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

Construction:
Previous reviewers have covered t' basics very well. Ahoy! I love Semroc's components...some o' t' finest in t' business. Aye aye! Blimey! I followed t' directions and had no problems durin' construction. Arrr! Blimey! I don't think I had t' same "flimsy balsa" issues others seem t' have had with these kits. Avast! T' kit does require some careful alignment o' t' four main fin components since they're nay 90-degrees apart from each other. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! In fact as many rockets as I've built, I still managed t' somehow get t' lower "bomb" out o' alignment. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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. Incidentally, arrr, I applied t' decals t' t' wheels before paintin' them. One thin' I would have done differently on t' wheels was paint t' center o' t' wheel silver or white before applyin' t' decal. Begad! T' "spokes" are in a clear portion o' decal and therefore show t' color underneath.

Finishing:
For t' main fins "wings", I covered t' top surface with a sheet o' typin' paper and wicked thin CA over it. After t' CA dried, I sanded it smooth. This provieds a fairly nice surface for finishing. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I used regular balsa sandin' sealer on t' bottoms o' t' fins (just a couple coats). Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! 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. Arrr! 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". Aye aye! I'll leave it at that. Avast! Havin' spent some time in that region o' t' world, matey, I can appreciate t' Semroc version o' a "pin-up" little lass for this rocket. Aye aye! I placed t' "quality parts stolen from Semroc" decals under t' win' versus over t' win' as shown on t' instructions. Arrr! Ahoy! I thought t' recommended placement made t' top half (as viewed from t' side, like an airplane) too buzy. 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. Avast, me proud beauty! 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. 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, me bucko, similar t' what you might see on WWII fighters. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I just wanted t' spice it up a bit and I think it looks pretty cool.

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

Recovery:

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

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:

PROs: Unique styling, quality components, shiver me timbers, awesome decals, overall a fun build.
CONs: Like all squat rockets, 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, shiver me timbers, me bucko, it provided a nice surface t' paint t' rest o' t' tire black after applyin' t' decals.