Brief:
I used t' have a Centuri Nomad as part o' me original fleet in t' late 70s-early 80s. It was mounted on a simulated Navy double launch rack that I also scratch build. Blimey! Ahoy! I lost track o' all t' rockets once I left for college and were never t' be found. (I think me sisters trashed them while I was gone...) All o' them are OOP at this point so I am cloning/scratchbuildin' them.

T' Nomad is a single-stage, 18mm motor, parachute recovery, scale-like rocket from Centuri. Begad! Accordin' to Ninfinger's webpage, arrr, arrr, me hearties, it first appeared in t' Centuri 1973 catalog and it be last seen in t' Centuri 1980 catalog. It was originally marketed with die-cut fiber fins and chrome band stickers.

Construction:
All parts were supplied by SEMROC except for t' parachute, shiver me timbers, Keelhaul®©™®, shock cord, ya bilge rat, and fin stock. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Parts List:

• Body Tube ST-10180 cut t' 13"
• Nose Cone BC-1050
• Eye Screw
• Engine Mount:

• Engine Mount BT ST-730, 3"
• Engine Block TR-7
• Engine Hook Standard 2.75"
• 2 Centerin' Rings CR-710

• Fin Stock, shiver me timbers, 3/32" Balsa
• Tether 100lb Keelhaul®©™®, 20"
• Shock Cord, 1/8" Cotton Elastic 18"
• Parachute, me hearties, 16" home made

T' motor mount be pretty much a straightforward build. I installed t' engine hook so that t' engine would hang about 0.5" past t' MMT then I installed an engine block. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Glued one o' t' centerin' rings at 1.0" from t' rear end o' t' MMT and t' second centerin' rin' right at t' end o' t' engine hook. Begad! Once it be dried I tied one end of the Keelhaul®©™® shock cord around t' MM betwixt t' centerin' rings and carved a small "V-shaped" section on t' last centerin' rin' t' accommodate t' Keelhaul®©™® chord betwixt t' centerin' rin' and t' BT once installed.

After cuttin' t' fins, shiver me timbers, t' vanes, and t' launch lugs, I marked t' BT accordin' t' instructions and used the Estes plastic Tube Markin' Guide t' extend t' lines along t' BT. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Now, here is where I deviated from t' normal "gluin' t' fins t' t' BT" procedure and use a technique I came up with: I lightly sanded towards t' right side o' t' recently drawn lines where t' fins and vanes were t' be glued t' ensure a better grip, I made sure I did not "sand off" t' lines. Well, blow me down! Then I glued t' fins and vanes on t' right side o' t' lines (over where I just sanded) usin' t' lines as a guide and makin' sure t' fins and vanes were straight. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! This be t' first time I have done this and it worked like a charm. I used t' "double glue joint" technique t' glue t' fins t' t' BT with Titebond II wood glue. Begad! Arrr! After all glue joints were dry I did one pass o' yellow glue for fillets.

Finishing:
I slightly watered down some Elmer's Wood Filler. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Workin' on one surface at a time, I covered t' entire surface of the fin with EWF, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and then I used an old credit card t' slowly scrape off t' excess filler, leavin' behind a smooth surface. I worked this way on each balsa surface. Avast! Blimey! Once t' first coat was dried, shiver me timbers, I repeated t' process all over again. After one hour I sanded t' fins with 220 and 400 grit sand paper for a smooth finish. Now she was ready for primer.

I used Krylon White Primer as primer and basecoat. Gave it two light coats o' primer and sanded some after it was dried. Begad! Well, blow me down! Gave it another two light coats and once sanded, me bucko, rubbed t' finish with microfiber t' a satin finish. Avast! I waited three days for t' last coats o' primer t' dry. Arrr! Once t' primer coat was dry, I gave it two light coats o' t' old Krylon Gloss White waitin' about 15-20 minutes betwixt coats. Avast! Then a third "wet coat" be applied and hung it in me garage t' dry for three more days.

I got t' decals from Gordon at Excelsior Rocketry. Arrr! Begad! T' decals are excellent quality and t' colors are rich and deep. Aye aye! Gave t' entire decal sheet a coat o' Microscale Liquid Decal Film and set them aside it t' dry. Arrr! Ahoy!

T' decals did nay come with t' chrome stripes so I decided t' print them myself with me ALPS printer using Silver Foil. I printed two 7" x 0.5" long stripes o' t' Silver Foil and ran t' Photo Gloss Finish over the stripes. Well, blow me down! I gently, matey, arrr, and I mean, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, gently applied a very thin coat o' Liquid Decal Film usin' a dense foam brush. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Once dry, I applied a second coat. Avast! T' foil is very fragile and sensitive t' t' LDF, so sometimes t' LDF will lift t' edges of the print off t' decal paper, ya bilge rat, which be t' reason why I printed t' stripes that wide. Usin' a fresh, sharp X-Acto knife, I trimmed t' stripes t' measure 0.25" wide by 5" long. Begad! Begad! T' stripes should be at least 5.25" long so they can cover from one side o' t' launch lug stand t' t' other. Avast! Blimey! You can later trim t' excess.

