Introduction

Based on John Harmon's Lycoming-powered record setting(256.376 mph) conversion of the venerable RV4, the Seagull Models Harmon Rocket .46 ARF is an affordable scale sport plane that flies as good as it looks!

Kit Contents

The Rocket is an ARF in the truest sense. It came with everything needed to complete the assembly, including a spinner, a nice set of decals, even a pre-painted and pre-installed pilot!

Kit Includes:

• Complete airframe, covered in genuine Hangar9 UltraCote
• Authentic Harmon Rocket decal sheet
• Spinner
• Fiberglass cowl and wheelpants
• Complete hardware package including motor mount, landing gear and tailwheel assembly
• prepainted, pre-installed canopy & pilot (!)

Kit Requires:

• 0.40-0.46cu.in 2-stroke or 0.56-0.082 cu.in. 4-stroke
• 6 standard sized servos, 2 aileron, 2 elevator, 1 rudder, 1 throttle
• y-harness for 2 elevator servos if using a 4-channel radio
• 2 - 12" servo extensions for the aileron servos
• 2 - extra long 2-arm servo arms for the aileron servos
• 4-5 channel transmitter(if assigning elevator servos separately)
• 30 minute epoxy

The fuselage came very nicely pre-covered in Oracover and the pilot and canopy were already installed.

Assembly

Although I've built and flown many park flyers from pattern to 3D, this was the first glow plane I've assembled, and in some ways it was easier to build than a park flyer since everything was bigger! I had some help during the build from a good friend and experienced glow flier, and throughout the build, we were very impressed with the overall quality and ease of assembly of this ARF. The Rocket was a very straightforward build with a good instruction manual that had lots of pictures to make the assembly process smooth. I can't say enough about what a joy this model was to build!

I used 30 minute epoxy to assemble the hardwood spar and wing halves. To achieve proper alignment of the wing, I recommend a second set of hands during this step. Also, I kept lots of paper towels and a bottle of isopropyl alcohol handy for removing the e

I needed to cut holes in the covering and then iron back the excess so I could install the rudder and elevator servos. Also, 12" extensions were used for the elevator and rudder servos. To ensure the connections wouldn't come loose, we used ordinary denta Another example of the completeness and quality of this ARF. The standard servos I used for the Rocket dropped right into the wing servo mounts, which are made of reinforced light plywood.

Some slightly longer servo arms were needed for the aileron pushrods to achieve proper clearance and adequate throw. Again, 30 minute epoxy was used during installation of the rudder and elevator. All the control surfaces used CA hinges, which were easily installed with t-pins and thin CA glue.

The only major difficulty I experienced during the assembly was modifying the cowl. Since the Evolution .46 muffler was bolted on from the top of the engine, a large portion of the underside of the cowl needed to be cut away to allow the the muffler to cl The great looking Evolution .46 2-stroke was easily installed using the stock motor mounts and bolts. I would highly recommend installing a remote fueler in the cowl also.

The last step in the assembly was to apply the decals. The completed Harmon Rocket was a beautiful model, and was a big hit at my club field!

Ready to fly

Unlike many planes I've built, once the CG point was determined, we were very surprised and pleased to find that no additional weight was required, and the Harmon Rocket balanced perfectly!

Flying

Let's get flying!

The engine used for this review was the new Evolution .46 2-stroke from Horizon Hobby. Most of my flying experience to this point has been with park flyers, so I was a little intimidated with the size and power of this model at first, but I must say that the Harmon Rocket was an absolute joy to fly.

The maiden flight was made on a beautiful winter day in Texas. The wind was light and the sun was bright, perfect flying weather. The Rocket's control throws were very positive and definite.

Evolution recommended an 11x7 APC prop, and I found the recommended propeller to be a great choice for this engine and plane combination. The Evolution engine started quickly and easily and was very reliable. I flew at half to three quarter throttle most of the time, and the motor's performance was excellent. As mentioned before, the balance was also just right, no balance weight had to be added to either end.

I was able to throttle back comfortably with this combination. Flight times of about 12 to 15 minutes were no problem. After a few minutes, I took her up to a safe altitude and throttled back to induce a stall, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Rocket slowed to a crawl before the stall began, and it was very mushy and predictable.

Taking Off and Landing

The plane was very well behaved on the ground and did equally well once airborne. The strip at our club field is grass; to taxi and for more positive control in turning on the ground I used a touch of up elevator. Taking off was a piece of cake, and I needed only one click of down elevator trim once airborne, all other trims were perfect.

Landings were easy as the Rocket settled right in with a nice glide slope with the engine at a fast idle.

Aerobatics/Special Flight Performance

The Harmon Rocket was fully capable of rigorous aerobatics. Axial rolls, hammerheads, and inverted flight were all possible. We did several loops, rolls, immelmann turns and split S's and they were very scale-like and smooth. Because the Rocket had such a thick wing and some dihedral, I expected it to perform rolls fairly "barrel-like", but I was amazed at how axial they were, much more like a pattern plane! Hammerheads were easily executed also. After I reached a full throttle upline, I throttled back to half and gave full left rudder and the tail kicked right over for a nice, smooth hammerhead. Knife edge flight was difficult to achieve due to the wing's dihedral; the Rocket tended to want to "roll out" each time I tried it.

Is This For a Beginner?

Although not for a beginner, from a flying perspective I would have to say that this plane is suited to anyone with some aileron trainer experience. It was easy to control, very stable, and responded gently and predictably. It is definitely not intended for an outright beginner.

Flight Video/Photo Gallery

Downloads
Type Name Size The Harmon Rocket .46 is a great sport plane(broadband users). 17.83 MB The Harmon Rocket .46 is a great sport plane(dialup users). 1.81 MB

Conclusion

As far as the assembly, I would recommend this model for anyone who has any building experience. The manufacturers have done such a great job of pre-building that the more difficult stuff was already done. I really enjoyed building the Harmon Rocket.

What a joy to fly! In-flight, the Harmon Rocket had no "bad habits". In many ways, the Rocket reminded me of a low wing Ultra Stick. It appealed to me strongly with its great looks, great color scheme and size. It was easy to transport and easy to see in the air. And it was not just a fine looker but a great flyer as well. If you tend to enjoy an airplane that goes where you point it, you will love this one. It is semi-scale but it managed to capture the essence of the full scale Harmon Rocket III.

I just can't say enough great things about the Seagull Models Harmon Rocket III ARF. It assembled quickly, looked terrific, and flew like a true sport plane should. Seagull Models and Horizon Hobby have a real winner with the Harmon Rocket III!