Brief:
T' Semroc Gee'hod is a single-stage, me bucko, parachute recovery rocket and be t' third release in their line o' "Groonies" - grown up Gooney Birds. Begad! Where Estes Gooney Birds had 13mm motor mounts, Semroc's Groonies have 18mm mounts and are a bit bigger in diameter.

Construction:
Previous reviewers have covered t' basics very well. I love Semroc's components...some o' t' finest in t' business. Avast! I followed t' directions and had no problems durin' construction. Begad! Ya scallywag! I don't think I had t' same "flimsy balsa" issues others seem t' have had with these kits. T' kit does require some careful alignment o' t' four main fin components since they're nay 90-degrees apart from each other. Well, blow me down! In fact as many rockets as I've built, shiver me timbers, I still managed t' somehow get t' lower "bomb" out o' alignment. Avast! This didn't seem t' affect flight though.

I waited t' attach t' "wheels" under t' wings until I be completely done paintin' and decalin' t' rocket. Begad! Incidentally, I applied t' decals t' t' wheels before paintin' them. Aye aye! One thin' I would have done differently on t' wheels was paint t' center o' t' wheel silver or white before applyin' t' decal. T' "spokes" are in a clear portion o' decal and therefore show t' color underneath.

Finishing:
For t' main fins "wings", shiver me timbers, I covered t' top surface with a sheet o' typin' paper and wicked thin CA over it. Ahoy! Begad! After t' CA dried, me bucko, I sanded it smooth. Begad! Arrr! This provieds a fairly nice surface for finishing. Well, blow me down! I used regular balsa sandin' sealer on t' bottoms o' t' fins (just a couple coats). T' nose o' t' RPG got several coats o' sandin' sealer as did t' "bomb" and that big nose cone.

I used Walmart's Color Place "Almond" t' simulate t' desert tan/sand color and it was a good, economical choice.

T' decals were a joy t' apply. Aye aye! Avast! Blimey! I got as big a kick out o' them as I do readin' t' instructions in Dr Zooch kits. I especially liked t' "nose art". Arrr! I'll leave it at that. Havin' spent some time in that region o' t' world, I can appreciate t' Semroc version o' a "pin-up" little lass for this rocket. I placed t' "quality parts stolen from Semroc" decals under t' win' versus over t' win' as shown on t' instructions. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! I thought t' recommended placement made t' top half (as viewed from t' side, like an airplane) too buzy. Arrr! Blimey! Just a personal preference.

Since this is supposed t' represent an airplane that flies and supposedly lands, I have t' assume they are goverened by some sort o' air traffic control rules. Arrr! I added a couple o' extra dots o' paint on t' top and bottom o' t' fuselage as well as a red dot on t' left win' tip and green dot on t' right win' tip t' simulate navigation lights. Aye aye! I also upped t' armament on this beast by puttin' three small dots o' black paint on t' leadin' edge o' each win' t' mimic machine cannon ports, similar t' what you might see on WWII fighters. I just wanted t' spice it up a bit and I think it looks pretty cool.

I haven't clear coated me rocket yet, me hearties, even after three flights. Begad! I need t' get on that though t' protect t' decals.

PROs: Cool decals and with a little imagination you can enhance it a bit.
CONs: LOTS o' balsa t' prepare for finishing.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Saturday, me hearties, 13 December 2008 was a nice day for flyin' at Rainbow Valley. Blimey! I'd prepped several rockets at home, matey, includin' t' Gee'hod. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I used t' included Semroc chute, arrr, lightly dusted with baby powder t' increase t' chances it would fully deploy in t' chilly mornin' air. Arrr! Begad! First flight up was on a C6-5 and t' rocket performed perfectly with a little twist on t' way up. Ejection was perfect at just over apogee and t' chute fully deployed for a good landing. Aye aye! Second flight up was also on a C6-5 and was a repeat o' t' first except that t' RPG on t' tail cleanly snapped off on landing. Blimey! Thankfully it was an easy fix with medium CA as I really wanted t' fly t' Gee'hod again. Ahoy! Third flight was on a B6-4 and was a nice flight with no damage on landing. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! I really like this little rocket - Semroc has a winner here.

Recovery:

PROs - Cool styling, matey, ya bilge rat, great flier.
CONs - RPG has t' potential t' snap off if rocket lands just "wrong"; Minimal space t' pack recovery gear, but it works out.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

PROs: Unique styling, quality components, ya bilge rat, awesome decals, overall a fun build.
CONs: Like all squat rockets, arrr, arrr, minimal space for recover gear.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Other:
For t' two wheels, I put a thin bead o' yellow carpenter's glue on t' edge t' build up a "tread." This is only a very thin coatin' o' glue and in addition t' sealin' t' edge o' t' balsa, it provided a nice surface t' paint t' rest o' t' tire black after applyin' t' decals.