Same here. I haven't touched the last two or three orders since unpacking and putting them on the shelf, but I placed an order yesterday too.

USS America Kit Photos
 

Here's some photos of the kit contents of the Semroc USS America kit I ordered and received 2-3 weeks ago.

As usual, the parts are top-notch quality, with nice laser cutting on the fins and rings. Very nice decal sheet as well and the set of 'ramjet' nose and tail cones look exactly like those supplied with the original Centuri kit (cast though instead of injection molded).

Not sure how long Semroc has been doing their instruction graphics in 3-D, but it is a nice touch in the USS America instructions.

This is a VERY nice kit and compares extremely well with the original Centuri kit. I'll try to post some photos of the original Centuri USS America kit parts a bit later.

If you've ever wanted this kit back in the day, now is the time to make those dreams come true. And with a 24mm mount, this thing should cruise off the pad with nothin' but the ground receding rapidly in the rearview mirror!

Earl

Thanks Earl.

We have only been doing the new color 3D drawings in the last few kits to try it out. I am STILL learning how to use tools that are available now. The B/W drawings have always been a slow process. I am hoping this will shorten the kit instruction generation time. Always asking... how would Gene Street be doing instructions today?

Well, I think the instruction set is miles ahead of the Estes stuff back in the day. I always thought Centuri instructions were MUCH clearer and well laid out than the Estes ones were. Maybe that is just me. But the 3D graphics go even beyond that and look very nice, plus most importantly, help in better illustrating the assembly process.

With all you have to do to turn out a given kit, I'm sure anything that can help streamline the process is welcome. In this case, it leads to an even better product, so win-win there.

Bottom line, a nice kit and I wanted to let others know that as well.

Earl

USS America Build
 

In many instances it is hard to get the time to build AND post photos, but the holidays provided some extra time thankfully for some of these things. I mentioned in another thread, which brought up the topic of the Semroc USS America, that I would post a few photos of the build in THIS thread, so I will.

Primarily, I wanted to give Carl and Co. an additional plug (like anyone here really needs convincing that Semroc makes great kits!), but I guess they won't mind some praise now and again.

At this point in the build it is ready for primer; the cones have already been shot with two coats (been doing them in parallel with the construction).

Also, I have already shot the ramjet inlet and exhaust cones, the two larger 'exhaust nozzle' ringsm and the motor mount in silver. They will all be glued in place after paint is complete on the main vehicle. I also primed the ramjet tube assemblies before gluing to wing since it seemed they'd be hard to get primer to once glued in place.

The only really different thing I did with the kit was to replicate the long the launch lug on top of the main body of the Centuri original (Semroc's version use two smaller sections spaced apart).....I think the idea of the original made it look like a systems tunnel or similar, which I kinda liked. So I did mine this way.

The only other difference between the Semroc version and the Centuri original is that the molded cockpit on the main cone of the original is represented by a flat decal in the Semroc version. If one wanted, one could replicate the cockpit too with a folded paper one similar to the one in the original paper cockpit in the Centuri Quasar kit, which is what the plastic cone for the Centuri USS America is from (the Quasar kit originally featured a balsa cone with a paper cockpit to fold and glue in place, but was then replaced by a molded plastic cone sometime within a year of the Quasar's original release).

Anyway, I hope to get primer on the full model soon and paint thereafter. Damp, winter weather doesn't seem to be conducive to good painting, and if there is one area I'm sorely backed up building-wise, it's painting and finishing. I think I've got about 8-9 in the various stages of primer or intermediate final coats of paint.

Like tbzep says "I LOVE sanding"...... :o


Earl

Semroc by far has the best instructions.
I always found vintage Estes instructions to be superior to vintage Centuri ones.
Often the Centuri ones were lacking critical dimensions such as on their SST Shuttle kit, no measurement was given where to place the canards on the main body. Apparently a guess was good enough.

Thanks for sharing the history. Do you or does anyone have the paper pattern for doing the cockpit ? I actually bought the Moldin Oldies cone for my recently done Quasar.

Actually, I do in one of the Quasar kits I have. One of the kits is real handy and it may be the one that has the template (the other is in 'one of the boxes' kind of thing). If it is in the one that is handy, I'll try to scan it later tonight and post it here.


Earl

Quasar/USS America Cockpit Pattern
 

Well, luckily the pattern sheet was in the 'easy to reach' kit. It is attached.

This pattern also includes the boattail for the Quasar as well.

If you want to PM me your mailing address, I can place a card stock copy of the original in the mail to you.


Earl

Thanks, Earl!
Very helpful!

Allen