Brief:
T' single-stage 4FNC Centuri Javelin be me very first model rocket, arrr, shiver me timbers, as seen in this photo o' myself from t' early 1970's. Arrr! Aye aye! Estes model rockets were only available by mail order in South-Central Idaho back then, but I could easily buy Centuri model rockets at a drug store in me home town o' Jerome and a hobby shop in nearby Twin Falls.

After comin' back to model rocketry in 2000 and learnin' t' Estes part numberin' system, matey, I began fervently wishin' that someone would begin manufacturin' Centuri-size parts. With t' "second coming" o' Carl McLawhorn's Semroc Astronautics Corporation in 2003, me hearties, me prayers were answered. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! Additionally, Carl released his "Retro-Repro" version o' t' Centuri Javelin, which I bought with me first order from Semroc. Avast!

Construction:
T' kit includes:

• Body Tube ST-790
• Balsa Nose Cone BC-735
• Laser Cut Fins FV-16
• Thrust Rin' TR-7
• Launch Lug LL-122
• Screw Eye SE-10
• Elastic Cord EC-118
• Keelhaul®©™® Thread SCK-24
• Plastic Parachute RC-12
• Tape Discs TD-6
• Shroud Line SLT-6
• Decal DKV-16
• Empty Casin' MC-727
• Snap swivel (not included)

Followin' a hint in Bill Eichelberger's review o' Semroc's Astro-1, I prepared t' body tube by sprayin' it with 2 coats o' Krylon white primer, and gently sandin' t' tube with 320/400 grit sandpaper after each coat had dried for 24 hours.

I sanded t' balsa nose cone shoulder t' fit t' body tube, and then t' rest of nose cone until its finish be smooth. Ahoy! I sanded t' balsa fins per the instructions, me bucko, except I didn't round t' fin edges. I dipped t' fins and nose cone in Minwax Wood Hardener, as suggested by Stefan E. Jones. Avast, me proud beauty! (NOTE: Excellent ventilation is needed for this step! Do it outside away from open windows, so the harmful vapors don't drift into your house.) T' wood swelled slightly, so a light sandin' be needed t' restore t' fit o' t' nose cone.

T' fins and nose cone were then finished with wood filler, and sanded smooth with 320 grit sandpaper. Ya scallywag! T' nose cone was fine sanded with 400 grit sandpaper. T' Minwax Wood Hardener definitely beefed up t' balsa nose cone, and cut down on t' amount o' wood filler needed.

I trimmed the 24" Keelhaul®©™® thread t' 10" long t' avoid a potential body tube "zipper". Perhaps t' 18" elastic cord should have been 24" long instead, matey, but hopefully it'll be long enough t' avoid t' infamous "Estes dent."

I installed t' fins on this Semroc recreation o' a Centuri rocket using wood glue and an "old school" Estes fin alignment guide. Ya scallywag! Blimey! While "rebuildin' me first rocket," I discovered you don't want excess wood glue leakin' out from under t' fin/body tube joint, because that causes unsightly glue excess, which means you don't have a clean, crisp line when it comes time t' mask off t' fins. Ahoy! But usin' wood glue results in a very solid rocket.

I also added a snap swivel t' t' 1-mil polyethylene parachute.

Finishing:
I spray painted t' nose cone with Krylon gloss black separately, then I painted t' body tube and fin assembly Krylon gloss white. With 2 coats of primer already applied t' t' body tube, matey, I discovered I needed t' apply very light mist coats, or t' paint tended t' run quite easily. Blimey! I masked t' fins (my first try at this technique, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, in both incarnations as a rocketeer), me bucko, painting 2 opposin' fins Krylon gloss red, shiver me timbers, and t' other 2 fins gloss black.