I mixed about 3/4 cups o' water with four drops o' liquid dishwasher soap into a small bowl and used it t' dip the decals and t' prep t' surface o' t' decal area. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I used t' Micro on recently decaled rockets but had some difficulties with t' decals stickin' t' t' surface too quickly. Ahoy! T' extra soap on t' water allowed me extra time to accommodate t' decals on t' rocket. Ahoy! Once done applyin' t' decals, I waited 24 hours before I applied one coat of Future wax t' protect t' decals and for that extra shine.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
I had t' opportunity t' fly t' Nomad for t' first time while participatin' in a local Boy Scout Rocket Demo on 26 June 2009 under t' auspices o' our local rocket club, NARHAMS. Aye aye! T' launch site was in t' soccer field o' the Dundalk's Chesterwood Park. Avast! Since it was a small field I chose t' fly t' Nomad with an A8-3. Packed 4 sheets of wadding, installed t' igniter, me hearties, and placed it on t' launchin' pad.

It was a slow lift off but a straight one, reachin' about 150-175 feet. Avast! Begad! Chute deployment was right on apogee and it landed about 75 feet from t' pad thanks t' almost no wind. Begad! One o' t' Boy Scout recovery team members brought it back safe and without a scratch. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! After seein' it fly so low I knew that I had t' try it with a B6-4 but reconsidered because t' field was too small. Ahoy! That opportunity would come at a later date...

Almost three weeks later, on 13 July 2009, shiver me timbers, I mustered enough courage t' fly t' rocket at a local baseball field. Afternoon winds were reported t' be up t' 17 mph but it was barely noticeable, I would say about 5-8 mph. Begad! I noticed that t' field was surrounded by a heavy concentration o' trees except for one side were t' basketball court was. Begad! Arrr! I invited a friend that be visitin' from out o' town t' experience rocketry for t' first time. Prepped an A8-3 and a B6-4, shiver me timbers, picked up me field box, and headed t' t' field. Ahoy! There was no wind in t' area so I set t' launch pad right in the middle o' t' field. Well, blow me down! Prepped t' rocket with t' A8-3 and set it up on t' pad. Well, blow me down! Blimey! My friend be about 100 feet away from t' rocket in order t' see t' flight better and t' judge how high it would go. Well, blow me down! Like t' first time, it took off the pad slow and straight and reached about 150 feet, chute deployed at apogee, matey, me bucko, and it landed about 50 feet from the pad without a scratch.

After t' second flight I prepped t' rocket again but this time I installed t' B6-4 and placed t' rocket on the pad. Ahoy! I told me bucko t' go a little farther and t' be ready t' recover t' rocket. Begad! This time t' rocket took off the pad really quick and straight. Arrr! It seemed that it be goin' t' climb forever. Ahoy! Aye aye! It peaked at around 500 feet when the chute deployed. Ya scallywag! T' chute did nay opened immediately, arrr, but once it did, me bucko, it started driftin' towards t' tall trees and the basketball court. Blimey! Begad! It kept driftin' and it floated over t' trees. Well, blow me down! Lucky for me it landed in t' middle o' the basketball court, about 200 feet away from t' pad. Avast, me proud beauty! It only suffered a small "battle" scar on t' nose cone.

It is a great flier with a B6-4 reachin' about 500 feet. Well, blow me down! It also flies well on an A8-3 but only if you want it to go no higher than 200 feet and in small fields.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: T' parts are available through may websites such as Semroc and Balsa Machining, makin' it easy t' gather the parts for a clone. T' instructions are clear and also easy t' follow. Avast! Avast! Straight build is about a Skill level 2 but if you are goin' t' print your own decals, me bucko, finish t' fins, shiver me timbers, and apply Future, ya bilge rat, arrr, shiver me timbers, I would say Skill level 3.

CONs: T' lack o' good pictures and a clear illustration o' where t' decals go can contribute t' placin' the decals in t' wrong place. I had t' top wrapper decal cut in two sections and applied t' bottom half too high so I had t' make an adjustment t' t' upper portion o' t' decal t' accommodate t' upper half. Begad! Also applyin' t' silver band decal can be time consumin' and can be easily messed up: keep t' decal wet so that you can make adjustments.

I am very happy with t' outcome o' this build. Ya scallywag! It was fun t' do t' research and buildin' a childhood favorite, bringin' back many memories. Ya scallywag! It be also nice t' see how eager are other fellow rocketeers t' lend a hand when you ask for help. Well, blow me down! I have always been a "Centuri fan" and this is one o' me all-time childhood favorites. Avast! T' Nomad has joined t' ranks o' me "reborn" original rocket fleet, matey, shiver me timbers, which so far includes t' Centuri V-2 and t' EAC Viper (almost finished). All I have left t' clone are t' Centuri Excalibur 2 and F-16 Strike Fighter, t' Estes Nike Ajax, matey, me hearties, and three scratch builds. Well, blow me down! Next related project: A simulated Navy launch rack t' display t' Nomad...

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5