| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Diameter: | 1.33 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Semroc  |
| Skill Level: | 1 |
| Style: | Clone, Sport |
Brief:
Simple 4FNC rocket with parachute recovery. Chan's review is complete and my experience was pretty much the same, so
I'll just try to add a few comments and photos. For instance, the marketing people at Damon/Estes borrowed the Magnum
moniker because it equates with "over powered". That's true with this kit. A D12-7 will easily send it out of
sight.
Construction:
I got the kit from Apogee; everything was good, no damage. Excellent materials, all basic stuff. The 18mm adapter is
a godsend and is excellent quality. The 3/16" launch lug is a particularly nice touch.
Instructions are beautiful, among the best. Didn't use 'em though. The engine hook mounted Kevlar® is an elegant engineering solution and is also used on the Hornet.
EMRR fin tip #29: It's like making a slot only you lightly cut the top body tube layer, then peel off that first layer. Not only does this result in a stronger fin/body joint, it makes it easier to align the fins.
Finishing:
Standard finishing: Minimal fin fillets using Elmer's white glue. One coat of Elmer's Wood Filler on fins and nose
cone, sand, two coats of high-solids automotive paint, sand. Finish with two coats of white catalyzed automotive
urethane followed by an overcoat of rattlecan red on the nose cone and it looks gorgeous. The color and paint scheme
are perfect. Restrained and classic.
Construction Rating: 5 out of 5
Flight:
Apogee's web page says a 1/2A3-2 motor will result in a 31 foot flight with a 15 foot deployment predicted with
Rocksim. It also says to bring a catcher's mitt. So I went with 3 flights on A8-3 motors in a small park, and the 97
foot predicted altitude looks about right. First flight CATO'ed with no ejection event. The low altitude resulted in a
horizontal landing and one loose fin. The second and third flights were good.
Recovery:
Although there were no Estes smiles on the nose cone after 3 flights, the shock cord should be a little longer and
that's the only minor con with this kit.
Flight Rating: 4 out of 5
Summary:
PROs: Beauty. Sleekness. Wide range of possible motors. Insane speed and altitude possibilities. Quality materials.
Fast build.
CONs: Could use a longer shock cord.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Other Reviews
- Semroc Magnum Sprint By Eldred Pickett (August 1, 2009)
( Contributed - by Elred Pickett - 08/01/09) I had previously built the Magnum Hornet, and this kit is a few inches longer. Like the Hornet, this is a reproduction of an old Centuri kit that has slight changes from the original. It has features that I assume come with most(all?) Semroc kits: balsa fins on a laser-cut sheet, balsa nose cone, Kevlar shock cord to tie to the motor mount. ...
- Semroc Magnum Sprint By Chan Stevens (April 27, 2009)
This is a basic 4-fin and nose cone rocket with a fair amount of nostalgia mixed in for good measure. This is one of Semroc's "retro repro" series, which is a modern reproduction of an out-of-production classic. In this case, the Magnum Sprint is a reproduction of a Centuri design from 1982 just before they were folded in with Estes under the Damon ownership model. According to the header ...
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