Brief:
Over a period o' seven months, shiver me timbers, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I have been busy clonin' a set o' truly classic Centuri kits. Finally, t' ESS Raven represents t' last installment in me endeavor t' brin' back t' life all four o' these amazin' Centuri Super Kits.

T' ESS Raven is a single stage model rocket that recovers in Centuri’s signature dual parachutes horizontal recovery configuration. Begad! Begad! T' original kit be classified as a skill level three kit.

As described by Centuri in their 1977 Catalog:

"T' E.S.S. Avast, me proud beauty! Raven be t' proud flag ship o' t' Earth Science Service (E.S.S.). Arrr! Avast! T' Service was founded in 1981 when leadin' scientists united in a world federation that cuts across national boundaries and politics. Begad! T' E.S.S. Arrr! Raven has pushed t' frontiers o' science ever outward with recently announced Faster-Than-Light drive and t' rumors o' time travel! T' Raven is part o' t' E.S.S. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Ozone Research Project, which tests t' upper stratosphere. Aye aye! Aye aye! Based somewhere in t' Sierra Mountains, t' Raven can fly t' t' very limits o' t' atmosphere. T' huge lower scoop gathers air samples t' be analyzed by t' vast shipboard computer buried within t' huge vessel."

Imagine, shiver me timbers, how many youngsters in 1977 jumped on t' opportunity t' fork out nine bucks t' get their sweaty paws on this classic! Amazingly, shiver me timbers, me hearties, what seems t' me t' be t' most popular o' t' four Super Kits, me bucko, t' Raven is probably t' least expensive t' clone in 2004 dollars.

Construction:
First stop in t' construction process will again take you t' JimZ's web site t' download t' very large instruction set. Begad! Begad! Like t' previous Super Kits, me hearties, all fin templates, me bucko, parts list, matey, and decal files are included in t' instructions.

Like t' SSV Scorpion, this kit utilizes t' .055" card stock for all fin parts. Blimey! With all t' Super Kits requirin' similar core parts (excludin' nose cones), shiver me timbers, I will make a quick listin' o' suppliers:

• .055" card stock - Mattin' board available at local Hobby Lobby.
• Centuri Sizes Tube Supplier - Semroc Aeronautics Corp.
• Centuri Nose Cone Supplier - Mike Schmidt o' Moldin Oldies. Mike sells t' main nose cone for a modest eight dollars plus shipping. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I recommend buyin' two, me bucko, because you know you are goin' t' build another o' these amazin' Centuri kits. Ahoy! Mike does a great job, ya bilge rat, but please be patient and remember that this is Mike’s hobby.

As in me past clone projects, me bucko, I transferred fin patterns t' t' mattin' board usin' carbon paper. Avast, me proud beauty! Here be t' list o' parts need t' clone this great kit:

• 1 PNC-165 nose cone / cockpit
• 1 ST-16 Upper body tubes 12" (BT-60)
• 1 ST-16 Lower body tubes 13" (BT-60)
• 2 wood dowels .088" diameter x 12" length
• 1 launch lug 8" long, 7/32" diameter
• 1 ST-7 body tube 3.0" (BT-20 or Magnum "D" conversion with BT-50)
• 1 coupler HTC-13 1.5" (BT-56 Coupler Semroc Corp.)
• 1 fiber die-cut sheet 1.75"W 7.25"L .025"T (Trace from pattern)
• 1 TR-7 thrust rin' .4" long (Standard thrust rin' for 18mm Motor)
• 1 EL-1 engine lock (Standard Estes Engine Hook)
• 1 die-cut fiber sheets 5"W x 12.5"L x .055"T win' & stuff (Picture mattin' board or 1/16" balsa)
• 1 die-cut fiber sheets 5"W x 15"L x .055"T win' & rudder (Picture mattin' board or 1/16" balsa)
• 2 die-cut fiber sheets 6"W x 12"L x .016"T ducts & scoops (Poster board)
• 1 decal sheet 6" x 12.5"
• 1 shock cord .125" x 38"
• 2 20" parachutes
• 128" o' shroud line

Instructions are clear and easy t' follow. Avast! Be careful that your printer isn't scalin' t' fit t' win' pattern on 8.5 x 11 sheet o' paper. I had problems with this when printin' t' patterns in Windows XP picture viewer. Bottom line, arrr, both pattern sheets require an 8.5 x 14 legal size paper t' be properly scaled and printed out on one sheet.

After transferrin' t' fin tracings, I free hand cut out t' two sets o' t' tracings with a very sharp pair o' scissors. I then soaked t' entire fin mattin' board parts in thin CA t' stiffen them. Avast! Blimey! After that I cleaned t' edges o' t' parts on a belt sander. Blimey! Blimey! T' instructions also suggest cuttin' these parts from 1/16" sheet balsa. I chose nay t' use balsa because o' its lack o' durability.

Side inlet ducts, arrr, me bucko, win' ducts, ya bilge rat, and t' center lower body duct are folded from a piece o' standard poster board. Ya scallywag! Two important issues concernin' poster board color and foldin' methods need t' be addressed prior t' makin' t' poster board parts.

First you should consider color o' t' poster board you will be usin' t' make these ducts. Arrr! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Once folded and glued into place, matey, these ducts are very difficult t' get a good coatin' o' spray paint inside their length. That leaves a couple o' choices:

• Tape and pre-paint before gluin' them into place, arrr, (not me favorite choice as I struggle with assemblin' t' new Estes Outlander).
• Pick a benign color like white, black, or your finishin' color o' poster board t' make t' ducts. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Then you wont need t' worry about gettin' a good coatin' o' paint down into t' depths o' t' ducts.

