Brief:
Semroc describes t' ThunderChief as t' third largest member o' t' Thunder kit series that they are producing. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! This series is essentially t' same rocket scaled approximately 1.25 times each step up in body tube size. Arrr! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' series is based from t' Centuri Engineerin' Thunder rockets that included t' ThunderHawk, matey, ThunderBird, shiver me timbers, and ThunderRoc. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! With Semroc's introduction o' this rocket and t' other planned Thunder series rockets, thar will be a total o' seven Thunder rockets t' add t' your rocket collection.

Construction:
As is always t' case with Semroc kits in me experience, t' parts are high in quality and neatly packaged in several plastic bags. Included are detailed buildin' instruction that provides a colored image o' t' rocket on t' cover. Ya scallywag! Avast!

For this kit you get:

• 1 balsa nose cone
• 3 body tubes
• 2 tube couplers
• 1 motor tube
• 1 set o' laser cut fins
• 1 bag o' parts (launch lugs, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, motor mountin' and recovery components, etc...)
• 1 12" plastic parachute kit
• 1 waterslide decals
• 1 detailed instructions, which can be found at t' Semroc website

I ordered t' rocket directly from Semroc when I first noticed it had become available on a Monday morning. Begad! I received an email that t' rocket plus t' other items that I had ordered shipped only 90 minutes later. Aye aye! Ahoy! I received the well secured package on Wednesday afternoon and be happy t' see that I had landed production kit #9. This goes t' show you that Semroc's service and shippin' are absolutely fantastic.

For t' construction o' this rocket, me bucko, I followed t' instruction as they were laid out. Well, matey, blow me down! As with most Semroc instructions, me bucko, you prep t' fins then assemble t' engine mount. Begad! After that you connect t' body tubes, mark t' rocket for t' fins, ya bilge rat, insert t' engine mount, arrr, then attach t' fins and launch lugs. T' final steps have you prepare t' nose cone for t' parachute which you need t' assemble and attach t' t' shock cord. Begad! Blimey!

A couple o' things t' note durin' t' construction was that t' engine mount only has a single centerin' rin' which makes it much easier t' glue into t' body tube. Aye aye! T' anchorin' o' t' shock cord is done with Keelhaul®©™® strin' tied t' one o' t' tube couplers. Avast, me proud beauty! I thought that this would make it too tight t' couple t' body tubes together but that was nay t' case at all. Aye aye! This be t' first 3FNC rocket where I attached a launch lug along t' side o' a fin. My only gripe was with t' fin markin' guide. Arrr! As with other Semroc kits, shiver me timbers, matey, you stand t' body tube over t' instructions to mark t' fin placements. I am nay a big fan o' this method since me body tube usually moves durin' this process. Arrr! To make matters worse, matey, t' fin guide that was in me instructions was for a larger body tube. A quick email and reply from Carl at Semroc confirmed t' misprint. Begad! Ahoy! I had t' proper fin guide in another rocket's instructions so I used that.

Finishing:
T' finish for this rocket uses a two color scheme so it is nay very complicated t' paint. I used some watered down Elmer's Carpenters Wood Filler t' fill t' tube spiral, nose cone, and fins. Avast! After sanding, arrr, I primed t' rocket with Kilz Original spray primer and one coat o' white primer. Ya scallywag! I masked off t' lower half o' t' rocket and applied a couple coats o' gloss white. Once dry, I masked o' t' top half and painted t' lower section with Rustoleum Painter's Touch Gloss Marigold. This be t' same color I have used on me other Thunder-series rockets. Begad! Begad! T' finish t' rocket, you apply the decals. Ahoy! I applied a coat o' Future Floor Wax t' protect t' rocket.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended engines for this rocket are an A8-3, B6-4, and C6-5. When I arrived at t' launch field with the ThunderChief and reached into me field box for a B motor, arrr, I discovered that I only had a B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! I decided t' load that into t' rocket instead o' an A or C engine. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! T' rocket went straight up off t' launch pad. Avast, me proud beauty! As far as I could tell the rocket was still movin' upward when t' parachute ejected. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! This would explain why two o' t' tape disk that holds the shroud lines t' t' parachute came off.

Recovery:
T' rocket uses a 12" plastic parachute which should be about perfect when you use t' recommended motors. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Since two o' me shroud lines failed durin' flight, ya bilge rat, t' rocket came down smartly but was nay damaged when hit t' lush green grass o' t' field. This be t' first time I have had a tape disk get pulled from a Semroc parachute. Blimey! If it would have been tied through a punched hole, I suspect that t' parachute would have ripped or even worse that t' body tube would have been zippered. Arrr! Luckily, this did nay happen.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I am a huge fan o' t' Thunder series rockets. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' series may only consist o' a simple 3FNC rocket that is scaled to different sizes, but I love t' long sleek look o' t' design. T' ThunderChief is another great addition t' the series. Well, blow me down! I highly recommend this rocket t' any fan o' t' Thunder series. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' service and kit components that you receive from Semroc is well worth t' cost o' t' ThunderChief.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5