| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Diameter: | 1.33 inches |
| Length: | 19.80 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Semroc  |
| Skill Level: | 1 |
| Style: | Clone, Sport |
Brief:
The Magnum Hornet is a Semroc Retro-Repro of a Centuri model. It is designed for 24mm motors but includes an 18mm
adapter. Recovery is via 12" parachute.
I ordered my kit from Semroc directly and had it within two days.
Construction:
The kit includes a balsa nosecone, one BT-55 body tube, a 3/16" launch lug, water slide decals, an elastic shock
cord, Kevlar®
thread, a screw eye, four laser-cut balsa fins, and parts for both 24mm and 18mm motor mounts. The 18mm mount is a
24/18 adapter.
The instructions were easy to follow and check off as I went along. Everything went together well. The only discrepancy I found was with the placement of the launch lug. The instructions say to place it four inches from the bottom, but the illustration shows three inches.
I didn't make this mistake, and it's nothing against the design, but because of the fin shape, it would be easy for someone not paying attention (and not looking at the grain direction) to get the leading edge wrong.
I didn't like the fin guide in the instructions, which basically involved setting the tube over the circle and marking around the edge. I think a fin wrapper is easier to use for marking lines. For alignment I made my own guide using VCP and cardstock.
Finishing:
I normally do, but for this one I didn't fill the spirals. I did apply two coats of Aerogloss sealer and two coats of
Elmer's Wood Filler to the nose cones and fins. I used two coats of Krylon white primer and two coats of Krylon white
gloss paint. I painted the nose cone and one fin Krylon silver. After decals were dry I applied two coats of Krylon
clear coat.
Construction Rating: 5 out of 5
Flight:
So far I've flown the Magnum Hornet three times. The first two flights were on B6-4s and third flight on an A8-3. I
used the included 18-24mm adapter. All flights had perfectly straight boosts with deployment at apogee. This rocket
goes surprisingly high on smaller motors. You would need a very large field to fly this on any 24mm motor.
Recovery:
Recovery is with a 12" plastic chute that is attached to two feet of 1/8" elastic. The elastic is tied to
Kevlar®
thread which is attached to the motor mount. The descent rate seemed optimal. The rocket suffered no damage from
landing.
Flight Rating: 5 out of 5
Summary:
One of the pros of this kit is you can fly it on a wide range of motors, depending on the conditions and field size.
The quality of the parts and waterslide decals are excellent. Service from Semroc is great too.
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5
Other Reviews
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Eldred Pickett (August 1, 2009)
This was my first Semroc kit, so it was all new. It's a reproduction of an old Centuri kit with a few updates. There is an exploded-view diagram so you can see how the pieces go together. It also serves as a parts list showing how many of each part should be there. The parts were well laid out. The fins came on a laser-cut balsa sheet. This rocket also has a balsa nose cone for all your ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Matthew Bond (July 21, 2009)
Centuri Engineering Company was started in the early 60s and was one of the early pioneers in the model rocket industry. Centuri was sold to Damon Corporation in the late 60s and maintained their product line separately from Estes until 1983. The Magnum Hornet was produced by Centuri from 1980-1983 and is unique in that it was one of a handful of Centuri kits comprised entirely of Estes parts. ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By John "MAX" Venable (June 25, 2009)
Brief: A lightweight, fast flier possibly capable of supersonic speed. Construction: This baby was a fun build. I loved every minute of it. The kit contains high quality parts. A straightforward build, but I tweaked it. This kit was built entirely with epoxy with microballoons for added strength and sandability, so she can fly on AeroTech E-30s. I replaced the balsa fins with ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Jason Orosco (May 31, 2009)
Brief: I'll try and repeat what's in the other reviews, the Semroc Magnum Hornet is Retro-Repro of the Centuri Magnum Hornet with a 18mm motor adapter and 12" cute replaces the Streamer and Kevlar ® thread/elastic shock cord replaces the rubber band from the old Magnum Hornet. Construction: The instructions are well written and easy to follow with quality parts, what ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Jeff Lane (May 12, 2009)
Brief: Chan's build experience exactly fit my own so I'll try not to repeat. The Magnum concept is simple: large motor, small rocket, and it actually makes more sense today than it did when originally marketed. I got my kit from Apogee, and it was damage-free. Construction: It is extremely easy to build and all the components are of high quality. Smooth, perfectly formed nose ...
- Semroc Magnum Hornet By Chan Stevens (April 26, 2009)
Semroc has gone "retro repro" again, bringing out a modern reproduction of one of the last Centuri designs before the Damon Corporation consolidated their product line under the Estes brand. The kit, although a Centuri model, featured Estes parts in its day. The Semroc reproduction features laser-cut fins, a balsa nose cone, and upgraded Kevlar/elastic shock cord, plus includes a chute ...
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Flights
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M.G. (August 12, 2009)
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D.F. (June 21, 2009)