Brief:
T' Semroc SLS Laser-X us an upscale o' t' classic Centuri Laser-X, shiver me timbers, which is also now produced as a Retro-Repro by Semroc. Avast! It is a single stage design that can accept a 29mm motor as well as 2 x 24mm or 4 x 18mm clusters utilizing interchangeable motor mounts. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty!

Construction:
T' kit consists o' t' followin' parts:

• Detailed illustrated construction manual
• Balsa nose cone
• Balsa transition
• 0.945" x 16" upper body tube
• 2.34" x 14" lower body tube
• Laser cut basswood fins
• 29mm motor mount
• Baffle system
• 24" Nylon parachute
• Keelhaul®©™®/tubular elastic shock cord
• Waterslide decals

My kit had one fin with a small split about an inch long near t' trailing edge. Blimey! Aye aye! It appeared t' be a blemish in t' wood and nay somethin' that happened durin' manufacturing. Begad! I worked a little glue into t' split and with a little filler, it is now undetectable.

T' instruction manual is typical o' what we have come t' expect from Semroc. Avast, me proud beauty! They are well written and give a logical sequence t' t' build. Ya scallywag! T' 2 piece fins fit together accurately and t' lower fins are tabbed for through the wall construction. Begad! Begad! T' tabs only extend into t' body tube a short distance and are used as t' lockin' mechanism for t' interchangeable motor mounts. Ahoy!

T' baffle is a basswood centerin' rin' with a series o' small holes in a circle with a coupler glued into t' center. Avast! Arrr! T' 29mm mount and t' 4 x 18mm mount have tubes that will direct t' burnin' particles into t' coupler, but the 2 x 24mm mount motor tubes seem t' direct t' ejection charge directly at the perforations so I intend t' use some waddin' in addition t' t' baffle when usin' that mount.

T' upper part o' t' rocket consists o' gluin' t' 4 small fins t' the upper body tube and addin' a couple o' heavy washers held in place with a screw eye t' t' nose cone. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I didn't glue t' nose cone nor t' transition t' the upper tube until after paintin' t' ease t' finishin' process.

T' motor mounts were little kits with laser cut parts and went together easily. Begad! T' mounts have notches in t' forward rin' that line up with t' fin tabs and a 1/4 turn locks t' mount into t' main body tube. Avast! T' cluster mounts have engine hooks and t' 29mm relies on friction fit. Avast! Arrr!

Finishing:
I gave all o' t' wood parts a coat o' Minwax Polycrylic and before sandin' and fillin' with Elmer's Interior Wood Filler. Ya scallywag! Begad! After sandin' smooth, shiver me timbers, I gave them all a second coat o' Polycrylic and it be ready for primer.

For t' paint scheme, I decided t' paint it t' match me regular size Laser-X. Avast! It was first painted an overall base o' gloss white. Well, blow me down! Gloss black was used for t' nose cone, arrr, transition, and motor coolin' fins. Blimey! Gloss red was used for t' upper fins and three o' t' lower fins.

T' decals were applied next and were easy t' work with and really dress up the model. They appeared t' stick well so I didn't apply any clear coat over them but I would find out later that perhaps I shouldn't have skipped that step. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for t' 29mm mount are E23-5, F26-6, or G35-7. Arrr! For t' 4 x 18: B6-4s or C6-5s. Avast! Begad! T' 2 x 24mm: D12-5s or E9-6s.

I chose t' use 2 D12-5s for first flight. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It was supposed t' be a drag race with another SLS Laser-X but when t' countdown ended, me hearties, only one rocket left the pad. Blimey! Blimey! T' LCO gave it a second try and this time both motors lit for a nice flight with deployment just about at apogee. Arrr! Blimey! T' chute got tangled on one of the fins but managed t' finally fully open about 100ft from t' ground.

When I retrieved t' rocket, I found that t' lower roll pattern decal had completely peeled off durin' t' flight. Aye aye! I have since gone over t' remaining decals with a coat o' Future Floor Polish t' seal them. Ahoy! Avast!

Recovery:
T' 24" nylon parachute is good quality and neither it nor t' shock cord showed any evidence o' scorching. Blimey! I be unable t' make a determination about recovery speed because t' chute only fully opened very close t' t' ground but the model suffered no damage.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a great model from Semroc. Avast! Well, blow me down! I like t' design and it's one o' those models that look real cool in t' air. Avast! T' interchangeable motor mount is a great idea and I'm hopin' that it will be incorporated in future designs. The only thin' that I would have liked would have been some kind o' positive motor retention for t' 29mm mount. Aye aye!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5