luck getting it back is all I
can say. As with every AeroTech rocket, insert the motor into the rocket and
then reinforce the motor hook with a tie wrap to prevent the motor from being
ejected. The way this rocket flies, overall, is excellent. It flies as
straight as an arrow every time. The 56 cm (22") parachute is the perfect
size for it. The rocket descends quickly with minimal drift, but it does not
come down so fast that it gets damaged on landing.
Grades
Design: A+
Construction: B
Flight: A+ I won third place in B Division Sport Scale at NARAM-40
with this rocket. This rocket is too cool.
(Contributed - by Jerry O'Sullivan) 
Brief:
This is a nice semi-scale model of a sounding rocket. Decals are used for scale
details like bolts, etc. so it's pretty easy to get a good looking model. Built
per instructions, you can fly it on E-G engines, and of course, requires no
as AT kits use an effective baffle system.
Construction:
Construction is easy although I modified the kit to accept an bay
built into the for dual deployment and replaced the elastic shock cord
with tubular Kevlar® from Pratt Hobbies. This model gets up there on G's so the
altimeter helps with the small fields around here.
Finishing:
I like to fill the spiral grooves (which, on this kit were pretty small) with
lightweight vinyl spackle - you can smooth it with your finger and a light
sanding leaves a nice smooth finish. AT provides a detailed blueprint, suitable
for framing, as a guide to place decals - a GREAT addition if for nothing other
than the cool factor!!
Construction Rating:
4
½ out of 5
Flight:
So far, only the 1 flight - I used the altimeter (a Gwiz Deluxe unit from Pratt
Hobbies) and for motor an F20-4. I chose the 4 sec delay cause even
though this thing's small, it's pretty heavy - maybe 20-24 oz with chutes &
and for a 1st flight I definitely wanted backup. The takeoff was great
- nice gradual acceleration and gentle arc into the wind. The motor ejection
went 1st, right at apogee, with the altimeter charge just a fraction of a sec
later. With the rocket now under the main, I wasn't concerned whether the 2nd
charge at 300' went off, but it did, gently landing the model a few yards away
from the pad. Now it's time to paint and decal and fly on something a little
larger:))
Flight Rating:
5
out of 5
Summary:
Kudos to Aerotech for designing well engineered, sturdy, fast and easy to build
mid-power kits. The only criticism I'd offer is the elastic shock cord, but
since that's easily and inexpensively remedied, it's a minor issue. I'll be
first in line when their 3 & 4" kits come out.
Overall Rating:
4
½ out of 5
(Contributed - by Neil Thompson) 
Brief:
A nice scale model by Aerotech consisting of 1 stage, a nice nylon parachute,
and fins.
Construction:
2 tubes, 1 main, one payload section. 4 fins, 2 centering rings, made of
Aerofiber. I do not know the lenth of the shock cord or , but I am
guessing 6 ft, and 2 Ft. respectivly.
PROs:
- Easy build
- Good price
- Instructions were easy to follow
- Alignment of parts was a no-brainer
- Great choice for a first mid power rocket
CONs:
- Some parts needed a lot of sanding to fit
Finishing:
It had very shallow but I did not fill them. It looks great once
finished. There are 5 decals included: 4 for the nuts and bolt around the fins
and 1 for the section.
Construction Rating:
4
½ out of 5
Flight:
I used an F25-4W and a G35-7W. The second flight landed in a swamp. Still
having a lot of problems because of that. Good, straight flights and no wadding
required thanks to the built-in baffle design.
Recovery:
The parachute made for a rather long recovery. The shock cord, made of black
elastic, was attatched to the baffle unit on the end of the motor mount and
worked very well in holding everything together.
Flight Rating:
4
out of 5
Summary:
Great first mid power rocket (it was my first one). The parachute is a tad
large, however it is a very stable design and a great flying rocket.
Overall Rating:
4
½ out of 5
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- Nice first flight on the way up, on the way down it drifted and I lost sight of it. Landed in a forest. Lost. Status: Lost)
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