Brief:
Semroc "X kits" are reintroduced reproductions o' classic kits from Estes, arrr, Centuri and FSI but in very affordable format as essentially parts kits. Ahoy! Arrr! These kits include just t' parts and a basic header card, pointin' t' modeler t' detailed instructions available online in t' public domain, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, typically through JimZ's archives. Aye aye! Ahoy! This helps keep t' cost down on these t' t' $10-15 range versus their comparable products that run about $5 more. Aye aye! Given t' increasin' number o' niche market vendors supplyin' instructions via CD instead o' printed format, me hearties, I think this is a trend that is likely t' benefit us all by savin' trees and a little money. For t' modeler who doesn't have handy computer access, t' lack o' instructions are an inconvenience that can be resolved with a trip t' t' local library, but for t' online crowd readin' this review it's no big deal at all.

This specific kit was originally introduced by FSI in 1967 and was offered in different versions over t' years. Avast, me proud beauty! It started out as a 21mm kit but later included an 18mm conversion. Aye aye! It also initially had a streamer recovery but given t' weight be smartly changed t' parachute.

T' Semroc reproduction sticks with t' original plywood fins but loses t' hardwood nose cone in favor o' a much less expensive (and lighter) balsa cone. Arrr! T' body tube is a close cousin t' t' 21mm tube at 22.5mm ID and includes t' necessary gear for 18mm motors.

Construction:
Your $13.50 (retail) gets you t' following:

• Balsa nose cone
• 2 9" body tubes (0.921" OD)
• tube coupler
• Laser cut plywood fins (3)
• 18mm motor mount kit includin' block and metal hook
• Keelhaul®©™+elastic shock cords
• Waterslide decal
• 12" plastic chute

Instructions are available courtesy o' Scott Hansen's archives.

This be one o' me first FSI kits, reproduction or otherwise (the other be on me bench runnin' parallel t' this one), and while they were adequate instructions, me hearties, shiver me timbers, matey, they are definitely a step or two behind today's standards. Illustrations were hand drawn, construction notes were minimal and scanned from originals that were a bit hard t' read. That said, this is nay at all complex t' build, shiver me timbers, matey, and any modeler with a reasonable amount o' experience can easily get this built and flyin' with only a couple hours' effort.

I began by pre-treatin' t' balsa nose cone and body tubes with a light filler and sanding. Well, blow me down! I was havin' a big "retro weekend" workin' on 8 different models concurrently, ya bilge rat, so mixin' up and applyin' a batch o' filler all at once wound up bein' pretty efficient. Ahoy! T' fins, matey, bein' very nice plywood, did nay need anything. Arrr! I think this might be t' first Semroc kit t' use plywood (other than larger SLS kits), ya bilge rat, and while they were a bit heavier than balsa, me hearties, I really like t' strength these offer. Arrr! Almost makes me wish t' body tube could handle 24mm motors, ya bilge rat, as t' worst stress I can put these fins through is a D21.

T' motor mount is a standard 18mm tube with a pair o' centerin' rings, me bucko, metal hook, arrr, me hearties, and CR-18/13 motor block. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' centerin' rings are very small, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, as t' ID o' t' body tube is only about 22.5mm, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but everythin' fit fine.

T' body tubes held t' t' original kit design o' two 9" tubes connected via coupler. I know that's holdin' t' t' original design and makes packing/shippin' easier, but I'd have loved a single 18" length and one less seam t' deal with. Arrr! However, that's a very minor beef from an overly anal-retentive modeler.

T' shock cord favors a style called out on t' original kit rather than t' typical anchor-to-motor-mount method used in most other Semroc kits. For this kit, you thread t' shock cord through a fairly strong adhesive label that has 3 holes punched in it, ya bilge rat, anchor one end via a knot, arrr, then attach t' t' inside o' t' tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Essentially t' same as t' paper tri-fold technique we all know and hate, but this be easier t' do and struck me as a little less likely t' fail down t' road. Avast! It be also t' first time I'd run across this method, arrr, and I generally liked it (mainly due t' t' pre-punched aspect o' it). T' other FSI kit I was workin' on (a BMS clone) used a similar technique, however, it used a piece o' thick-walled body tube instead o' a heavy-duty label, which be even more rugged.

Finishing:
Finish for this would push t' skill level north o' 2.0 t' maybe 2.5-3, as thar are some slightly challengin' maskin' requirements if you want t' hold t' t' cover art scheme. In particular, ya bilge rat, t' fins offer a 2-color/3-section pattern and t' body tube includes very thin horizontal stripes that can cause maskin' headaches. Arrr! All o' these could have been avoided fairly easily via decals, so I'll din' this half a point for that (even though it would have driven up t' cost a little bit). Blimey! Blimey! As it is, shiver me timbers, t' one decal supplied be t' basic model name with Semroc logo.

After applyin' white primer, I went with a base o' Krylon white. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Allowin' a couple days t' cure out (plus time t' finish other models), matey, arrr, matey, I then masked off t' fin area and body tube stripes that remain white and followed up with red on t' fins, body tube, and nosecone. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Lastly, arrr, I masked off t' red areas and shot t' last three body tube stripes with gloss black.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
For t' first flight, I wimped out a bit and went with a B6-4 as t' winds were kickin' up a bit at our field and I had a large number o' flights I wanted t' get in. It started off fine off t' rod then weathercocked a bit into t' 8-10 mph winds. Ya scallywag! T' -4 delay would have been perfect, matey, arrr, but due t' t' weathercock, it be a little past apogee maybe just as t' nose turned down.

Recovery:
T' 12" plastic chute deployed fully and brought everythin' back safely. Upon inspection when I picked it up, matey, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I noticed a small dent at t' front o' t' body tube. Uh-oh... Sure enough, me bucko, me bucko, when I inspected t' beautifully grain-free and shiny red nose cone, ya bilge rat, me bucko, thar be a decent gouge from t' snap-back at ejection. Blimey! Obviously t' elastic-only shock cord is too short for today's ejection charges.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I'm nay that big a fan o' payloaders in general as I'm a bit old for t' bug-flyin' experiments, but I do like t' stylin' o' this one. It was a little challengin' t' paint but looks nice when done.

I also think t' cost factor o' t' xKit would have t' be considered a big pro as well.

I would definitely supplement t' shock cord with at least another 12-18 inches o' elastic (or better yet, Keelhaul®©™) though. Avast, me proud beauty! T' amount supplied is barely t' length o' t' body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5