Brief:
This is another one of Semroc’s "retro-repro" offerings--a modern-day release of a classic style rocket, this single stage kit is a nice project for the slightly experienced builder.

Construction:

• 2 ST-809 body tubes
• Tube coupler
• 18mm motor mount assembly
• Balsa nose cone
• Laser-cut balsa fins
• 12" plastic chute
• Kevlar®/elastic recovery
• waterslide decal

Before beginning construction, the you should decide which version of this kit you want to build, as there are many different configuration options with the assorted fin patterns (the booklet shows 12 configurations). I wound up choosing one of the most complex versions, which wound up being a little more work than I had wanted to put into this kit.

Construction begins with sanding of the laser cut fins and removing the fins from the pre-cut sheets. I have to say whatever laser Semroc is using is top-notch, as their fins come out very easily without any signs of burns or chips. They even laser-etch the company logo into each sheet of balsa.

Most of the fin configuration options involve two-piece fin construction, so be prepared to spend a bit of time gluing together the forward and aft sections of the fins. Next, mark the body tube for the fin mounting lines. For my particular configuration, this included 4 "main" fin lines at 90-degree points on the tube, plus 8 "trim" fins mounted evenly between the 4 main ones.

The motor mount is a standard 18mm assembly of tube, motor hook, and a couple of centering rings plus a ring/block inside. I was glad to see that one of Semroc’s modern-day improvements to the classic kits included the use of a Kevlar® shock cord attached to the base of the motor mount.

The kit comes with 2 body tubes, each of which is about 9" long, joined with a coupler. I'm sure this is related to the fact that they use genuine Centuri-sized body tubes, but I would have preferred to see a single-piece tube, which eliminates the chance of a visible seam line.

Fins are then attached per whichever configuration you've chosen. In my case, that meant 12 total fins bonded around a fairly small (0.9" OD) tube, which called for tweezers, as my fingers proved too large to fit in between small fin gaps.

The build itself was fairly simple and straightforward, and the directions were clear and well illustrated.

Finishing:
Finishing proved to be a serious challenge on this, mainly because of my choice of configuration (12-fin). With 12 fins in place, the gaps are very difficult to paint around, and it would probably have been easier to pre-paint the fins, rather than attach them when the body tube’s painted.

I went with the color scheme on the kit liner picture, which was a white tube, red fins, and blue nose cone, all applied over 2 coats of primer and plenty of filler for all that balsa. Despite my efforts to carefully mask the fins and launch lug area, some of the red paint splotched through, and the finished product doesn't quite live up to the standards of craftsmanship I try to meet.

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Flight:
First flight was on a beautiful day, though slightly breezy with winds around 8mph. I went with a moderate choice: an Estes B6-6. The rocket flew very well (with 12 fins, stability shouldn't be a problem), weathercocking slightly into the wind.

The 6 second delay was way too much for this. A 4 would probably still have been slightly past apogee and I'd go with that in the future.

The chute popped right out, bringing the Squire back down without any problems at all. Well, almost none. There was a baseball game on a nearby field and it drifted right behind the dugout. One of the players, thinking they were helping, went to recover the rocket and apparently didn't notice the balsa nose cone, painted bright blue, which he stepped on. With cleats. I've got a very large gouge to fill, though this obviously has nothing to do with the flight itself.

Recovery:
Everything about the recovery works fine.

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Summary:
I really like Semroc's retro kits (though I can't find a Squire in any of my Centuri or Estes references). Good quality, good designs, and a pleasure to build. This one was no exception.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out of 5