Brief:
Just in time t' grace t' Arizona skies again at NARAM48, Semroc has brought back another classic Centuri design. Avast! This one be originally introduced in 1965. Like most o' Semroc's other SLS (Semroc Large Scale) kits, matey, 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. Avast! Featurin' removable/interchangeable motor mount, ya bilge rat, baffled ejection gas containment, me hearties, rip stop nylon chute, and interlockin' fin design, this is a joy t' build and fly.

Construction:
My kit arrived 2 days after I ordered online, carefully packed and in fine shape. Begad! Very impressive service, 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, 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. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I don't know if that's a pro or a con. On t' one hand, for $30-$50 I expect t' be busy for a while, and I really enjoy buildin' complex kits. Blimey! On t' other hand, matey, I really appreciate some o' t' time savin' principles that have been engineered into these kits. Arrr! Blimey! There's also t' giddiness o' bein' able t' fly somethin' just a couple days after receivin' it for t' instant gratification crowd. For a great construction project, get a Mars Lander. Well, blow me down! 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, well written with plenty o' decent illustrations and construction notes/tips. Begad! 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. Also, while this be t' same basic idea as t' Laser-X, me hearties, these are nay compatible. Avast! Blimey! One would hope that thar will be some standardization down t' road, so that you don't have t' keep springin' for extra motor mounts with each kit.

To construct t' motor mount, matey, you follow t' basic tube plus a couple o' centerin' rings approach. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! 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. Arrr! Blimey! 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! Blimey! This version consists o' a pair o' BT-20s bonded side by side but offset by 1/2". Begad! Blimey! A centerin' rin' slips down each one. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Because t' holes are so off-center, matey, 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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It is very simple t' construct and certainly effective.

As anyone who's ever built two-piece fins will attest, arrr, gettin' t' two parts perfectly aligned and bondin' flat can be an exercise in futility. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Nay so with t' SLS series. Avast! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' basswood pieces are laser-cut t' precision and have interlockin' tabs t' prevent alignment problems. Aye aye! Blimey! I love workin' with virtually grain-free balsa, arrr, but I still found it a pain t' clean up t' seam caused by a heavy glue line. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! I went with a yellow glue double-glue joint approach, ya bilge rat, 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. In this case, arrr, t' tabs go through just enough t' support t' twist-lock motor mount. Arrr! In order t' make sure you get a solid bond, matey, you'll nay only need t' fillet t' outer seams, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but also apply light fillets t' t' inside seams (but be careful nay t' get carried away and prevent t' twist-lock from fitting). Ya scallywag! Arrr! Believe it or not, Semroc even provides an extra long Q-tip just for this purpose. 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. Blimey! 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. Aye aye! This was well worth t' time, arrr, as t' finished product looks superb.

Finishing:
After lots o' diluted wood filler applied t' balsa and tube spirals, I started out with two light coats o' Plasti-Kote primer, me bucko, which sands off easily and has great filler properties, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, then two coats o' Krylon white primer, me hearties, 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. Avast! T' payload, matey, nose and transition got sprayed with Rustoleum gloss red. 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, and t' nose cone. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Three colors, me hearties, two days, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and only one maskin' session t' get t' job done.

Since t' white was already fully cured at that point, ya bilge rat, me bucko, 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). 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. Begad! 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). Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I decided a D15 might be a little wimpy, 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, matey, this very overstable design weathercocked quite a bit, ya bilge rat, arrr, arcin' over t' almost 30 degree angle after leavin' t' rod. Arrr! Blimey! Had it flown purely vertical, t' -4 would have been a bit too early, shiver me timbers, but given t' weathercock it was 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. Aye aye! However, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, 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. Well, blow me down! Begad! While I generally think t' baffle would work fine, me bucko, I'm still a bit paranoid and slipped in a little dog barf for insurance (havin' bought a bale a few years ago, me hearties, I even sprinkle it on me breakfast cereal just so I stand some chance o' usin' it before I die). T' neon green chute sprang into action and brought t' rocket gently back. Aye aye! Even with t' weathercock, this wound up bein' me longest walk o' t' day, me bucko, shiver me timbers, as t' 24" chute is plenty for this kit.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

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

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

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5