Brief:
T' 1969 Centuri classic has been brought back t' life by Semroc. Introduced at NARAM-48 as a special commemorative edition, me bucko, me bucko, you can now only pick up t' standard version for a bargain $7.50. This odd-roc design features cone stability (although thar are 6 fins used for support), matey, and t' shroud serves as its own parachute.

Construction:
Parts list includes:

• Balsa nose cone
• Laser-cut balsa fins
• BT-20 motor tube
• Pre-printed color shroud (heavy/glossy stock)
• Reinforcement rings
• Peel 'n' stick decal (1 small shroud)
• 1/8" launch lug
• Elastic shock cord

T' instructions are clearly written and well illustrated. Begad! Blimey! Given t' very unusual nature o' this rocket, shiver me timbers, you'd do well t' pay close attention t' them. I've built a number o' paper rockets and boat tails, so I had no problems at all with this and wrapped up t' construction in about an hour. After talkin' t' a few club regulars though, shiver me timbers, their general opinion (and in many cases recollection o' t' original) is that this would probably nay be a good choice for a first shroud/cone project. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! because o' t' nuances o' formin' and sizin' t' cone properly (plus applyin' a shroud sticker), matey, I'd rate this somewhere betwixt a 2 and 3 on a 5-scale for difficulty.

Construction begins with sandin' down t' fins then tackin' them onto t' BT-20 motor tube. Since t' fins are mostly covered by t' shroud, thar's no point in fillin' grains or goin' for a super finish when just a light sandin' will do. Also, pay careful attention t' markin' t' fin lines on t' tube. Arrr! Ahoy! There are two vent holes pre-punched and you don't want t' fins too close t' t' holes. T' fin guide printed in t' instructions is fine (I cheated and used t' Estes markin' tool and caught t' hole/alignment issue just in time).

You'll bond t' nose cone in place for this guy. T' nose cone is mostly exposed so it would be a good candidate for careful sandin' and grain filling.

At this point, t' instructions suggest paintin' t' subassembly, matey, which is a heck o' a lot easier than tryin' t' mask and paint after t' shroud is on. Avast, me proud beauty! T' notes call for paintin' t' lower portion o' t' nose and motor tube white and t' upper nose portion red. Ahoy! I looked at t' illustration on t' header card, me hearties, me hearties, matey, which had a red nose, me hearties, red tube, and black fins and thought that looked like a better idea. Well, blow me down! Since thar's a sticker t' decorate most o' t' nose, I painted t' whole subassembly red, ya bilge rat, me bucko, then hand painted t' upper portion o' t' fins gloss black. No masking, matey, nice and easy.

With t' subassembly done, me hearties, you now move on t' t' shroud. Avast, me proud beauty! Shroud construction is straightforward: cut it out, roll it gently t' form it while bein' careful nay t' wrinkle it, arrr, shiver me timbers, and then glue it usin' an overlap tab. Arrr! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! It always drives me nuts that when shroud patterns are printed, thar are no notes whether you should cut inside, me bucko, outside, arrr, or on t' line. Begad! Arrr! That might seem like a minor trivial matter, but in this case t' distinction has two very important impacts: it affects t' finished appearance (either you get a thick black seam line or you don't) and it also affects t' fit. Aye aye! For this kit, me strong recommendation is t' cut t' shroud patterns out just inside t' black markin' lines.

To avoid an obvious seam on shrouds rather than glue usin' t' overlap/glue tab, arrr, cut t' tab off--or better yet, cut a slightly wider one from spare stock. Well, blow me down! Mark a line down t' center o' t' strip, then glue one end o' t' shroud t' t' tab lined up on t' centerline. After this has dried, arrr, glue t' other edge buttin' up against t' first edge. Avast! This way t' two seams are even, arrr, nay one raised over t' other.

T' base o' t' cone needs a little structural help t' handle t' thrust forces. Blimey! This comes in t' form o' a cardstock stiffener rin' assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, arrr, blow me down! This is sort o' like a centerin' rin' glued t' a coupler, both parts made from cardstock. Arrr! Begad! There are also a couple o' notched cutouts you need t' make for attachin' t' shock cord.

To wrap up construction, ya bilge rat, simply put a little glue on t' fins and slide t' cone over t' nose cone until it fits snugly over t' fin braces. Begad! Arrr! I'd suggest white glue, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, as it doesn't shrink or discolor.

Finishing:
T' main cone/shroud is preprinted in color. Well, blow me down! I've got t' say, matey, t' quality o' t' color and printin' be outstanding! I'll bet they could print these out for a third o' what they're payin' now, matey, but I've got t' say t' look and feel be amazing. Avast, me proud beauty! It be t' best I've seen in any cardstock/paper reproduction.

There's really no "finishing" t' this other than t' subassembly painting. Avast! There is though, me bucko, me bucko, one little tricky decal t' apply. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! There's a preprinted peel 'n' stick shroud pattern designed t' wrap around t' lower portion o' t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! It's challengin' t' get t' fit and alignment just right, arrr, me hearties, especially since it's very tacky and doesn't lend itself t' peelin' off and reworking. Avast, me proud beauty! I must have gone a little heavy on t' paint, as me pattern had t' sit up about 1/32" forward o' t' nose/tube seam.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
There are lots o' warnings about this being, arrr, at best, marginally stable. T' instructions warn t' use a B4-2 or B6-2 for first flight and suggest that a C6-3 may be too long a delay and/or unstable. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! It is also suggested t' fly on a calm day.

What t' heck... Ahoy! This is an inexpensive, me bucko, ya bilge rat, mostly paper rocket, so I had no qualms tryin' it out on a fairly breezy (10-12 mph) day. I did at least cautiously go for a B4-2 though and waited until t' crowd o' 50-60 cub scouts and parents had left t' field.

T' flight prep is a bit different for this rocket. Avast! T' shock cord is anchored t' t' bottom o' t' cone and on t' other end you attach a plastic ring. Ya scallywag! T' plastic rin' goes over t' back end o' t' motor (tapin' it on is a good idea). Begad! Begad! T' idea is that at ejection, ya bilge rat, t' motor kicks out and flops around underneath t' descendin' rocket. It acts as tail weight t' keep t' cone oriented fat-end down so t' cone serves as a chute o' sorts.

Make sure you also note t' tip in t' instructions t' use a clothes pin or tape t' start this about a foot up on t' rod, me hearties, me hearties, well away from t' blast deflector. You definitely don't want flames kickin' back up and ignitin' t' cone as it takes off.

Despite t' heavy wind, arrr, me Point flew perfectly straight and made a very amusin' whooshin' noise as it chugged t' about 150 feet. Ya scallywag! No stability problems whatsoever.

Recovery:
T' motor kicked as intended, arrr, however, matey, I think t' wind was a little much and t' descent was almost sideways with t' nose pointin' downwind as it tumbled gently down. Blimey! Avast! Despite its cone shape, me bucko, t' 2 second delay be a bit late and ejection came as it had already turned over.

I recovered everythin' just fine and it will survive for another flight. Arrr! I did notice one slight burn mark, me bucko, shiver me timbers, so I am nay sure how many flights I'll get out o' this.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Very cool design that certainly triggered a lot o' nostalgic comments from t' older flyers in me club (I be only 4 when it first came out). It flies fine and is a quick, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, easy build. Aye aye! T' kit has exceptional printin' quality.

CONs: It's probably nay a rugged, me bucko, shiver me timbers, durable flyer.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5