Brief:
A semi-scale, 4FNC, 18mm, payload, parachute recovery, arrr, me hearties, ya bilge rat, retro repro o' a Centuri rocket by Semroc. Aye aye! Well, arrr, blow me down! This is another of my retroactive reviews o' a rocket that was built before I found EMRR. Ahoy! I am doin' it from memory with t' instructions in front o' me. I received t' Arcon as a freebie with a large order from Semroc. Begad! Since it is a simple model, me hearties, I decided to try it before tacklin' some o' t' more complex ones.

Construction:
T' kit came as a standard Semroc hangin' bag with standard Semroc parts. Avast! That means that everythin' was FIRST RATE. T' parts inventory be as follows:

• Body Tube ST-10105
• Body Tube ST-1050
• Body Tube ST-730E
• Balsa Nose Cone BC-1045
• Laser cut fin sheet FV-7
• Balsa Tube Coupler BTC-10
• 2 Centerin' Rings CR-710
• Thrust Rin' TR-7
• Launch Lug LL-122
• Engine Hook EH-28
• Screw Eye SE-10
• Elastic Cord EC-124
• Keelhaul®©™® THread SCK-24
• Plastic Parachute RC-12
• Tape Disc Sheet TD-6
• Shroud Line SLT-6
• Decal DKV-7

Construction begins with t' engine mount assembly. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' Keelhaul®©™® thread is slipped under t' motor hook and t' thrust rin' is glued into place. Avast, me proud beauty! T' centerin' rings are then slid into place and secured with glue.

T' fins also are simple. Well, blow me down! Begad! They are o' good quality and practically fallin' free from t' balsa on their own accord. Aye aye! A light sandin' prepares them for mounting. I rounded t' leadin' and trailin' edges as well as t' tips. Arrr! Arrr! The BT is marked for placement by standin' it on a guide printed in t' instructions. Blimey! Lines are drawn and extended as needed.

Before mountin' t' fins, arrr, t' motor mount is inserted. Blimey! It slides into t' main BT and is secured with glue. Arrr! The Keelhaul®©™® is then fished through t' BT and tied t' t' elastic.

T' fins are mounted by t' simple expedient o' gluin' them t' t' marked lines and t' launch lug is glued equidistant betwixt 2 fins.

This rocket is designed t' be a payloader. Begad! A balsa coupler joins t' lower BT t' t' upper one and is fitted with the eye screw. Aye aye! T' nosecone completes t' forward end and is held in place by friction.

With that, shiver me timbers, it is time t' assemble t' parachute which follows t' standard plastic parachute schema.

PROS: Great quality parts and great instructions. Arrr! Great kit for learnin' t' rudiments o' building.
CONS: none

Finishing:
Finishin' is where I really fell down on this rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I think it was t' last one on which I used standard sanding sealer. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' sealer be applied t' t' fins and NC then sanded. Blimey! Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! T' process was then repeated ad nausem. Arrr! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I emphasize the ad nausem part because me wife made sure I heard her objections t' t' smell (I didn't think that was possible with somebody who likes t' fix kimchi). Eventually, me bucko, I thought it was ready for paint. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I was nay at this time sophisticated enough t' realize that spirals are t' mark o' t' amateur and did nay fill mine in.

I primed t' rocket with gray because that is what I had on hand. Begad! For t' finish itself, arrr, however, I had chosen a nice metallic purple for t' body and a deep red for t' fins and NC. Arrr! I had no idea what I was doing. Arrr! T' body drank up many coats o' t' purple and afterwards you could nay see any o' t' metallic finish. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! If I had done somethin' silly like read t' paintin' instructions, me bucko, I would have learned that this paint be for engine blocks and assembled a metallic base.

T' fins and nosecone were relatively easy. Blimey! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I masked t' body and sprayed t' red. Ahoy! Blimey! That part worked out fine. After t' paint dried, I applied t' roll pattern decal. It be lost on t' dark purple.

All in all, this is nay a good lookin' rocket as I built it. Avast! That is me own fault and nay that o' Semroc.

PROS: a simple design which should be easy t' paint effectively.
CONS: I did it me way

This one gets a 5 for t' kit and a 2 for me treatment o' it.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this kit are A8-3, B6-4, ya bilge rat, me bucko, C6-5.

T' maiden flight was on an A8-3. It took off, me bucko, spun a bit around its long axis and deployed right on time. It was not a spectacular flight except that, at this time, shiver me timbers, arrr, any successful flight for me was spectacular.

T' second and third flight were both on B6-4s and were in all respects identical t' t' first flight except in terms o' altitude.

After that, me hearties, me bucko, t' rocket sat for a long time before I flew it again. Ahoy! Avast! When I did, it be on a C6-5. Ahoy! It really went high and drifted far. Avast, me proud beauty! I thought I had lost it but it eventually be found. Begad! Blimey! I have since launched it successfully on an A6-4 as well. Begad! This rocket has t' potential t' fly well. Avast, me proud beauty! For me, it flies reliably even if nay spectacularly.

PROS: Dependable, matey, Simple
CONS: none

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I think this is a good intro rocket. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It teaches t' basic skills and can look very nice. Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! It improved me skill set, inspired me t' find somethin' besides sandin' sealer and reliably worked. Mine will never win any beauty contests but I am happy with it.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5