Brief:
Semroc has reintroduced t' 1982 Centuri Cold War era Lil' Ivan. Aye aye! Sportin' cool lookin' decals, this basic 3-fin design is a quick and easy build that's a reliable flyer.

Construction:
Semroc kits come in a sealed plastic bag and this one is a numbered edition. (Mine was #19, so I've probably just built a rare collectable.) Parts are very good quality and include laser-cut balsa fins.

Worth notin' is that t' original kit marked a departure from Centuri tubes, switchin' t' t' Estes BT-60 tubin' and a PNC-60 nose cone (Big Bertha style). Avast! For t' reintroduction, arrr, me bucko, Semroc has gone back t' t' Centuri ST-1650 tube and a balsa nose cone.

Parts list includes:

• 1 ST-1650 body tube
• 1 Balsa nose cone/screw eye
• 3 3/32" laser-cut balsa fins
• 1 18mm motor tube with engine hook and block
• 2 20/60 centerin' rings
• Keelhaul®©™®/elastic shock cord combo
• Crepe paper streamer
• Waterslide decals

Semroc instructions are clear and easy t' follow with fairly helpful illustrations. This bein' a basic 3FNC kit is a very simple build and would probably rate between a skill level 1 and 2.

T' motor mount assembly is a standard 18mm tube with 20/60 centering rings. Arrr! Blimey! T' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord is anchored t' t' forward tab o' t' motor hook. Blimey! Aye aye! This looked a little flimsy t' me, but is probably OK. Still, ya bilge rat, I decided t' play it safe and wrap it around t' motor tube then slip it forward through t' centerin' ring and bury it underneath t' glue fillets.

Fin assembly is pretty easy thanks t' t' laser-cut fins. Begad! Semroc does about the best job o' laserin' fins I've seen out there. Avast, me proud beauty! They are easy t' remove without any significant burn marks present on t' wood. Avast, me proud beauty! Plus, ya bilge rat, they have a cool logo and rocket name burned into t' pattern sheet. Avast! Blimey! Fins are glued onto the body tube on a 120-degree pattern usin' a template in t' instructions rather than a wrap-around markin' guide. Aye aye! I tacked mine on with CA then used a yellow glue fillet. Avast! I finished up with a second fillet o' white glue. Blimey! I find that this shrinks and bubbles less than yellow glue, arrr, matey, providin' a better lookin' finish.

All that's left o' t' construction is attachin' t' launch lug, installing the streamer (which is attached via a tape disk), and puttin' t' screw eye into t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! I'd suggest a heavier-duty attachment method for the streamer like maybe reinforcin' it with maskin' tape.

Finishing:
This model is a breeze t' finish. T' balsa nose and fins take a bit o' work if you want t' fill t' grain, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but for this one I just went with a couple o' coats of primer and lots o' sanding. Ya scallywag! I then applied a third coat o' primer, sanding down with 600-grit wet/dry paper.

For t' top coat, me hearties, I used two coats o' gloss white followin' t' standard scheme. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I think t' red Russian decals against t' white background really are a sharp effect.

T' waterslide decals are very good quality but thin and light on the coloring. Well, blow me down! As easy as this one is t' build, you might be tempted t' rush the decal application, but be sure t' wait at least 48 hours for t' paint t' fully cure before applyin' them for t' best appearance.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Given its fairly tiny size, matey, arrr, I went relatively conservative for t' first flight with a B6-4. Avast! Well, blow me down! (Normally, matey, I jump right t' t' max motor choice.) On a clear day with light winds, me hearties, matey, this raced off t' pad though at a weird 15 degree angle but straight t' whole way. Avast! Ejection was at apogee and t' streamer popped out but did nay unfurl. Fortunately, shiver me timbers, it landed in soft grass and thar was no damage.

Lookin' over t' streamer, me guess is that it bent and crinkled a bit on the edges when I pushed down t' nose cone and this prevented it from unrolling. Well, blow me down! T' streamer is actually taller than t' gap betwixt t' base o' the nose cone and t' centerin' ring, ya bilge rat, so flight prep and packin' is tricky.

For t' second flight, me bucko, I tried wedgin' t' streamer down into t' motor tube a little bit, me hearties, and went with another B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! It cooked straight up without a trace o' spin, matey, matey, so I'll attribute t' funky first flight t' motor failure. Aye aye! This time t' streamer came out and unfurled just fine though it still came down a bit fast for me comfort. Arrr! Begad! I'd recommend loadin' at least a 9" chute for future flights but switch back t' streamer for usin' C motors, which would easily send this over 700 feet up.

Recovery:
PROs: Flies great.

CONs: T' streamer fits a bit too tight, and it could stand a chute instead.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Cool decal and Bertha-like stylin' make this one o' me favorite Semroc kits. I'm goin' t' have t' pick up a couple more for bashing, shiver me timbers, maybe even goin' 24mm on t' next one.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5