Brief:
Semroc has developed (or continues t' develop) a line o' kits called "Retro Repro". Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! These kits are reproductions o' out-of-production models that had some level o' significance in t' model rocket industry. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' kits are generally true t' t' original except for utilizin' modern techniques as well as materials.

T' Arcon-Hi be a kit first developed by Centuri in t' mid-1960s. Avast! It was a semi-scale model o' t' Arcon soundin' rocket. Blimey! Centuri converted it t' a 2-stage kit usin' a double-coupler method that be later patented. The sustainer was a 1/6th scale model o' t' soundin' rocket, but t' booster was nay t' scale as it wasn't original t' the soundin' rocket.

Semroc describes this kit as a Skill Level 2 and that seems about right. Ahoy! There are many components, shiver me timbers, a unique couplin' method, matey, some techniques that require t' builder t' pay attention (no real "gotchas" but does require planning), and precision durin' buildin' is necessary.

This rocket is perfect for t' Skill Level 1 builder lookin' for a challenge or a step up t' Level 2.

Construction:
T' components for this kit came well packaged. I had just completed a Semroc SLS Jaguar so I did note some differences betwixt t' two kits. Well, blow me down! However, t' Jaguar is considered a mid-power rocket and came from a higher end line of kits so t' comparison may nay be appropriate. Arrr! Even so, t' Arcon-Hi components appeared sturdy and o' relatively good quality. Well, blow me down!

As seen in t' picture, t' components in t' kit include:

• 5 body tubes (2 engine tubes, a booster, arrr, sustainer, shiver me timbers, me bucko, arrr, and payload)
• 3 couplers (includin' 1 balsa one)
• 4 centerin' rings
• 2 thrust blocks
• 4 booster and 4 sustainer fins
• empty engine casin' for measuring/spacin' (nice touch!)
• nose cone
• parachute and recovery system (Keelhaul®©™® thread, matey, arrr, elastic, matey, screw eye, me bucko, parachute that requires assembly)

All parts were accounted for. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! Semroc's attention t' detail continues t' be evident. Ahoy! This company makes kits I will enjoy making.

T' end o' t' sustainer was a little bent and creased, and I have little doubt Semroc would have replaced it if I asked. Well, blow me down! After several dry fits o' t' balsa coupler, I be able t' smooth out t' crease.

T' balsa parts seemed t' be o' decent quality. Well, blow me down! T' fins felt a little thicker than other kits and were flexible but nay flimsy. T' nosecone had an even grain that was easy t' fill. Arrr! It didn't require any extra sandin' t' make symmetrical.

T' instructions are detailed, ya bilge rat, nicely laid out, matey, and easy t' follow. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! There are several steps that have t' related picture on t' next page, requirin' t' builder t' flip back and forth, ya bilge rat, a minor inconvenience. T' instructions have an "exploded view", me bucko, which I did find t' be helpful several times as I wasn't used t' a kit with so many components.

Just like t' SLS Jaguar kit, arrr, t' font is easier t' follow than kits from other companies. Aye aye! I usually have the instructions off t' t' side and it was nice nay havin' t' lean over so far t' refer t' them. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' illustrations were nicely drawn and easy t' follow.

Durin' a dry-fit, me hearties, me bucko, I noticed many o' t' components fit loosely. T' nosecone in required tape t' make a snug fit. T' centerin' rings and thrust blocks also felt too easy t' slide on (I'm used t' havin' t' sand these). Ya scallywag! T' couplers were very snug and they all required some sanding.

Assembly follows a logical progression: engine tubes/mounts first, ya bilge rat, booster stage then sustainer, shiver me timbers, followed by the fins and recovery system. I followed t' directions in order except for a few steps, arrr, which are described below. I did do a mod at t' very end, matey, ya bilge rat, which is discussed below too.

All assembly be done with Titebond III, ya bilge rat, but fin fillets were made usin' JB Weld. Begad! I usually use Loctite 5 minute epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! I read a lot about JB Weld so thought I'd try it. Blimey! It's a little easier t' use and definitely easier t' make nicer fillets around smaller fins.

One area that required attention be both engine mounts are nay built identically. Durin' t' booster assembly, there is an instruction or two that states "repeat with t' 2nd engine mount". Begad! I went too far and repeated too many o' t' steps and had t' remove a centerin' rin' before t' glue set. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! While this was me fault and doesn't count as a "gotcha", me hearties, I do feel t' instructions should minimize t' "back and forth" and keep the assembly o' t' booster separate from t' assembly o' t' sustainer.

