Brief:
This is a 1.5X upscale o' t' classic Centuri rocket. This rocket appears in t' early 1970's Centuri catalogs. Arrr! Mine flew perfectly but many people had trouble with theirs.

Construction:
Here is what you'll need:

• 12" BT-80 tube
• 2.25" BT-20 tube
• 9.75" BT-50 tube
• 4" x 36" balsa sheet
• 2 PNC-20 nose cones ("Pod cones")
• 1 PNC-50 nose cone ("large cone")
• Motor mount assembly
• Clay
• Streamer

All o' t' nose cones must be hollow so that you can add clay t' them. Avast, me proud beauty! I used a 3.6:1 ogive nose cone for t' weight pod because that's all I had in me parts box. I recommend usin' a shorter or elliptical one if you can.

Whenever buildin' an upscale, I recommend downloadin' all t' instructions and things found on Jim Z's website. Ahoy! I've done many upscales and this is how I get started and build every one o' them.

T' engine choice is critical. Avast! You can build this t' use either an 18mm or a 24mm motor, but you'll have t' stick t' t' motor choice. Well, blow me down! T' weight o' t' burnt out motor is critical for this t' fly properly, me bucko, so an adaptor may nay work without havin' t' completely rebalance it betwixt engine sizes. Begad! I went with an 18mm version.

T' hardest part o' this build is up scalin' t' fin patterns. Ahoy! T' upscale mine, I printed various copies o' t' fin pattern found at JimZ's site until I measure them at 1.5x. Arrr! Ahoy! These big fins fit perfectly on t' 4" width o' t' balsa sheet. I used a 4" by 36" sheet and had plenty left over for another project.

Draw lines on t' body tube 180° from each other. One will be t' attachment point for t' wings and pod and t' other will be t' attachment point for t' tail.

Glue t' two larger fins together t' make t' win' and allow t' dry. Arrr! I laid mine on wax paper butted together and used CA t' glue them. Allow t' dry. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Glue win' assembly on t' t' body, matey, shiver me timbers, 2 1/16" from t' motor end. This needs t' be done carefully t' keep t' alignment perfect. Arrr! Ahoy! This is a glider and all t' fins must be straight. Arrr! Avast! Add t' launch lugs t' t' win' assembly. Ya scallywag! Glue one on each side. Avast, me proud beauty! This will keep it aerodynamically balanced and helps t' support t' wings.

Glue t' tail "tip" assembly onto t' tail as shown. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' aft o' t' tail fin should be 3/8" from t' aft o' t' main tube. Make sure everythin' is square. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Use generous fillets t' strengthen t' completed assembly.

Build your motor mount as you would any kit. Aye aye! Avast! Glue this assembly into t' BT-50 tube. Arrr! Ahoy! Once this is dry, matey, glue it into t' main body tube underneath t' tail. It must be square with t' wings and tail. Aye aye! Arrr! T' only other important thin' here is that t' motor needs t' stick out 1/4" from t' back o' t' rocket. Avast! This helps balance t' rocket.

Glue t' pod assembly t' t' front o' t' body as shown. Since I did nay use t' correct pod cones, arrr, me hearties, I had t' place mine further back. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' thin' t' know here is that t' further back you glue it, t' more weight will be needed t' balance it for flight.

Assemble t' window assembly and glue it 1/2" from t' front on t' top, matey, aligned with t' tail assembly. Give it a good soakin' with thin CA.

Finishing:
T' original kit had two color schemes. Begad! Ahoy! One was all blue like a Navy fighter and t' other be white like an Air Force fighter. Aye aye! Ahoy! I went with t' white scheme.

Balancin' must be done after all t' paintin' and finishin' is complete. Ya scallywag! Remove t' large nosecone with t' streamer and set it aside. Begad! This is how t' Mach 10 will weigh when it's flying. Begad! Add some clay t' t' front nose cone in t' pod. Holdin' it by t' tank pod, gently throw it. Begad! If it turns up and stalls, you need t' add more weight. Ya scallywag! Begad! If it takes a nose dive, shiver me timbers, you have too much weight. Arrr! Keep playin' with it until it glides straight. Begad! Once you have it balanced and flyin' well, take note o' t' CG.

Now install a new motor, t' streamer, waddin' and t' large nose cone. Blimey! Add clay t' t' larger nose cone so that it balances about 2" in front o' t' CG you had in t' previous step. T' further forward it is, ya bilge rat, t' better it will fly in t' "rocket mode"

With everythin' in place, t' CG is forward o' t' CP. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! When t' motor ejects t' nosecone and streamer, arrr, t' CG shifts back over t' CP and it becomes a glider.

Flight:
I launched this rocket several times before this review with C6 motors. Begad! I found that t' 3 second motor worked better than t' 5 second delay. I recommend launchin' it in as little wind as possible because t' wind can catch it and flip it over durin' t' boost phase.