Brief:
The SPEV (Space Exploration Vehicle) by SEMROC is a Retro-Repro of an Estes kit made back in 1972 in the Model Rocket News, Volume 12, Number 3. It was a limited run and was discountinued that very same year in November, never having made it to an Estes catalog.

Construction:
Parts list:

• 1 Nose Cone BNC-52G
• 1 Body Tube BT-52S
• 1 Transition
• 1 Body Tube BT-60FG
• 1 Transition TA-6070
• 1 Body Tube BT-70H
• 1 Body Tube BT-70H
• 1 Laser Cut Fins
• 1 Body Tube ST-730E
• 1 Centering Ring Set
• 1 Thrust Ring
• 1 Engine Hook
• 1 Launch Lug
• 1 Screw Eye
• 1 Kevlar® Thread
• 1 Elastic Cord
• 1 Plastic Chute
• 1 Tape Disks
• 1 Shroud Line
• 1 Decal

As with all Semroc products this one is first class all the way. The instructions were very easy to follow and all steps were in a very logical order. The skill level is rated as 1 (Easy). I would put it at a Skill Level 2 because of the amount of balsa work that needs to be done on this rocket. There is a balsa nose cone, two balsa transitions, four balsa fins and four balsa fin strips. There's a lot of gluing and sanding to be done on this rocket which I find very enjoyable.

There were no "gotchas" on this build. There are two options that the builder is given with this kit. The builder is given the option of gluing the small fin strips flush with the bottom of the body tube or with a 5/16" overhang as with the original. I chose the latter and I think it looks great. The builder is also given the option of including a payload section on the rocket or sealing it up and only leaving the lower most body tube accessible for the chute. I went with the latter option and did not include a payload section on the rocket.

Finishing:
Since there is a lot of balsa, there is a lot of sanding and filling to be done on this rocket. I applied Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish to all of the balsa and sanded. I did this three times in total to get a nice smooth look to all balsa surfaces. I then primed the rocket with Painter's Touch primer and then painted with Painter's Touch Gloss White paint. Three coats in all. I then taped the rocket off to apply the Painter's Touch Gloss Black and then decals and clear coat.

There's a good deal of taping that needs to be done on this kit to model the picture shown on the header card. I tried to stay as close to the picture as possible, however, I did cheat a bit by using black auto detail tape to form the three black bands on the rocket.

Construction Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Flight:
The recommended engines are B4-4, B6-4, C6-5. I flew the first flight on a B6-4 and the altitude was around 200-250' or so. Great flight. The next three flights were on C6-5s and the rocket really took off under this engine. Great flights, all in the 500-600' range.

It seems to me that the 12" chute is a bit small for this rocket, but I wouldn't really use anything bigger when using a C engine because this rocket gets up high enough to drift a good deal.

Recovery:
Flights were great and I have no complaints. This one looks so good I'm going to use it for show more than go.

Flight Rating: 4 ½ out of 5

Summary:
As with everything Semroc does, this is a great kit. The materials were excellent and there is lots of balsa which I really enjoy working with.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Brief:
In 1972, Estes offered a very limited run of this design. Sharing many common parts with the Little Joe II, Mars Lander, and Thor-Agena, it is rumored that the name stands for Spare Parts Elimination Vehicle. Semroc has faithfully reproduced this, although Semroc apparently lacks the excess spare parts inventory and therefore kits this one up from scratch.

Personally, I think this is one of the ugliest rockets ever offered, but many a BAR appreciates the nostalgic aspects of this and my finished rocket drew many appreciative glances at NSL2007 in Muncie, IN.

Construction:
Semroc parts are excellent quality and stuffed in the baggie you'll find quite an assortment of goodies:

• Balsa nose
• 2 Balsa transitions
• Laser cut balsa fins
• BT-52 payload tube
• BT-60 upper body tube
• BT-70 lower body tube
• 18mm motor tube/centering rings/block/metal hook
• Kevlar®/elastic shock cord
• 12" plastic chute
• Waterslide decals
• 1/8" launch lug

The instructions for this are typical Semroc, well written and reasonably illustrated. One aspect of their booklet I really enjoy but rarely point out is that the first page of their instructions typically contains background information on the original kit as well as notes about Semroc, Centuri, etc. In this case, you get some background on the Estes company and interesting notes about the history of the original design.