Before attachin' t' fins I did another dry fit, ya bilge rat, and I would recommend this t' other builders. Well, blow me down! T' couplers required some sanding, and I imagine this is easier t' do prior t' t' fins bein' attached. This step is nay listed in the instructions.

T' photo shows t' dual couplin' method that Centuri had patented. T' engine mount o' t' sustainer slides inside t' inner coupler o' t' booster. Well, blow me down! It is this connection that required sanding. Well, blow me down! T' reader may note t' inner coupler has 2 vent holes t' help facilitate ignition o' t' sustainer engine--it is me guess that they let cool air escape, arrr, allowin' hot gases t' enter t' sustainer engine. Arrr! Otherwise t' cool air might block t' hot gases and contribute t' pressurizin' t' connection and ejectin' t' booster.

T' only "gotcha" in t' kit involved t' steps for attachin' and alignin' t' fins. Instead of cuttin' out a section o' paper with marks and tapin' it t' t' body tube, thar be a circle drawn on t' page with marks around t' edge. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' builder is t' stand t' rocket on t' circle and mark t' tube where t' fins are t' be attached. Ya scallywag! Begad! As seen in t' picture, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' circle be a larger diameter than t' body tube, makin' transferrin' marks evenly a challenge.

T' directions have t' builder transfer marks t' t' booster and sustainer in separate sequences. Begad! T' prevent mis-alignment, I made t' marks on t' booster, attached t' sustainer t' t' booster, me hearties, and drew lines on both tubes at the same time. Ahoy! Even with me technique, I still have a slight spacin' error as indicated by t' fins linin' up only in a certain way. Ya scallywag! That is, me hearties, t' first line I drew on t' booster has t' be in line with t' correspondin' line on the sustainer, arrr, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, etc. Ahoy! T' ease alignment durin' flight preparation (as t' lines will be covered by paint), I drew marks on the couplers.

If I were t' assemble this kit again, one thin' I would do differently is glue t' fins on t' sustainer first. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I would then connect t' two stages and glue t' fins on t' booster, makin' sure they are in line with t' fins on t' sustainer. Blimey! T' root edges o' me fins all lined up, ya bilge rat, but as seen in t' picture, thar be a fin that leans a little t' t' side (this actually happened t' 2 fins) and therefore are out o' alignment.

Another thin' I would do differently is build in some form o' adjunctive engine retention for t' sustainer so I won't have t' rely solely on a friction fit. Ya scallywag! There is no room at t' base o' t' fins for tape, and t' engine fit is fairly snug already.

Here is a modification I performed: After I built t' rocket, I epoxied some 60# Keelhaul®©™® thread across t' engine mount. Begad! This will slide over t' engine and help hold it in place durin' ejection. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' allow the booster t' slide on, ya bilge rat, arrr, I cut out rectangular sections that align with t' epoxy placements. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! This o' course would be easier t' do prior t' buildin' t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Begad! I did nay use an engine clip because thar wasn't enough room t' allow epoxy to hold t' clip and a small distance t' allow t' clip t' be raised.

Assemblin' t' payload is straightforward and didn't require any special instructions or techniques.

Finishing:
As o' this writing, me hearties, I have only primed t' rocket. Instead I focused on completin' assembly, arrr, and launchin' off a maiden flight.

I usually paint me kits differently than on t' picture on t' kit. My 4 1/2 yr-old son likes t' help choose the colors. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! However, because this is a first review for this rocket, I will try t' follow t' color scheme o' black, yellow, matey, and silver and send a picture later. I will use a metallic silver (or t' shiny side o' aluminum foil on 1 or 2 fins) t' help it be easier t' find in t' air and on t' ground. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Because I'm nay used t' followin' schemes, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I anticipate a slight challenge.

Semroc states t' finish weight is 1.9oz. Arrr! With t' primer, shiver me timbers, mine weighed in at nearly 3oz. Begad! Well, blow me down! This is likely due to the extra epoxy for t' fillets. Avast! I'm a little concerned about stability, because I intend on usin' a beeper/locating device when I launch it.

