BAR Rocket Fleet - #13 Hornet

‘Mini-Brute’ Kit # TK-4
Designed for T-series mini engines.
Single stage, payload section, parachute recovery.
Length  10.25”, Dia.  .757”,  Wt.  5oz

Year Built:  1973
Restored: 2016, June 28

The Hornet model rocket was purchased already built from a Colorado Springs hobby store in 1973.  It was actually my very first ever model rocket, despite what the fleet number designation says.

The Hornet logged 16 flights between 1973 and 1984, coming through all of that fairly unscathed.  It proved to be a very consistent, good-performing vehicle.

When my model rocket collection was sold in 1985, the Hornet and one other rocket were the only two models held back - for sentimental reasons, of course.

The Hornet in 1975

For the past 30-plus years, the Hornet had rattled around, pretty much un-protected, in a Rubber-Maid tote along with many other items.  This tote went through two house moves, and myriad storage re-organizations.  Needless to say, all of this jostling about wasn’t too kind to the model, which ultimately sustained breakage of two if its fins, plus some other cosmetic damage.
When my BAR activities began in 2016, the Hornet was rescued from its prison to undergo  restoration.

First, the broken fin remnants were removed, and two brand new fins were fabricated.

The original shock cord was brittle, and broken in several places, so that needed to be replaced.  While I was at it, the old school ‘slit-tube’ shock cord mount was repaired and filled, in favor of a newer mount system.

After several coats of CWF and sanding, the model was ready for a new finish.  The payload and nose cone were left alone, because the original butyrate dope finish was still in very good shape.  The only work required was to build up the nose block because of a rather loose fit in the booster tube.

Two coats of grey primer were applied to the booster section with fine sanding in between.

The booster was given a new paint job with Testor’s International Orange….

…and new decals were applied.  Since the Hornet was to be my new fleet flagship, I adorned one fin with my old NAR number, and another fin with the NAR section number I belonged to back in the day.

A coat of ‘Gloss Sauce’ and the old Hornet was deemed ready to rock!  Since it is the flagship, the model is slated to be the first flight of every BAR launch session.  It is my goal to reach 100 flights with this forty-three year old bird.