Brief:
Semroc has reintroduced t' 1982 Centuri Cold War era Lil' Ivan. Arrr! Blimey! Sportin' cool lookin' decals, arrr, 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, matey, 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, me bucko, switchin' t' t' Estes BT-60 tubin' and a PNC-60 nose cone (Big Bertha style). For t' reintroduction, 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. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord is anchored t' t' forward tab o' t' motor hook. This looked a little flimsy t' me, matey, me bucko, but is probably OK. Arrr! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Still, 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! They are easy t' remove without any significant burn marks present on t' wood. Avast! Plus, me hearties, they have a cool logo and rocket name burned into t' pattern sheet. Ya scallywag! 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. Blimey! I tacked mine on with CA then used a yellow glue fillet. Begad! I finished up with a second fillet o' white glue. Blimey! I find that this shrinks and bubbles less than yellow glue, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 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), matey, and puttin' t' screw eye into t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! 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, ya bilge rat, but for this one I just went with a couple o' coats of primer and lots o' sanding. Ya scallywag! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I then applied a third coat o' primer, sanding down with 600-grit wet/dry paper.

For t' top coat, I used two coats o' gloss white followin' t' standard scheme. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! 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. Arrr! Blimey! 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, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me hearties, I went relatively conservative for t' first flight with a B6-4. (Normally, I jump right t' t' max motor choice.) On a clear day with light winds, this raced off t' pad though at a weird 15 degree angle but straight t' whole way. Ejection was at apogee and t' streamer popped out but did nay unfurl. Blimey! Arrr! Fortunately, it landed in soft grass and thar be 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. Avast, me proud beauty! T' streamer is actually taller than t' gap betwixt t' base o' the nose cone and t' centerin' ring, shiver me timbers, arrr, so flight prep and packin' is tricky.

For t' second flight, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I tried wedgin' t' streamer down into t' motor tube a little bit, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and went with another B6-4. It cooked straight up without a trace o' spin, ya bilge rat, arrr, matey, so I'll attribute t' funky first flight t' motor failure. This time t' streamer came out and unfurled just fine though it still came down a bit fast for me comfort. Blimey! Begad! I'd recommend loadin' at least a 9" chute for future flights but switch back t' streamer for usin' C motors, me hearties, 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, ya bilge rat, matey, maybe even goin' 24mm on t' next one.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5