Oddly enough, t' decal paper didn't seem t' soak up t' water t' release the decal easily. Ya scallywag! As a result, arrr, you can see t' "Javelin" name is a bit crooked. Ya scallywag! I used Premium Decor Clear Acrylic (suggested by Tom Prestia of Tango Papa for his decals) for t' clearcoat finish and t' decals didn't crackle.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Usually I insist on installin' engine locks, but since they're decidedly ugly on minimum-diameter rockets, I settled for snugly friction fittin' t' engine with tape. Avast! In honor o' me original Javelin, I substituted a yellow and black 12" Semroc parachute for t' red and white 'chute included with t' kit. Since this rocket is so light, I wanted t' increase me chances o' gettin' it back, so I cut out t' Semroc logo for a spill hole.

I packed me wife and two daughters into t' car for a family rocketry outin' at t' Tripoli Idaho's summer flight range near Fairfield, matey, Idaho, me hearties, about 70 miles away from me adopted hometown o' Twin Falls. Blimey! Winds were light, arrr, shiver me timbers, and the range proved t' be an alfalfa field which went on for acres. Begad! In other words, not traditional lawn grass, but still a fairly soft landin' place for rockets. Avast, me proud beauty!

I popped in an A8-5 with 2 and a half turns o' maskin' tape t' friction-fit the motor, used about 5 toilet paper-sized squares o' Estes wadding, matey, and packed the chute. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' Javelin tore off t' launch pad like its namesake, ya bilge rat, arrowin' up straight and true t' Rocksim's estimated height o' 500 feet. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' ejection charge fired after apogee, matey, and after about a quarter mile walk for recovery, shiver me timbers, I discovered t' rocket had spit t' motor.

T' second flight on another A8-5 was very similar, me hearties, evokin' several comments like, "Good job, Jay!" T' elastic shock cord length was fine, arrr, without any infamous "Estes dents" occurring.

Come flight number three, I was in a bit o' a hurry, shiver me timbers, and so I prepped the final engine I had in a package, arrr, matey, fairly certain it was me last A8-5. Avast, me proud beauty! I noticed the last number be a "5," anyway. Out t' t' pad, and then the Launch Control Officer (LCO) counted down and pressed t' launch button. Blimey! The Javelin ripped off t' pad, and I told me wife, matey, "It's not supposed to do that." T' ejection charge fired after apogee, and t' 12" parachute looked about t' size o' a pinhead. Just then, arrr, me bucko, me 6-year-old daughter suddenly had some sort o' crisis that we had t' deal with immediately, ya bilge rat, and when I finally began scannin' t' skies...my Javelin was nowhere in sight.

A half-mile trek into t' alfalfa turned up no rocket. Nay only be this a recreation o' me very first model rocket, it was also t' first rocket I've lost as a BAR. After checkin' me field box, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I found a lone A8-5 motor, me hearties, but the sole C6-5 I had be missing, which explains why flight number 3 reached an altitude o' about 1500 feet.

And that me friends, matey, is why if you have a nicely painted rocket, it's important t' take lots o' pictures before you launch it.

Recovery:
PROs: Semroc uses now-standard Keelhaul®©™® cord tied t' thrust ring, with 1/8" elastic shock cord. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! ("Mmm, beefy!") A very light rocket that could still perform very well with 13mm "mini" engine mount adaptor.

CONs: Keelhaul®©™® cord a little too long, matey, so it needs t' be shortened t' avoid "zippering" t' body tube. Begad! Friction fit can be less reliable than engine lock, so motor often kicks out at ejection, me hearties, causin' rocket t' drift further.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: A high-quality 21st century recreation (at least in me mind) o' a classic Centuri rocket. Aye aye! Great materials and a fantastic Centuri checkerboard-style chute, too!

CONs: Keelhaul®©™® cord length. Decal paper is too "beefy" t' absorb water readily.

I'd give this rocket 5 and a half points, just out o' sheer enthusiasm...except for t' decal difficulty. A very solid 5 nonetheless and buildin' this kit has made me an incurable Semroc fan. Avast! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Next time, I'll order at least 2 Javelins!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5