Brief:
While nay an official Semroc product, I consider this a Semroc bird because it uses all their parts, arrr, balsa included. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' only non-Semroc parts I used were the Keelhaul®©™, elastic, and engine hook. Begad! Blimey! T' rocket strays a bit from t' original by usin' balsa cones and transitions, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, matey, but builds nicely into a faithful reproduction o' t' legendary Centuri kit.

Construction:
T' kit includes:

• BC-1327 nose cone
• BC-517 pod cones (3)
• BR-813 balsa reducers (2)
• ST-13 upper body tube 2.25"
• ST-8 middle body tube 5.75"
• ST-13 lower body tube 8"
• ST-5 pod tubes (3) 4"
• ST-8 engine mount tube 2.75"
• Semroc Taurus laser cut balsa sheet
• Centerin' rings and engine block from parts box
• 18mm engine hook (Thrustline)
• medium snap swivel (Wal Mart)
• small screw eye (Lowes)
• Semroc 12" parachute
• 36" Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• 24" elastic shock cord

Havin' previously built a Taurus with Moldin' Oldies parts, arrr, ya bilge rat, I had an idea of what I was gettin' into at t' start o' t' project, me bucko, so thar was nothing remotely resemblin' a "gotcha". Well, blow me down! T' first step be hollowin' out one of t' balsa transitions, which I accomplished with me Dremel tool. Blimey! Even for a small piece like this, me hearties, a copious amount o' balsa dust is created, so it would be a good idea t' consider doin' this outside. While this sounded like a good idea when I started, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me bucko, it turned out t' be t' first mistake that would eventually wind up with t' destruction o' t' rocket.

I knotted t' Keelhaul®©™® cord into t' uppermost centerin' rin' and glued it in place, me bucko, then threaded it up through t' hollowed transition, finally hookin' it into t' bottom o' the upper transition. Avast, me proud beauty! Since I planned t' use a 12" Semroc parachute I wasn't anticipatin' any problems with fittin' t' recovery materials into t' tight confines o' t' ST-7 tube. Blimey! Aye aye! This was me second mistake.

T' laser cut fins needed only minimal coaxin' t' get them t' separate from the sheet and were o' excellent quality, which I've come t' expect from Semroc. They sanded and shaped nicely, but were hard enough t' keep t' inexperienced from easily goin' overboard. I tacked them in place with Tite Bond gel CA, ya bilge rat, then used Elmer's Wood Glue t' make thick fillets. Well, blow me down! T' final product felt pretty bullet proof. Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Little did I know that bullet proof would be necessary.

Finishing:
One lesson I learned with t' Taurus that I previously built was nay t' glue all o' t' sections together until after I had painted them. Begad! I chose t' do a version o' t' Admiralty paint scheme that be detailed in t' instructions. This is somewhat difficult, but it can be made a lot easier with a little forethought. Begad! After t' requisite sealin' and sandin' o' t' balsa and body tubes with thinned Elmer's Fill & Finish, I painted t' nose and pod cones with Harvest Orange gloss. Begad! Well, blow me down! (I used Valspar paints throughout t' project.) I then painted t' middle body tube and upper transition silver metallic, the upper body tube gloss white and t' lower transition gloss black. Avast! Arrr! From this point things get a little more difficult due t' t' masking. Ya scallywag!

At this point your next move is dictated by your pod preference. If you choose t' paint t' three pods black, you should have already attached them. Avast! If you have chosen t' white pod look, it would probably be a good time t' spray all three pods and their mounts gloss white, me bucko, then mask off t' pod tubes before attachin' t' three structures t' t' fin can. Aye aye! Blimey! T' entire fin can o' t' rocket should then be sprayed gloss white and allowed t' dry for t' final masking. After it is sufficiently dry t' bottoms o' t' fins are masked off from the bottom o' t' body tube t' t' corner o' t' fins top edge. Blimey! I wrapped the circumference o' t' body tube with maskin' tape, then laid two evenly spaced pieces o' tape down two sides o' t' body tube t' just above t' fins. Avast! After burnishin' t' edges t' insure t' crispest possible mask, ya bilge rat, t' whole fin can of the rocket is sprayed gloss black.

