| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Diameter: | 1.33 inches |
| Length: | 19.80 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Semroc  |
| Skill Level: | 1 |
| Style: | Clone, Sport |
Brief:
T' Magnum Hornet is a Semroc Retro-Repro o' a Centuri model. Ahoy! Blimey! It is designed for 24mm motors but includes an 18mm
adapter. Ya scallywag! Recovery is via 12" parachute.
I ordered me kit from Semroc directly and had it within two days.
Construction:
T' kit includes a balsa nosecone, one BT-55 body tube, a 3/16" launch lug, water slide decals, an elastic shock
cord, Keelhaul®©™®
thread, a screw eye, me hearties, four laser-cut balsa fins, arrr, and parts for both 24mm and 18mm motor mounts. Aye aye! T' 18mm mount is a
24/18 adapter.
T' instructions were easy t' follow and check off as I went along. Arrr! Everythin' went together well. Arrr! T' only discrepancy I found be with t' placement o' t' launch lug. Aye aye! T' instructions say t' place it four inches from the bottom, me hearties, but t' illustration shows three inches. Begad! Ahoy!
I didn't make this mistake, ya bilge rat, and it's nothin' against t' design, ya bilge rat, but because o' t' fin shape, arrr, it would be easy for someone nay payin' attention (and nay lookin' at t' grain direction) t' get t' leadin' edge wrong.
I didn't like t' fin guide in t' instructions, which basically involved settin' t' tube over t' circle and markin' around t' edge. I think a fin wrapper is easier t' use for markin' lines. Avast! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! For alignment I made me own guide usin' VCP and cardstock.
Finishing:
I normally do, arrr, but for this one I didn't fill t' spirals. Begad! I did apply two coats o' Aerogloss sealer and two coats of
Elmer's Wood Filler t' t' nose cones and fins. I used two coats o' Krylon white primer and two coats o' Krylon white
gloss paint. Avast! Aye aye! I painted t' nose cone and one fin Krylon silver. Aye aye! After decals were dry I applied two coats o' Krylon
clear coat.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
So far I've flown t' Magnum Hornet three times. T' first two flights were on B6-4s and third flight on an A8-3. Well, blow me down! Avast! I
used t' included 18-24mm adapter. Well, blow me down! Avast! All flights had perfectly straight boosts with deployment at apogee. Avast! This rocket
goes surprisingly high on smaller motors. Avast! You would need a very large field t' fly this on any 24mm motor.
Recovery:
Recovery is with a 12" plastic chute that is attached t' two feet o' 1/8" elastic. T' elastic is tied to
Keelhaul®©™®
thread which is attached t' t' motor mount. Aye aye! T' descent rate seemed optimal. Aye aye! Begad! T' rocket suffered no damage from
landing.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
One o' t' pros o' this kit is you can fly it on a wide range o' motors, ya bilge rat, dependin' on t' conditions and field size.
T' quality o' t' parts and waterslide decals are excellent. Avast, me proud beauty! Service from Semroc is great too.
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
Other Reviews
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Eldred Pickett (August 1, 2009)
This was my first Semroc kit, so it was all new. It's a reproduction of an old Centuri kit with a few updates. There is an exploded-view diagram so you can see how the pieces go together. It also serves as a parts list showing how many of each part should be there. The parts were well laid out. The fins came on a laser-cut balsa sheet. This rocket also has a balsa nose cone for all your ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Matthew Bond (July 21, 2009)
Centuri Engineering Company was started in the early 60s and was one of the early pioneers in the model rocket industry. Centuri was sold to Damon Corporation in the late 60s and maintained their product line separately from Estes until 1983. The Magnum Hornet was produced by Centuri from 1980-1983 and is unique in that it was one of a handful of Centuri kits comprised entirely of Estes parts. ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By John "MAX" Venable (June 25, 2009)
Brief: A lightweight, fast flier possibly capable of supersonic speed. Construction: This baby was a fun build. I loved every minute of it. The kit contains high quality parts. A straightforward build, but I tweaked it. This kit was built entirely with epoxy with microballoons for added strength and sandability, so she can fly on AeroTech E-30s. I replaced the balsa fins with ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Jason Orosco (May 31, 2009)
Brief: I'll try and repeat what's in the other reviews, the Semroc Magnum Hornet is Retro-Repro of the Centuri Magnum Hornet with a 18mm motor adapter and 12" cute replaces the Streamer and Kevlar ® thread/elastic shock cord replaces the rubber band from the old Magnum Hornet. Construction: The instructions are well written and easy to follow with quality parts, what ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Jeff Lane (May 12, 2009)
Brief: Chan's build experience exactly fit my own so I'll try not to repeat. The Magnum concept is simple: large motor, small rocket, and it actually makes more sense today than it did when originally marketed. I got my kit from Apogee, and it was damage-free. Construction: It is extremely easy to build and all the components are of high quality. Smooth, perfectly formed nose ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Chan Stevens (April 26, 2009)
Semroc has gone "retro repro" again, bringing out a modern reproduction of one of the last Centuri designs before the Damon Corporation consolidated their product line under the Estes brand. The kit, although a Centuri model, featured Estes parts in its day. The Semroc reproduction features laser-cut fins, a balsa nose cone, and upgraded Kevlar/elastic shock cord, plus includes a chute ...
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Flights
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M.G. (August 12, 2009)
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D.F. (June 21, 2009)