Brief:
This latest Semroc offerin' is a Retro-Repro o' an old Century classic. Ahoy! Arrr! I never had a proper introduction t' Centuri kits. Avast! They were rarely sold in t' area I lived as kid. Begad! Occasionally, a couple Centuri kits would pop up at t' local Hungate's, but for t' most part, Estes was king. Well, blow me down! I'm glad t' see some o' t' Centuri classics brought back t' life givin' us BARs a chance t' catch up on stuff.

T' Defender boasts 3 x 18mm friction fitted motor mount system and parachute recovery. Begad! Blimey! T' rocket is clearly styled after t' early NASA Saturn rockets. I like that!

I ordered me kit t' day Semroc announced t' kit's release. Begad! As a result, I ended up gettin' a kit with an early production number, #26. Begad! No matter, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I bought this kit t' build and fly, which is what I promptly did upon it's arrival!

Construction:
I'm always amazed at how many parts Semroc can fit into such small packages. Ahoy! This bag was no exception. Aye aye! Everything was neatly an securely packed. Aye aye! T' parts included are as follows:

• 1 Balsa Nose Cone (BC-516)
• 1 Body Tube (ST-530)
• 1 Balsa Transition (BR-510)
• 1 Body Tube (ST-1020)
• 1 Balsa Transition (BR-10165)
• 1 Body Tube (ST-1652)
• 3 Body Tubes (ST-790)
• 1 Body Tube (ST-1620)
• 1 Laser Cut Fins
• 1 Laser Cut Balsa fin strips
• 3 thrust rings
• 2 standard lugs
• 1 screw eye
• 1 length Keelhaul®©™® thread/recovery leader
• 1 length elastic cord
• 1 clay weight
• 2 12" plastic parachute kits
• 1 sheet waterslide decals

PROS:

• T' instructions were well illustrated and easy t' follow. Ya scallywag! Begad!
• All t' parts were typical o' Semroc's high quality. Begad! T' laser cut fins are a treat, and t' balsa cones and transitions are t' BEST in t' business. Avast! Begad!

CONS:

• I was so anxious t' get started buildin' t' kit, ya bilge rat, I never considered t' paint scheme before I started building. T' instructions have t' builder assemble t' three main engine tubes right off t' bat. Arrr! This involves gluin' the three longest tubes in a triangular fashion and then insertin' them into t' short lower body (fin) tube. Ahoy! Then a baffle/centerin' rin' is glued t' t' other end and t' Keelhaul®©™® thread is also attached. Avast, me proud beauty! Another body tube slides over t' centerin' rin' and completes t' lower body tube assembly. If followin' t' instructions this way, arrr, ya bilge rat, matey, it will complicate t' paintin' later. Just be aware. Begad!
• T' fin stock from Semroc is often a little softer than I would prefer. Blimey! This kit was no exception. Arrr! This can be remedied in many ways with very little effort. Paperin' t' fins, matey, usin' a commercial wood hardener, arrr, me hearties, or even a soak with thin CA can easily cure this. I'm nay overly concerned with this issue, since it is good practice t' do those steps regardless. Blimey! T' be fair, I assembled t' kit without doin' anythin' extra t' t' fin stock. Begad! It flew and recovered without any damage. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! So what do I know anyway?

Finishing:
I would suggest that anyone buildin' this kit t' be smarter than I and paint t' three engine tubes after they are glued together. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This should be done after step #4 in t' instructions, before t' lower and upper tubes are glued in place. I would also pre-paint t' balsa strips that slide betwixt t' "LOX" tanks and t' fins as well. Perhaps t' upper and lower tubes should be pre-painted as well? This will make finishin' t' model much easier and save time maskin' later.

T' supplied decals are monotone black featurin' two checkerboard sections, ya bilge rat, matey, a large roll pattern, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and the "Defender" logo. Avast! Blimey! They really dress up t' appearance o' t' model and look great against t' white background. Blimey! Blimey!

This decals have nice, crisp lines and are very easy t' work with. I usually fear t' decal process, but that feelin' is diminished when usin' Semroc decals.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
This rocket is t' be flown as a triple cluster. You can use anythin' from 3 As, arrr, 3 Bs t' 3 Cs. Begad! I chose t' use B6-6s for its first flight. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I borrowed a clip whip from a fellow club member t' hook up t' igniters. All three motors lit as planned, arrr, and t' rocket turned in a picture perfect flight. It flew straight as an arrow t' about t' projected height for a B motor in this rocket...900ft or more. Aye aye! Very enjoyable flight. Even with t' 6 second delay, t' rocket be still barely coastin' upwards when t' ejection went off. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I'm nay sure if I'd use t' recommended B6-4s. I think a trio of C6-7s would be glorious.

Flight prep was pretty easy. Aye aye! Begad! I used about 5-6 squares o' normal recovery wadding. Well, blow me down! T' motors are t' friction fit with maskin' tape. Arrr! Arrr! Once around each motor with t' tape was all that was needed t' get a good fit on mine.

Recovery:
T' elastic shock cord is anchored t' t' engine tubes by a Keelhaul®©™® leader. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

I forgot t' attach t' elastic before headin' out t' t' range. I suspect t' supplied length o' elastic was more than adequate for this model, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but I ended up usin' a longer piece from me range box that I installed while on the field.

T' kit comes with two 12" plastic chutes. I replaced t' two chutes with a single 12" nylon hemispherical parachute. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! That be just about perfect for this ricket, which resulted in a slow decent that still ended up driftin' about 100 yards or so from t' pad. Ahoy! No damage sustained.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I have been very pleased with every Semroc purchase I have ever made. Begad! This is a quality kit that goes together easy and is bound t' deliver some spectacular flights. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Just do a little thought and preparation ahead o' time for painting and finishin' t' rocket and this will be a very enjoyable build. Avast, me proud beauty! Very sharp looking.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5