I'm ratin' assembly a 4 because I didn't like t' fin alignment method. Avast, me proud beauty! I prefer t' have a cut-out strip t' tape to t' body. Also, me hearties, I think me technique o' attachin' t' two stages before drawin' t' lines shouldn't be considered an epiphany and should be part o' t' instructions.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I finished this rocket about two weeks before I had a chance t' launch it. Avast, me proud beauty! T' waiting, matey, as t' sayin' goes, is the hardest part. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I took me launch stuff t' work once or twice in case I had t' opportunity with low wind and decent weather. Well, blow me down! Finally, a lunch launch came t' be...

Preparation be fairly straightforward. Avast! I initially put a single layer o' maskin' tape around t' middle o' the sustainer engine, matey, then a double layer at t' aft end. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I had a lot o' trouble gettin' t' engine in, I nearly bent the body tube. Begad! It did compress a little along a spiral and one o' t' fins became slightly deformed from me thumb. Ya scallywag! I really need t' perfect me friction fit technique. Avast! I took off t' double layer, put in t' engine, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and taped t' Keelhaul®©™® thread in place. Ya scallywag! Begad! Without t' Keelhaul®©™® as t' engine definitely would nay have stayed in.

T' booster be easy t' prepare. Blimey! I used 3 pieces o' wadding, me hearties, put in t' chute, and attached me Transolve micro trans beep. Arrr! Everythin' fit easily. Aye aye! Blimey! I had t' use tape around t' base o' t' nosecone.

I used a C6-0 for t' booster because t' store didn't have any B6-0 engines. Aye aye! This is just as good because the rocket was heavier than intended due t' t' extra fillets and t' trans beeper. T' beeper alone is nearly 0.5oz so my rocket is 1.5 times t' predetermined weight.

I didn't have a large field so I wanted t' use a B engine for t' sustainer. Although a B6-6 is recommended, me bucko, all I had was a B6-4 so used that.

T' flight was beautiful. Well, blow me down! I'm 40 years old and still get giddy when I launch a rocket, particularly a maiden launch. Ahoy! I'm guessin' it was due t' t' added weight, matey, but this thin' launched much like me Quest Superbird: slow, arrr, big puff o' smoke, matey, me bucko, almost a little wobbly at first (I use a 4' launch rod, good thin' too)... Avast! Blimey! It was really fun t' watch.

T' booster took it up t' maybe 150 feet or so. Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Then it ejected and t' sustainer took off like afterburners were kicked into overdrive. It was a really fun, awesome flight t' watch.

It went nearly out o' sight. I'm nay sure what RockSim would have predicted, but I'm guessin' nearly 1000' even with t' added weight. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' chute came out perfectly and I looked down t' get t' booster, which landed about 20' away. When I looked up I had difficulty findin' t' rocket. Avast! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I'm really glad I used t' beeper, matey, because I found me rocket on someone's roof. Begad! Blimey! It bein' midday, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' family was out t' work/school, etc. Blimey! Blimey! It was approachin' 100 deg and really high humidity and I didn't want t' tempt fate with t' police, ya bilge rat, me bucko, so instead o' climbin' up t' retrieve it, I left a note and will go back later t' retrieve it.

Recovery:
I did have difficulties with t' parachute. Avast! Ahoy! It's a nice plastic but thick and durable chute. Well, blow me down! T' shrouds do nay go through t' chute but are threaded through circle stickies (similar t' hole reinforcements but without t' hole in the middle) and stuck t' t' chute. Avast! T' problem is when I threaded t' shrouds through t' sticky, ya bilge rat, me hearties, arrr, it lost adhesion. I tried gluin' them but they still didn't stick. I used 5 min epoxy with some success. Aye aye! I ended up coverin' each circle with some clear packin' tape.

After t' launch, t' chute deployed just fine. Begad! I do feel descent be too fast, shiver me timbers, but this is likely due t' the added weight nay due t' t' chute bein' too small.

Though me rocket is still on t' rooftop, I was able t' see it pretty clearly and thar be no evidence o' damage.

I'm ratin' flight recovery a 4.5 only because I felt t' shrouds could be better connected t' t' chute.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This rocket is perfect for t' Skill Level 1 builder lookin' for a challenge and ready t' enter Level 2 models. Begad! It is a fun rocket t' build and fly but does require a level o' attention that is atypical o' most skill level 1 kits.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5