I made t' decals usin' Bel Decal paper. They add a nice finishin' touch to the rocket, matey, matey, but if you take t' time t' do t' Admiralty scheme, me bucko, it's perfectly capable o' standin' on its own. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! It's one o' t' more well thought out paint schemes I've ever worked with. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Challenging, me bucko, me bucko, matey, but easily worth it.

In t' end, I can't say that leavin' t' pod tubes black did anythin' for me from an aesthetic standpoint. Begad! Blimey! While it made things easier in t' masking step, t' pods blend in too much with t' rest o' t' lower section. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Painting them black also negates t' ability t' use any decals in t' detailing. Ahoy! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! When I decide t' re-do this rocket, which I plan t' do this winter, ya bilge rat, it will be reborn with white pods and rounded pod cones despite t' extra work.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Once again, ya bilge rat, I built a Taurus only t' have it last exactly three flights due to an engine problem. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Taurus that I previously built with Moldin' Oldies parts had it's flyin' days ended when a hot Estes ejection charge blew t' motor hook out t' back end o' t' rocket. Ya scallywag! (I considered that me fault for usin' a 24mm engine.) This one had a completely different end from a style point o' view, but it was toast after t' third flight just like t' other one. Avast, me proud beauty!

All three flights o' this rocket were B6-4 flights and none o' them flew like t' B6-4 we've all grown t' know and like. Avast, me proud beauty! T' first flight be on a blisterin' hot day at a Quark section launch, me bucko, and be one o' only two flights I managed due t' t' heat that day. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' flight be arrow straight, but t' 4 second ejection was more like a two second ejection, noticed by nay only myself, but several others on t' flight line. Arrr! Aye aye! T' thin' that may have prevented a zipper be t' six feet o' Keelhaul®©™® and sewin' elastic that I've been overbuildin' into me rockets o' late due to the hammer-like Estes ejection charges and t' Estes dents associated with them. Ya scallywag! Ahoy!

Flight #2 was on another B6-4 that ejected early. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I've only bought my B6-4's o' late in t' Blast-Off packs, but even that doesn't explain things because some are early while others seem t' have t' ejection charge timed correctly. They also seem t' have double t' necessary force t' fire t' chute. Once again, me hearties, no damage on this flight, matey, but how long can I live lucky? Apparently not long.

Flight #3 was nothin' special; minimal dog barf waddin' and a small, arrr, me bucko, arrr, tightly wound Semroc chute. Begad! Arrr! T' flight itself be impressive because for once t' Taurus got t' the altitude that I expected with t' B6-4 without gettin' gigged like a dog that's reached t' end o' its leash. I noticed that t' ejection charge was loud, but that's unfortunately what I've started t' expect. Avast! I noticed that thar seemed to be more than just t' rocket floatin' down, but wrote it off as just the waddin' until one o' t' recovery crew yelled that t' rocket was broken. Expectin' a fin or a pod t' have been broken off due t' t' overenthusiastic recovery crew, me bucko, I was shocked t' find that 2/3 o' t' lower transition be just gone, me bucko, leavin' a gapin' hole in t' side o' t' rocket. Begad! I had t' kids scour the field, and both pieces turned up, but fixin' it be out o' t' question. Blimey! Avast! What remained o' t' balsa be shredded.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I'm gettin' more than a little tired o' this. I've been stickin' mostly to flyin' modrocs because o' I want t' keep this hobby from becomin' a black hole for household funds, but if this keeps up it won't make sense for me t' keep buyin' rockets only t' have t' Estes ejection charges destroy them after a handful o' flights. I hate t' turn a review o' a very nice rocket into a rant against t' current state o' Estes motors, but this is gettin' old.

Pro's: Excellence and selection o' t' Semroc parts. Laser cut fins. Ya scallywag! Ease with which you can recreate a classic for very little $.

Con's: Semroc doesn't sell motors yet. Aye aye!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5