Choice B was what I settled with. Begad! I used a florescent red and green poster board. Begad! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Properly locatin' t' red ducts and green ducts accordin' t' aeronautical standards. Avast! Avast! Then I hit each inlet with t' best coatin' I could without runnin' t' paint. Arrr! T' florescent material causes a slight red and green glow t' emit from each duct. Ahoy! T' eerie glow is a great visual effect that I really liked in t' finished model.

Makin' these intricate folds cleanly can be challengin' without a foldin' aide. Begad! Begad! Blimey! I was able t' achieve clean folds by foldin' over a twelve-inch metal ruler that had a semi-sharp edge. Blimey! I would recommend usin' some sort o' similar device and avoid free hand foldin' t' poster board.

As in me previous attempts, arrr, I addressed t' need for an 8" launch lug by usin' another 3/16" x .014 seamless aluminum tube purchased in packs o' three from Hobby Lobby. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Unlike t' other three Super Kits, no cuttin' is required because it is mounted inside t' side duct out o' view.

Finishing:
Prior t' writin' t' finishin' part o' this review, matey, I considered just copyin' what I wrote from t' SSV Scorpion review. Blimey! In me opinion, shiver me timbers, t' ESS Raven and SSV Scorpion have most o' t' same issues t' deal with concernin' t' finishin' process.

T' most important step t' a good finished coat is a good prime coat. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! As in t' past, I first sprayed every thin' with three coats o' primer/sealer paint. My personal favorite is Kilz. Arrr! Well, blow me down! This is what helps t' mattin' boards finishin' characteristics excel. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I then sanded this before paintin' with a finishin' color.

I chose t' finish t' ESS Raven in its original Centuri color o' Yellow. Aye aye! This choice be driven by t' decals and me desire t' nay have any color conflicts with paint and decal colors. Aye aye! Aye aye! For t' most part, shiver me timbers, matey, me bucko, paintin' t' Raven is easy. Begad! Blimey! T' only paintin' issues I addressed in t' construction area on makin' t' ducts. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Patience is a necessity if you wish t' get a good coat o' paint down into t' length o' each inlet.

For decals, matey, I printed me own on inkjet decal paper available from several vendors on t' Internet. Aye aye! Unfortunately, me bucko, a clean copy o' t' decals be nay already available on Jim Z’s web site. For this I turned t' t' expert graphic skills o' fellow rocketeer and master Outlander builder, Emmanuel Camburako. Ya scallywag! Emmanuel be able t' clean up a set o' t' Raven decals and they are now available for all on t' Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe web site. Thanks Emmanuel!!!

Even with a clean decal file in hand I be faced with a dilemma when tryin' t' print a set. Aye aye! Begad! This decal file for t' Raven is long, and requires a sheet o' legal size decal paper t' fit t' set all on one sheet.

Searchin' t' Internet for a supplier o' legal size decal paper be unsuccessful. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Best I could find was a supplier that sold water slide decal paper in a size that could be cut t' legal size t' fit in t' printer. Begad! Blimey! Unfortunately, matey, matey, this size paper is extremely pricey. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' smallest quantity o' this size paper will set you back a painful fifty dollars plus shipping.

Not willin' t' suffer t' that extent I decided t' break t' decal into two parts and print it on two standard sheets o' decal paper. Aye aye! T' downside is that t' three longest decals required a break and will need a union on t' finished model. Ahoy! With a little care in cuttin' and placement I was able t' mate t' two halves in a union that only a critical eye will notice. Well, blow me down! T' upside is I saved fifty-six dollars.

Again t' only application issue o' concern is removin' t' trapped bubbles while avoidin' any stretching. Ahoy! Past experiences help improve on these areas. Arrr! Again, matey, keepin' t' application surface wet and blottin' t' bubbles away can minimize both issues.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Like all t' original Super Kits, me hearties, original specifications call for a C5-3S or C6-3. Blimey! Weight considerations again forced me t' perform a "Magnum D" conversion on t' ESS Raven. Begad! Even though t' Raven proved t' be a little too hefty for an Estes "C" 18mm motor, matey, I wasn't ready t' ram a D12-3 in it for t' first flight. I think t' new Estes C11-3 24mm motors will be perfectly suited for it’s maiden flight.

Preparation is easy with t' built in Centuri baffle design. Arrr! Blimey! However, I will add a few sheets o' waddin' t' protect against anythin' that might slip past t' baffle. Motor retention is by t' standard Estes Engine hook.

Havin' successfully cloned all four o' t' Centuri Super Kits, I think it’s now time t' line them up and see how they fly. Arrr! Begad! Flights for all are scheduled as soon as time off allows. Avast! Begad! Follow up flight photos and descriptions will hopefully be submitted in t' near future.

Recovery:
Like all t' Centuri Super Kits, me hearties, t' recovery harness is quite complex and unique. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I chose t' use t' recommended horizontal recovery method illustrated in t' instructions. Arrr! Care should be taken t' route t' external recovery strin' over t' top o' t' horizontal stab so that it doesn't snag on t' stabilizer when t' chute deploys.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Sorry t' repeat myself, me bucko, but I love these Super Kits! I am still crossin' me fingers hopin' that some Internet rocket kit provider will develop a reproduction o' these kits for t' public. Avast! Until then, t' ESS Raven represents a simple clonin' project o' what many consider, t' most popular o' t' four kits.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5