Brief:
Towards the end of 2007, Performance Rocketry released a 1/3 scale I.Q.S.Y Tomahawk. The 3.125" (OD) all fiberglass scale rocket comes standard with a 54mm motor mount. The stock Tomahawk comes with a one piece 48" fiberglass airframe. I always find myself improving upon classic designs. 48" of fiberglass airframe would easily allow me to add dual-deployment AND still be able to swallow most any commercially available 54mm hardware/reload. I opted to cut the airframe to a 34" booster tube and a 14" upper airframe. I also ordered the requisite 6" long, 3" diameter coupler for dual deployment. With the four 0.125" thick scale G-10 fins, this sounding rocket will be able to take some rough rides.

Construction:
Component Description:

• 1 48" long, G10 fiberglass airframe 3.125" (OD)

  4 scale 0.125" thick G10 fiberglass fins with beveled leading edges. [Note: The trailing edges of these fins are not beveled. If they were beveled, the aft end of the scale fins would be much more prone to tough landing scrapes and dings.]

  1 12" long, G10 fiberglass 54mm motor mount

  2 0.093" thick G10 fiberglass centering rings (3.00" airframe to 54mm motor mount)

  1 5:1 Ogive fiberglass nose cone 3.00" (ID)

  1 0.093" thick G10 fiberglass nose cone bulkhead plate

  1 6" long, G10 fiberglass coupler tube 3.00" (OD) (added to original kit)

  2 PML 3.0" bulkhead plates (fit inside airframe) (added to original kit)

  2 PML 3.0" coupler bulkhead plates (fit inside coupler) (added to original kit)

I permanently attached my 54mm motor hardware insurance policy (Aeropack 54mm). Aside from adding positive motor retention, the black anodized aluminum looks really good on the end of the scale bird! As with all Performance Rocketry kits, the Tomahawk came with CNC machined fins slots. Obviously, they were divided on the tube evenly, but more importantly, the slots were uniform and square on the airframe. I scuffed the booster tube thoroughly inside and out and tacked the motor mount/centering rings in place. Remember to scuff all surfaces that will be contacting epoxy! The fins were tacked on using run of the mill, five minute epoxy. I then proceeded with amended (milled fiberglass) internal and external reinforcements. I did not add a drogue recovery attachment point to the 54mm motor mount. I would utilize the plugged and tapped forward bulkheads (54m or 38mm) for the drogue recovery harness. I will add a couple of criticisms about this particular build. The Aeropack 54mm (which normally have a very tight fit) was sloppy on the 54mm motor tube. It's very possible that I scuffed the end of the motor tube too much, and then necessitated four masking tape "tabs" to tighten the fit. Oops. Because of the scale shape of the I.Q.S.Y. fins, they flex a little more than I would like to see. Regardless, I am still confident that it can handle a mach transition and not flutter off the airframe. My fin complaint is not with the kit, but it is simply a product of that particular fin shape/design. I laminated carbon fiber cloth to the 4 PML bulkhead plates, and then constructed my avionics bay. I chose to use one ¼-20 threaded rod running through the center of the bulkhead plates, one U-bolt on each end, and one BP charge container on each end. The particular container I am using is an out of production unit called the E-jecter from Blacksky.

Finishing:
I have turned the finishing aspect of this project over to the very talented and capable hands of fellow rocketry enthusiast and bud, Jim Finks. He is a true master of painting and he will be putting the show stopper finish on this project. Thank you again Jim, I really look forward to seeing what you have done with her. We agreed that Dulplicolor rattle can automotive paints would be appropriate for this rocket.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
Its first flight was on an AeroTech K700 to 10,720ft.

Recovery:
I used 9/16" tubular Nylon for recovery bridles. There's about 40' in the drogue section and 15' in the main section. I used a PML 54" main parachute but no drogue.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
Scale rockets have not always been my specialty, but there have been a couple of scale/sounding rockets that have always caught my eye. I love the scale look of the I.Q.S.Y. Tomahawk and at $99.00 (plus my upgrades), I was still well below the cost of a comparable rocket from an alternate manufacturer, or if I chose to scratch build it. It's no secret, rocketry is expensive, but PR rockets are designed and manufactured in a cost effective manner that gets you the most out of what you spend. I wonder how much convincing it would take to get PR to come out with a 4" Phoenix. After my two minimal upgrades to the stock kit, I had invested an extra $30.00 (roughly) to achieve my desired results. The dry weight of my Tomahawk tipped the scales at 5.5 lbs fully loaded ready fly without motor. The rocket is inherently very stable and ready to see some action. This 1/3 scale Tomahawk kit is readily available and in stock with Rockets Magazine and Wildman Rocketry.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5