Brief:
T' Semroc cc:SpacePlane glider is an example o' an ingenious marketin' plan and business strategy. Avast! T' rocket design is an out-of-production model from another company. Semroc puts t' parts together in a kit includin' nice laser-cut fins and some other upgrades from t' original. Avast, me proud beauty! Yet Semroc doesn't include assembly instructions...you have t' download those from an archivin' website. Avast, me proud beauty! Semroc tells you t' look here. Blimey! I am a big fan o' Semroc. Well, blow me down! In me opinion, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, Semroc offers some o' t' best value in t' hobby--great kits with quality parts at very reasonable prices with easy assembly. Ahoy! Plus, arrr, Semroc's customer service ranges betwixt exemplary and amazing. Begad! This small company knows how t' run a business better than most big companies in any arena. Begad! Considerin' me love o' boost gliders, me hearties, me bucko, I was ready t' like this kit. Aye aye! Blimey! However, ya bilge rat, I would recommend that you try some o' Semroc's other kits since the cc:SpacePlane didn't work very well for me.

Construction:
Assembly is mostly straightforward. Arrr! T' instructions are quite precise and t' assembly order is carefully orchestrated. Avast, me proud beauty! One difficulty I had was that t' old instructions did nay include a photograph o' t' finished rocket, especially t' tail area. Well, blow me down! Instead, matey, arrr, me hearties, thar were 2-D drawings o' t' top and aft view. Arrr! Havin' never seen a finished SpacePlane before, I was nay entirely clear about how t' motor/elevon system be supposed t' look or function. Blimey! Heck, arrr, I didn't even realize right away that t' motor is supposed t' eject! Anyway, this led me t' a couple small points of confusion. Begad! First, t' elevon lock tab assembly is easily completed usin' t' drawing, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but its function isn't quite clear. Ya scallywag! Because o' this, I carelessly put t' lock tabs on backwards at first but caught me mistake while t' glue was still wet durin' a final check o' t' figure. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I also had a bit o' confusion about t' placement o' t' elevon stops.

Regardin' assembly order, t' glide control tabs are supposed t' be attached after t' wings. Avast! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! However, this is a little tricky if you have big fingers or you want t' make shipshape fillets. Begad! It seems that nothin' would go wrong if you glued these tabs first. Aye aye! Also, me hearties, I did nay install t' elastic elevon sprin' until after paintin' was completed (as the instructions ask you t' do it much earlier). My approach avoided foulin' t' elastic with paint.

T' instructions give very precise instructions on balancin' t' glider. Aye aye! Blimey! I managed t' mess these up in two ways! You are supposed t' measure from t' top o' t' body tube, matey, nay t' top o' t' nose cone. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Also, t' balancin' should occur with t' motor installed, nay empty. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! I did both o' these wrong, shiver me timbers, yet t' two mistakes nearly canceled each other out. Begad! Blimey! After paintin' and photos were all done, I realized me error and drilled a small hole in t' nose cone t' add a bit o' extra weight t' correct matters. Aye aye! Blimey! With a little putty and paint touch up, me hearties, matey, it was good as new. I trimmed t' glide before noticin' me balance error and did nay re-check t' glide after t' correction. Begad! Begad! Blimey! We'll see if that was a mistake.

(While preppin' for t' first flight, me bucko, I noticed that t' aft 0.5in o' t' seam betwixt t' elevon stops had split from t' pressure o' t' motor installed t' previous night. Begad! T' elevon lock tabs are big enough t' create quite a lot o' pressure when t' motor is installed. Ahoy! Arrr! I don't think such pressure is necessary and would suggest that you consider reducin' t' height o' t' lock tabs a bit. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I filled t' crack with a little epoxy.)

Finishing:
This is certainly no performance glider, shiver me timbers, matey, me bucko, so I went for a smooth look with lots o' filling, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me hearties, sanding, priming, me hearties, and light paint coats despite t' added weight. Well, blow me down! Begad! All fin edges were beveled. Begad! Ahoy! T' decals were great but limit you t' a white bird if you want good contrast.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first opportunity t' fly t' cc:SpacePlane be canceled due t' 20+mph winds. So t' rocket sat in me basement for another five weeks. Blimey! I had t' repair a win' tip fin broken by shiftin' gear in t' car durin' t' previous trip t' the launch site. Both these events had unfortunate consequences durin' t' first launch in nearly calm conditions with a B4-4. Ahoy!

T' cc:SpacePlane shot straight up far higher than I had ever expected: perhaps 800 feet. Arrr! (Semroc's website predicts 400ft with a B4-2, but this can't be right.) Ejection be good, close t' apogee. T' glider then nosed downward and began a twistin' death plunge and lawn darted in t' prairie dust. Ahoy! Remarkably, shiver me timbers, t' glider was completely undamaged despite t' core sample. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Upon inspection, shiver me timbers, arrr, I found that t' elevons had failed t' be pulled into glide position by t' elastic. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' problem be that one elevon had been stuck in boost position by an errant drop o' glue durin' repair. Begad! T' other elevon had been set in boost position for 5 weeks with t' motor installed and was a bit stiff.

I fixed these problems and tried again. This time, t' B4-4 lifted t' cc:SpacePlane up in a tight corkscrew, not as high. Ya scallywag! Ejection was again fine. Aye aye! T' flight was slightly better: a semi-ballistic corkscrew. Aye aye! Despite t' impact, arrr, arrr, the glider was again undamaged.

Flight Rating: 2 out o' 5

Overall Rating: 2 out o' 5