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Reload this Page Article Horizon Hobby's Hangar 9 Brand Harmon Rocket RV-6 .46 ARF w/ EVO 46 Review
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Ronnie Pope has a great time with this fantastic looking scale aircraft. Ronnie says, 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.
 
Horizon Hobby's Hangar 9 Brand Harmon Rocket RV-6 .46 ARF w/ EVO 46 Review
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By dawnron1 dawnron1 is offline
Old Feb 16, 2006, 02:00 AM
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Introduction

Wingspan: 50.4"
Wing Area: 558 sq. in.
Wing Loading: 22.4oz./ft.
Weight: 6.4 lbs.
Length: 51.6"
Servos: 6 x JR Sport
Transmitter: Futaba 9C Super
Receiver: JR RS600 Sport 6 channel
Battery: JR Sport 700 mAh Ni-Cd pack
Motor: Evolution .46 2-stroke
Manufacturer: Seagull Models
Available From: Horizon Hobby

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!

 
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Old Feb 16, 2006, 02:05 PM   #2
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Excellent review. And what a sweet flying airplane!

THANK YOU for making a video where we can actually hear the engine and NOT a bunch of goofy music instead!
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Old Feb 16, 2006, 05:48 PM   #3
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Great review Ronnie!
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Old Feb 16, 2006, 10:45 PM   #4
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way to go!
Parkfiyers to glow sport models
Ronnie,
I know you are a good builder but there is a big difference between the two.
This really speaks volumes for this model.

BTW Watch out for that glow fuel it can explode on you if you don't handle it properly.

Great review!
keep it up.
Last edited by sparks; Feb 17, 2006 at 09:15 AM. Reason: backhand
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Old Feb 17, 2006, 09:11 AM   #5
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I have this plane and the name is very descriptive!
Great review and I enjoyed the movies! I have this plane also and it is SO MUCH FUN to fly! It's a little hard to see in the distance so I put orange dayglow tape on the bottom of the wing to help with orientation. I have a Magnum 52 on mine.Thanks again for the review!
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Old Feb 17, 2006, 09:19 AM   #6
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Great job Ronnie, I hope you get all that stinky stuff off you!



This is making me want to finish my Sig Kougar!

Mike
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Old Feb 17, 2006, 10:12 AM   #7
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Ronnie great review and what a nice looking model ! That glow fuel does give that size model and above the advantage in power for those who can't afford Lipo's for that size plane. Looking forward to your next review! Johnathan
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Old Feb 18, 2006, 10:15 AM   #8
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I want one ! This will be my 2nd year flying if the wind ever stops and the temp ever goes up . It was -7 with a wind chill of -27 when I looked a little bit ago . I was flying a Duraplane trainer and a Balsa trainer last season . Do you think this plane would be a good first low wing for me ? I still have the Duraplane the balsa trainer R.I.P. . I also thank you for not putting some goofy music on your video I much rather hear the engine . I have an OS .46 AX waiting for a plane .
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Old Mar 06, 2006, 08:29 AM   #9
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I've been trying to resist!
Is it available in blue????



Great review Ronnie!
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Old Mar 06, 2006, 08:45 AM   #10
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Hobie,

The Harmon Rocket would be an excellent first low wing plane. It is a rock solid flyer.

Thank you Rob!

Ronnie
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Old May 17, 2006, 08:52 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kmot
Excellent review. And what a sweet flying airplane!

THANK YOU for making a video where we can actually hear the engine and NOT a bunch of goofy music instead!
Totaly agree, although fine in the right place. It is a review of a model aircraft after all and not a music video.
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Old Jan 25, 2008, 07:23 PM   #12
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Hi,
Has anyone built this plance with a 4 stroker? If so, which one?
Any complications on the installation?
Ken
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Old Jan 25, 2008, 11:31 PM   #13
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saito fa 82 13x7 apc

Strengthen the horiz stab (the weight rear won't hurt you)
Carbon gear off the funtanna 60 series
I put the servos in the bay behind the wing and patched the covering. The 2300mahr rx pack is on forward servotray.
Larger fuel tank - don't remember size though

Flys very well and the saito - enough has been said about this engine.
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Old Nov 12, 2008, 11:20 AM   #14
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I just baught one from RCU, NIB! This is a great ARF with quality matching or surpassing GP or H9 ARFs. I was very glad to find it as I've been wanting a little brother to go with my GP 1/4 RV-4!

I'll be strapping a Saito .72 to its nose, but im torn on what prop to use... I swung a 12x8 Evo prop when the motor was on my Pulse 40 (RIP) but im wanting a little more speed, so how would a 10x10 work? Or should I go with an 11"?

Im also going to be doing some mods, like an aluminum spinner because the red one included doesnt match the red covering, im going to eitehr paint to cover teh stock gear white, and i'll be adding a 'U' wire to the elevators so I only have to use one servo for the elevator as my radio will not allow me to mix or trim individually to get equal throw from each up and down.

I might add a bigger tank too as I have tons of 11oz. tanks from old H9 planes that have sense bit the dust, or that I have added bigger tanks to.

Are there any mods to the airframe I should do?
Rob, I see you said you strengthened the horiz stab, what did you do to it?
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Old Nov 12, 2008, 01:26 PM   #15
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Jake - I also went with one servo on the elevator. Used the U wire and then epoxied a short length of CF rod to the wire for further strength and to resist wire torquing.
I use 4-40 control rods as flying wires to tie the v/stab to the h/stab. Top side only. Some say you have to do both top and bottom but mine seems to be working well.
Front gear is junk and way too thin. I replaced with gear off the Seagull Spacewalker. About 30% thicker and very similar size. About $9 as I recall. Just had to drill new attaching holes.
Also, put some poly varish over the gray paint on the motor box - it does not hold up to fuel very well.
Good luck!
Ken
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