Brief:
Just in time t' grace t' Arizona skies again at NARAM48, me bucko, Semroc has brought back another classic Centuri design. Avast, me proud beauty! This one be originally introduced in 1965. Like most o' Semroc's other SLS (Semroc Large Scale) kits, this one is packed with features that make t' kit much more o' a value than one would think merely lookin' at t' finished rocket and t' $53 price tag. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Featurin' removable/interchangeable motor mount, baffled ejection gas containment, matey, matey, arrr, rip stop nylon chute, ya bilge rat, and interlockin' fin design, me hearties, me bucko, this is a joy t' build and fly.

Construction:
My kit arrived 2 days after I ordered online, carefully packed and in fine shape. Very impressive service, matey, especially when t' gang must have been busily packin' for NARAM at t' time.

Components are excellent quality (slightly more rugged than their modroc materials) and include:

• Balsa nose cone
• Payload tube
• Balsa Transition
• Baffle system
• Thick-wall body tube, matey, arrr, pre-slotted for fins
• Laser-cut basswood fins
• 24mm motor tube assembly with metal hook (E-sized)
• Waterslide decals
• 24"nylon chute
• Keelhaul®©™ and elastic shock cord
• 3/16" launch lugs

T' thin' I keep noticin' as I build SLS kits is that they're so darned easy. I don't know if that's a pro or a con. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! On t' one hand, for $30-$50 I expect t' be busy for a while, matey, and I really enjoy buildin' complex kits. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! On t' other hand, ya bilge rat, I really appreciate some o' t' time savin' principles that have been engineered into these kits. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! There's also t' giddiness o' bein' able t' fly somethin' just a couple days after receivin' it for t' instant gratification crowd. Blimey! For a great construction project, shiver me timbers, get a Mars Lander. Blimey! For a cool rocket you can build and fly right away, go for this or t' SLS Laser-X.

That said, instructions are typical Semroc, matey, well written with plenty o' decent illustrations and construction notes/tips. Ya scallywag! This is no worse than a skill level 2 on t' 5 scale although usin' t' mid-power motors certainly keeps this out o' t' kiddie market.

T' motor mount assembly shares t' same principle as t' SLS Laser-X: removable via twist-lock so you will have plenty o' options dependin' on conditions and field size. Unfortunately at initial release, thar be only a single 24mm option. Surely 29mm and 3x18mm cluster options are right around t' corner. Arrr! Also, while this be t' same basic idea as t' Laser-X, matey, matey, these are nay compatible. Avast, me proud beauty! One would hope that thar will be some standardization down t' road, me bucko, so that you don't have t' keep springin' for extra motor mounts with each kit.

To construct t' motor mount, you follow t' basic tube plus a couple o' centerin' rings approach. Avast! Begad! In this case, t' forward rin' is notched t' line up with t' four fins and gets a couple tabs bonded t' serve as stops when twisting. Well, blow me down! See me SLS-Laser X review for more detail on this concept.

T' baffle assembly is at least t' third different design I've seen out o' Semroc--they never stop innovating--although I've never had any problems with any o' t' previous designs either. Begad! This version consists o' a pair o' BT-20s bonded side by side but offset by 1/2". Avast! Blimey! A centerin' rin' slips down each one. Blimey! Ahoy! Because t' holes are so off-center, particles bounce off t' centerin' rin' while t' gasses continue through t' gap betwixt t' BT-20s and t' body tube, eventually goin' back out t' forward BT-20 and deployin' t' chute. Begad! It is very simple t' construct and certainly effective.

As anyone who's ever built two-piece fins will attest, matey, arrr, gettin' t' two parts perfectly aligned and bondin' flat can be an exercise in futility. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Nay so with t' SLS series. Avast! Arrr! T' basswood pieces are laser-cut t' precision and have interlockin' tabs t' prevent alignment problems. Arrr! I love workin' with virtually grain-free balsa, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but I still found it a pain t' clean up t' seam caused by a heavy glue line. Well, matey, blow me down! I went with a yellow glue double-glue joint approach, but CA might have been a better choice, as it's certainly easier t' sand and clean up.

Fins are sort o' through-the-wall but nay t' conventional approach where they tack t' t' motor tube. Avast, me proud beauty! In this case, t' tabs go through just enough t' support t' twist-lock motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! In order t' make sure you get a solid bond, you'll nay only need t' fillet t' outer seams, arrr, but also apply light fillets t' t' inside seams (but be careful nay t' get carried away and prevent t' twist-lock from fitting). Avast! Believe it or not, Semroc even provides an extra long Q-tip just for this purpose. Arrr! Nice touch.

T' rest o' construction goes pretty quickly--mount a couple o' launch lugs on standoffs, anchor t' Keelhaul®©™/elastic cord t' t' baffle assembly and glue in place, matey, then piece together t' transition/payload assembly. Ahoy! I invested quite a bit o' time into fillin' t' grain on t' balsa cone and transition plus fillin' t' relatively heavy spirals on t' payload tube. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! This be well worth t' time, me hearties, as t' finished product looks superb.

Finishing:
After lots o' diluted wood filler applied t' balsa and tube spirals, matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I started out with two light coats o' Plasti-Kote primer, shiver me timbers, which sands off easily and has great filler properties, then two coats o' Krylon white primer, which has a much thinner, and a smoother finish.

I followed up with a wet sand usin' 600 grit sandpaper then two coats o' Rustoleum gloss white on t' main body and fins. Arrr! T' payload, nose and transition got sprayed with Rustoleum gloss red. Aye aye! Arrr! I then left everythin' t' dry for 3-4 days and came back t' finish up with t' black on t' two fins, me bucko, t' transition, matey, me hearties, and t' nose cone. Arrr! Three colors, two days, me bucko, and only one maskin' session t' get t' job done.

Since t' white was already fully cured at that point, I only needed t' let t' black dry overnight before removin' t' maskin' and applyin' t' waterslide decals (while still careful nay t' handle t' black areas). Ya scallywag! Aye aye! These decals are excellent quality--tough enough t' work with a little although they really grab hold and stay put once you smooth them out. Ya scallywag! T' clear portion is practically invisible, just t' right blend against me gloss background.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' kit spec says 9.5 ounces but mine weighed in at 10.5 ounces (must have been all that filler). Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I decided a D15 might be a little wimpy, shiver me timbers, matey, so went with an E28 white lightning, hopin' t' avoid t' smoke buildup that tends t' come from Black Jacks.

In t' stiff 10-12 mph winds, this very overstable design weathercocked quite a bit, ya bilge rat, arcin' over t' almost 30 degree angle after leavin' t' rod. Had it flown purely vertical, shiver me timbers, t' -4 would have been a bit too early, but given t' weathercock it be OK albeit it cruisin' along pretty fast as it mostly arced over.

It was surprisingly fast liftoff, but I guess t' Hustler name should have clued me in. However, I'd expected t' 10.5 ounces and big fin area t' result in a slower ascent.

Recovery:
Despite t' weathercocking, I got a zipper free recovery. Blimey! Ya scallywag! While I generally think t' baffle would work fine, I'm still a bit paranoid and slipped in a little dog barf for insurance (havin' bought a bale a few years ago, I even sprinkle it on me breakfast cereal just so I stand some chance o' usin' it before I die). Begad! T' neon green chute sprang into action and brought t' rocket gently back. Blimey! Even with t' weathercock, this wound up bein' me longest walk o' t' day, me hearties, as t' 24" chute is plenty for this kit.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Terrific materials, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, plenty o' subtle innovations such as t' interchangeable motor mount, matey, interlockin' fins and baffle system.

CONs: Lack o' alternate motor configurations (for now).

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5