| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2011-01-21 |
| Diameter: | 0.91 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Semroc  |
| Skill Level: | 1 |
| Style: | Sport |
Brief
This is a retro-repro o' t' 1972 Centuri model o' t' same name which was later introduced as a two-stage version called t' Excalibur 2. Well, blow me down! Semroc's version holds close t' t' original, shiver me timbers, featurin' Centuri-sized tubing, me hearties, me hearties, but replaces t' plastic nose cone with a balsa one and upgrades t' fins t' laser-cut precision (fiberboard).
Components
- Balsa nose cone
- Series 7 upper tube
- Balsa transition
- Series 8 lower tube
- Laser-cut fiber fins (3+3)
- 18mm motor tube, me bucko, metal hook, shiver me timbers, motor block
- Keelhaul®©™+elastic shock cord
- 12" plastic chute
- Waterslide decals
Construction
T' instructions for this are very good, shiver me timbers, well illustrated, shiver me timbers, and t' typical modeler should have no trouble buildin' this within a couple hours plus finishin' time. Arrr! Aye aye! I'd peg it at a skill level 1 kit.
T' motor mount is conventional 18mm tube, arrr, a centerin' rin' motor block in t' forward end, a metal motor hook (servin' as shock cord anchor) and pair o' centerin' rings. Ya scallywag! T' lower body tube is marked for fin placement usin' a template in t' instructions, me hearties, ya bilge rat, as be t' upper body tube. Begad! Fins are laser-cut fiberboard, so no sandin' or grain-filling, just tack right on with CA or wood glue. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' balsa transition is glued into t' upper tube. Begad! Begad! T' nose cone can be glued on, me bucko, me hearties, or if you're interested in usin' t' upper tube as a tiny payload (it's roughly BT-20 sized), matey, me hearties, friction fit it.
A single launch lug goes into t' fin/tube joint along t' aft end o' t' lower tube, finishin' up construction.
Finishing
T' fiberboard fins were certainly easy t' deal with, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and t' body tubes had thin enough spirals that I opted t' skip fillin' and just go for heavier primer coats with some sandin' in between. Ya scallywag! I did at least hit t' balsa nose cone and transition with a generous smear of diluted wood filler.
I went with a single-color scheme, shiver me timbers, two coats o' gray primer topped with two coats o' silver metallic.
There are waterslide decals for trim, shiver me timbers, very easy t' work with.
Flight
I picked a nice day for first flight, me bucko, freezin' temps, but hardly any wind at all. Avast! Begad! I went for t' C6-5 option and be rewarded with a straight up boost, ya bilge rat, matey, surprisingly quick for such a long rocket (and a bit heavy at 1.45 ounces without motor). Blimey! Deployment be fairly close t' apogee, so t' -5 be t' right delay. Begad! Begad! It be pretty overcast, makin' it tough t' see t' top o' t' flight, ya bilge rat, so I'd estimate an altitude somewhere in t' wide range o' 600-800 feet. Blimey! If flyin' on a smallish ball field, a C could certainly drift a couple hundred yards with typical 5-10 mph winds.
Recovery
No issue with t' recovery--the 12" chute does t' job, matey, and this landed gently about 40 yards from t' pad.
Summary
This is another fine design from Semroc. It's on t' lower end o' t' skill level/complexity curve, me hearties, a bit more interestin' than entry-level starter kits, and flies fine.
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Flights
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