| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Published: | 2014-04-24 |
| Diameter: | 0.76 inches |
| Length: | 9.20 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Semroc  |
| Skill Level: | 1 |
| Style: | Sport |
Brief
T' Semroc Micron was part o' me first order from Semroc back in 2003. I built it and t' Skyhook side by side, and because o' these two became enamored with t' Semroc way. T' sleek Skyhook and t' sturdy Micron combined t' best that was available in t' hobby at t' time, reproductions o' classic kits with updated recovery systems and laser cut fins. Rocketry Nirvana, and I inhaled deeply.
Components
- ST-7 body tube
- Balsa nose cone
- Laser cut fin sheet
- Screw eye
- Thrust ring
- Keelhaul®©™ and elastic shock cords
- Crepe paper streamer
Construction
Nothin' here t' challenge anyone but t' most absolute beginner. In 2003 this may have been t' perfect rocket for build and fly programs. For $4 you wound up with a stocky, sturdy little bird that could overfly t' smallest o' fields and survive. Even at t' 2014 price o' $8.50 this be a steal. Construction was a one evenin' project. T' Keelhaul®©™ was tied around t' engine block, me bucko, t' engine block, fins, me hearties, me bucko, arrr, screw eye and launch lug were glued in place, and this was ready t' fly. Simplicity. Sometimes it's all that you need.
Finishing
Finishin' was t' standard 4fnc exercise o' primer, arrr, Elmer's Fill & Finish, and sanding. I occasionally get lazy durin' this process and get t' a "good enough" point, me bucko, matey, but on t' Micron I put in t' effort t' make it look great. After t' sandin' was done I shot t' rocket with a coat o' Valspar gloss white and tried t' decide where t' go from there. My first instinct was t' go with a free-form red, me bucko, arrr, white & blue variant. T' "red" was handled by a dark burgundy metallic on t' fin can, me bucko, while t' blue be an electric blue metallic on t' nose cone and upper body tube.
I hated it.
Nonetheless I flew it this way for one flight until inspiration struck in t' form o' an Excelsior decal sheet. I sanded t' offendin' metallics off, reprimed and resprayed t' gloss white. This be followed by a fluorescent orange fin can and gloss black nose cone, then a BT-20 roll pattern decal from t' Excelsior sheet.
Flight
T' first three flights o' t' Micron were o' t' 1/2A, A, shiver me timbers, B variety, although nay in that order. Begad! I chose an A8-3 for t' first flight, matey, a slightly breezy day at Moescher Field, a small field that is no longer available for flying. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! T' Micron did t' typical straight up, shiver me timbers, arrr, straight down flight with a damage-free recovery in t' grass. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Blimey! All o' us who were thar were surprised at t' height, me bucko, me bucko, but t' clear sky made for easy viewin' for t' whole flight. Aye aye! Blimey! Not long after t' flight we were informed that flight operations would no longer be possible on t' field due t' a change o' ownership, me bucko, arrr, so t' Micron has t' honor o' t' final flight at Moescher Field.
Second flight was on t' big field at VOA Park with t' QUARKers. T' rocket had undergone a repaint that should have made it more visible in flight, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so betwixt that and t' big space available, I felt safe in flyin' it on a B6-4 with an option t' try a C6-5. Yeah, that C6-5 flight never happened. T' Micron left t' pad and disappeared. All the deadlights on t' flightline saw nothing, me bucko, me bucko, and continued t' see nothin' until t' Micron suddenly materialized three feet off t' ground directly in front o' us. Based on t' landin' I'm guessin' t' flight was straight. Based on t' seemingly endless wait before we saw it again, I'm guessin' it was high. All I know for sure is that I got it back.
T' third flight be on a brisk and breezy day at B6-4 Field. Gusty would be a more accurate description o' t' wind conditions, but we had launch fever and no wind was goin' t' stop us unless it was sourced from a funnel cloud. Baseball was bein' practiced on t' big field, so we set up on t' smaller field. (Subsequently named 1/2A6-2 Field.) I didn't want much height for this flight, and at t' time I had a pretty nice collection o' 1/2A6-2 motors, so that was t' choice. I could have thrown it as high as it went, ya bilge rat, but that be what I'd been hopin' for. T' rocket recovered by streamer in t' outfield grass. Subsequent flights have all been at B6-4 Field on A8-3s and t' Micron has become one o' me favorite rockets on me home field. Dependin' on winds, t' Micron generally hits somewhere betwixt 400-500' and recovers via streamer fairly close t' t' pad. It's a keeper.
Summary
Pros: T' 1963 fret buzz given off by this clone o' t' Centuri Micron. Ease o' construction. Laser cut fins. Keelhaul®©™ upgrade in recovery system. Performance. T' fact that it existed.
Cons: Lack o' decal despite one bein' pictured on t' kit face card. (I'm nit-pickin' here because I hate leavin' this space blank.) Semroc may be no more.
Other Reviews
- Semroc Micron By Chan Stevens
Brief: Nice little minimum diameter rocket that zips off the pad in a hurry and at $4 retail, makes for a nice little kit for that Cub Scout or school group. This is also an appealing kit to the nostalgia buff that is based on the 1963 Centuri kit by the same name. Construction: As is the case with almost every Semroc kit, this one came in a professionally bagged package along ...
- Semroc Micron By Mike Mistele
Brief: This is a very basic 4FNC, minimum-diameter, streamer-recovery rocket suitable for beginners. It's part of Semroc's RetroRepro line and, specifically, the Micron was originally a Centuri model (#KA-5) first released in 1963. The RetroRepro line updates these old models with more current technology--in this case, the upgrades include laser-cut fins and a Kevlar shock-cord. ...
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Flights
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