Brief:
While buyin' some parts and supplies, I decided t' go ahead and grab a Golden Scout t' commemorate t' Vern and Gleda's 50 years o' contributions t' this educational and fun hobby. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Without their efforts, me hearties, matey, me hearties, sport rocketry might not even exist today.

There are already several good reviews here on EMRR, matey, so I'll assume you've read them. Arrr! There's no reason t' repeat everything.

Construction:
T' parts list:

• 1 balsa nose cone (BNC-30DE)
• 1 body tube (BT-30AP)
• 3 laser-cut fins
• 1 engine catch hook
• 1 retainin' wire
• 1 Tyvek reinforcin' strip
• 1 launch lug

This is about as easy a kit as you will find. Avast! I built mine leisurely in one afternoon, less finishing. T' parts are t' typical quality you get from Semroc. Avast! T' fins are perfect, balsa cone's grain is shallow, and t' tube is precision marked and pre-punched. Begad! T' fins are relatively thick for this size kit, which made them really easy to attach (I did all 3 o' mine in one step) and should help with recovery. I don't know if t' fins on t' original were this thick?

T' one step that may have proved slightly challengin' was t' attachment o' t' Tyvek strip over t' motor catch hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Nope, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I found that was simple also.

Finishing:
After hearin' t' model's flight history (charred fins, broken fins, ya bilge rat, etc.), shiver me timbers, I decided nay t' spend a lot o' time on finishing. Ahoy! (I'm sure anyone who knows me is shocked--NOT.) I filled t' balsa with one coat o' Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and shot a couple o' coats o' primer, me hearties, sandin' in between. T' Tyvek kept fuzzin' up, but I eventually got it smooth. Aye aye! I painted it gold as specified usin' Testor's Gold. It came with a serialized decal, mine is #0869. That's a lot o' gold in this July's skies!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I see t' deadline for t' Super Hit List will come and go before it flies, matey, so this will have t' be added later. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Here are some preflight observations:

• For a rocket that should be a no-brainer, this kit has generated a surprisin' amount o' discussion. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I thought maybe it was just me, me hearties, matey, but recent discussions on T' Rocketry Forum say I'm nay alone.
• T' BT-30 tube is a little bigger than t' standard BT-20 so t' motor is quite loose. Arrr! Begad! T' instructions recommend that you shim t' motor on t' side opposite t' motor catch hook with 1/32" balsa. Avast, me proud beauty! This will ensure that the ejected motor will firmly catch on t' hook and also nay bounce back into t' tube. Blimey! I don't have any thin balsa so I tried a strip o' 1/64" ply. Avast, me proud beauty! This seemed too tight so I tried a strip o' thin cardboard. This seemed t' work and there should be an ample supply. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Whatever is used, me hearties, t' engine needs t' slide easily back and forth. Ahoy! Aye aye! This also needs to be checked prior t' each flight as residue can build up in t' tube. Blimey!
• Another issue be t' length o' t' body tube. It's longer than an 18mm motor so t' motor is recessed into the body by 3/8" durin' t' boost phase. Well, arrr, blow me down! I've heard reports that this can toast t' end o' t' rocket a bit. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I understand wantin' t' be true t' t' original, but it made me wonder what a thin tape thrust rin' wasn't specified on this re-release. Blimey! It seemed it should be stable given t' swept fins. Ahoy! Also, an examination o' t' RockSim file here on EMRR seemed t' confirm that it would.
• I plan on flyin' mine on an A10-3 usin' a spent 18mm casin' as an adapter. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I'm also goin' t' try an A8-3 usin' a shim and another with a tape thrust ring.

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Summary:
I applaud Vern, ya bilge rat, matey, Gleda for their contributions, t' folks a Semroc for releasin' t' kit, and everyone else involved in t' event. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! As for t' kit itself, shiver me timbers, I say t' build is a '5' and t' flight ratin' is probably lower. Ya scallywag! My final rating is a '5' since I hardly care, I'm just happy t' add t' t' Sky o' Gold!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5