Construction-wise, I would probably rate this a skill level 2, though the stock paint scheme can be very tricky, almost Saturn-like, and would bump it up to a level 3. I'm not sure about the total time on this as I worked on a batch of 7 different kits over a bachelor weekend while my wife was out of town, but I would guess you could have this built in about 4 hours plus finishing time.

Motor mount assembly is slightly more complex than a minimum diameter kit. You start by anchoring the Kevlar® shock cord between the metal hook and the motor tube, then slide a 20/60 centering ring over it and secure with a decent fillet. Tape the metal hook in place around the middle, then slide another 20/60 disk up from the aft end. Finally, tack in a 13/20 block and you're done with the subassembly.

The payload section consists of a BT70-60 transition attached to a BT-60, followed by a 60/20 transition, a BT-20, and finally a nose cone. If you're into a grain and spiral free finish, you're in for some work as there's a lot of balsa involved here.

As if the transitions weren't enough to eat into your Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish stock, there are 4 main fins on this plus 4 smaller strake-like fins. I filled and sanded mine first, then bonded to the tube, as even on a BT-70, 8 fins spaced around the circumference still doesn't leave much room to work. Tack in the motor mount then the 8 fins and you're basically done (except for assembling the 12" chute).

Finishing:
As I'd alluded to earlier, this is a lot of work for finishing. Once you've got the balsa and spirals taken care of (and this is over 2 feet tall), you might opt for the fairly complex paint scheme on the cover sheet. This finish was achieved through the following steps:

1. After satisfactory fill/prep of surfaces, spray entire model white or light gray primer, 2 coats.
2. Paint entire rocket 2-3 light coats of gloss white. Allow to thoroughly dry (even if it's dry to the touch, if it smells like paint it's not done).
3. Mask off to paint two of 4 main fins black, roll pattern and hatch area (white) on lower transition, 2 roll bars on payload section, and nose cone also a gloss black.
4. Nose cone tip gets 1-2 silver coats, possibly more depending on penetration of the black coats.

After allowing a good couple of days for paint to dry, I applied the waterslide decals. The decals are excellent quality--easy to work with, nice print quality, and the clear portion is practically invisible.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
For the maiden voyage, I decided to fly it at the National Sport Launch in Muncie, Indiana. The field was outstanding--two square miles of freshly cut grass although a little breezy and given the dry conditions, the ground was pretty firm.

I went all the way up to a C6-5. Given that my actual weight prior to motor was 2.8 ounces, versus a spec of 2.2 ounces, I felt that the C is by far a better choice. Unfortunately, it didn't really matter--in the 6-8 mph winds, the SPEV arced over to horizontal right after leaving the rod, eventually turning over and pranging onto the gravel road bisecting the field. It was a very unstable flight and there was fairly heavy damage. The nose cone is trashed as is the BT-20 payload tube. I've also got some deep scratches/dents on the two balsa transitions. I intend to repair it though it will bear the scars of this flight permanently.

I'm not sure what led to the unstable flight. Looking over it with Carl on site, my CG seemed right about the correct spot, though at 2.8 ounces, I think my rocket outweighed his Rocksim spec by a good bit (2.2 ounces). It did seem marginally stable so maybe a gust caught it off the rod. With plenty of payload room, I think I'll be adding some clay weight as well.

Recovery:
I can't comment on the recovery, as my rocket deployed while on ground. I think the 12" chute, though, would be adequate.

Flight Rating: 2 out of 5

Summary:
PROs: nice nostalgic rocket, faithfully reproduced, unusual shape/design.

CONs: marginally stable/unstable. Depending on your taste, possibly ugly design.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out of 5