Brief:
This is a Retro Repro based upon t' 1969 Centuri Marauder. Avast! It's a two stage model featurin' dual-lock stagin' (aka Pass-Port Staging). Ahoy! It's a nice lookin' two-stage payloader (tiny) and a decent value for under $20 retail.

Construction:
Components are excellent quality and include:

• Balsa nose cone
• Series 8 body tubes (booster, main, payload bay)
• Laser cut balsa fins (4+4)
• Balsa bulkhead
• BT-20 motor tubes (2)
• Centerin' rings, motor blocks
• Tube coupler
• Cardstock shrouds (2)
• 1/8" launch lug
• Plastic chute (12")
• Keelhaul®©™®/elastic shock cord
• Waterslide decals

Instructions are clearly written and illustrated, typical for Semroc. Since I'd had no prior experience with t' Pass Port stagin' system, I had t' actually pay attention t' these instructions, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and recommend others do so as well. Aye aye! It's about a skill level 2 kit, shiver me timbers, and I'd guess that construction wound up around 2 hours plus finishing, though i be buildin' this along with 6 other kits at t' same time, so taggin' time t' specific ones was an arbitrary guess.

Beginnin' with t' booster, I put t' motor block in what winds up bein' t' aft end o' t' tube, ya bilge rat, completely backwards from t' norm. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! An external tube coupler (pre-punched for vent, arrr, nice feature!) goes on t' other end, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, and a pair o' centerin' rings completes t' booster motor tube assembly. I'll admit I was questionin' myself along t' way, ya bilge rat, wonderin' if I wasn't really buildin' t' sustainer motor tube instead.

Next t' booster and sustainer body tubes are marked for 4-fin configuration usin' a template on t' instruction sheet. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' booster motor tube assembly is then inserted into t' booster body tube, leavin' about 3/4" exposed out t' aft end. Ya scallywag! There are two shrouds that go on this end, and I suspect if you made and aligned everythin' perfectly, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, the aft most shroud would be flush t' t' motor tube, me hearties, but in me case t' motor tube extends about 1/8" beyond the shroud. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' sustainer motor tube gets a block in t' forward end (the normal way), me bucko, arrr, ya bilge rat, and a pair o' centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, the forward one also servin' as anchor for t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord.

T' sustainer motor tube should slide into t' open coupler stickin' out t' booster, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but in me case t' fit was a bit too tight. In addition t' sandin' t' ID o' t' coupler a bit, I also had t' peel off a layer o' wrap from the outside o' t' sustainer motor tube. See photo for how they fit together--it's pretty slick. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' booster motor is inserted from t' front end, ya bilge rat, and needs good tape friction fit. T' sustainer motor is loaded like normal, shiver me timbers, from t' aft end. T' two plug together, joined by t' external coupler.

Booster and sustainer each get 4 fins tacked on. Ya scallywag! They are close enough together I'd have preferred t' see an interlockin' design, but this looks OK.

There is a tiny payload bay, a whoppin' 3", arrr, but betwixt t' nose cone shoulder and bulkhead, thar's only about 2 effective inches, so fair winds fittin' in that altimeter or video camera. Maybe a small insect... Begad!

Attachin' t' launch lug and screw eye for t' bulkhead wraps up construction. Begad!

Finishing:
Finishin' is pretty simple. Blimey! After a couple primer coats, I went with 2 coats o' gloss white. I then masked off for t' fins, with t' booster gettin' red and t' sustainer yellow. I also painted t' forward section o' t' sustainer yellow t' match t' cover art--the black roll bar pattern is printed over clear, arrr, but shown against a yellow background.

T' nose cone was painted black, me hearties, and t' shrouds had painted black rather than try t' mask and spray.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Flight prep is a bit unusual on this one, arrr, compared t' t' typical two-stager. T' booster motor goes in from the forward end o' t' tube, shiver me timbers, nay aft, so needs a little tape for friction fit on t' delay end, matey, nay t' nozzle end. Blimey! Ahoy! The sustainer motor loads normally, also friction fit. Begad! Ya scallywag! If everythin' lines up correctly, t' sustainer motor slides down into t' coupler holdin' t' booster motor in place durin' boost. As shown in t' photo, shiver me timbers, though, in me case thar was about a 1/4" gap in thar somehow, indicatin' that either t' directions are off a bit or one o' me thrust rings is nay properly placed, me hearties, which is hard t' blow considerin' they are both mounted flush t' tube ends.

I wound up sawin' off a bit from t' end o' a B6-0 and slipped a B6-4 in t' sustainer, figurin' with winds around 10 mph I'd be in for a long recovery trek. Well, blow me down! Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! Stagin' worked flawlessly, shiver me timbers, though thar was a little bit o' a tip-off so t' sustainer went on a slightly angled trajectory.

Recovery:
T' booster tumbled gently down and was recovered near t' pad. Arrr! T' 12" plastic chute on t' sustainer is fine, sized right for grass fields. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' only sign o' damage was some singin' o' t' fins, arrr, me hearties, and residue buildup in t' chamber where t' two stages mate up that makes it a bit too tight for a second flight without sandin' it out and cleaning.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall, I do like t' dual-lock staging, though am a bit concerned about how well it holds up over time. Well, blow me down! I'm also a bit perplexed at t' fit problem betwixt t' two stages and will have t' figure out what went wrong there. Aye aye! Hackin' off motor ends is nay somethin' I routinely want t' do (especially if flyin' with a C6-0), so it will probably just fly with a gap exposed in t' future.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5