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 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 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