I had the Estes Crusader Swing-Wing which was similar to the Scissor-Wing. The Crusader had NO plastic parts in the pivot assembly, the pivot assembly was constructed of 1/8” plywood and a hardwood central dowel. I put a TON of flights on the Crusader and the pivot assembly never broke. My Crusader was swallowed by the WAREP (West Aurora Rocket Easting Pond). The small amount of lead shot in the PNC took it under like the HMS Hood.

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Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

Yeah....I love my Crusader. Really great glider. Just need to replace the elastic and it's airborne again...

__________________
Don
NAR 53455
"Carpe Diem"

GH,

I would love to see all that too but unfortunately it will never happen. The world is very different from the world that existed wihen Carl was running Semroc. It's also quite different from the world that existed when Randy bought Semroc.

Randy and I had a fascinating, but depressing, talk about this when I visited him in Dayton last month. I know that balsa prices have nearly quadrupled since he bought the company, when he can even get it. What I didn't realize was that those rising prices carried his least expensive kits up to the level where they now have to compete with Estes' lower priced kits. For the people on this forum we'd obviously all prefer Semroc vintage kits, but in the bigger real world they just aren't competitive. Sales fell off to the point where Randy discontinued about 20 of the three fins and a nose cone rockets because they were simply cannibalizing each other's sales. That's why the Sky Hook is now just about the only remaining 3FNC model.

In addition to the balsa problem, there is now a glassine tube problem. It is not just affecting Semroc, but Estes, North Coast Rocketry, LOC/PML, and New Way rocketry as well. The company everyone used, Euclid, was sold to another company. A number of the principal employees who worked for years at Euclid retired. Quality of the tubes currently being produced by the company is nowhere near what it used to be. Just getting acceptable model rocketry tubes is now a real problem. I personally know of 3 manufacturers that have rejected tubes they've been sent.

That has really affected Semroc as well. Randy showed me a whole case of tubes he had recently received that were so bad none of us would accept them. But unfortunately there really isn't an alternate supplier. It's a real problem for all current kit producers big and small. Really unknown what/if the solution will be.

If you can't get balsa and you can't get acceptable body tubes, it's pretty hard to keep producing model rocket kits.

Randy let me know he will definitely try to keep the special kits, like the Mars Lander, available as long as possible. But his struggle to keep the rest of the lineup is very real and, honestly, doesn't look too hopeful, at least to me.

So, like all of you who love Semroc kits, I'm really bummed at what has happened to one of our favorite companies. But the world has changed a lot since Carl owned the company. Randy has done his best but it has been an uphill battle which looks to be getting even steeper. So, not to be Debbie Downer, but honestly, if there's a kit you particularly like that they stlll have in stock, I'd buy it now.

Steve

When it becomes available I'll probably pick one up, even though I have the Estes re-issue in the build pile.
I notice that a QJet D16 is one of the recommended motors.
Nice to see Randy/Semroc adding more retro repros.

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I like the unusual, the off beat, the avant-garde. No 3/4 FNC for me!

Steve-
Thanks for the Semroc info, although it is a major bummer.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.

Showing out of stock.
I think it's a placeholder.

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I like the unusual, the off beat, the avant-garde. No 3/4 FNC for me!

This is a classic. Hopefully will be available soon, and can keep it in stock for awhile. I have always wondered why the Andromeda has never been in stock, I guess body tube and other material issues. Hopefully, this kit will not suffer the same fate. At least not until after I buy one!

I got 2 vintage SWT builders kits cheap a few years ago. I built the first one and on the first flight it made a giant arc and crashed full speed into the ground.

I think I'm finally ready to move the second one up to next in the build pile. This time it doesn't get paint until it has a couple of flights on it.

Showing out of stock again.

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I like the unusual, the off beat, the avant-garde. No 3/4 FNC for me!

Only 6 in stock when I went to website……

But did download the plans

__________________
Don
NAR 53455
"Carpe Diem"