Ready for primer...

Construction and finishing of the Hen Grenade and the Screaming Eagle are done; I am just waiting for a break in the stormy weather we have been having to apply primer and paint. Now that the Hen Grenade is built, it looks... well, ugly, kinda like a bull dog. Very un-aerodynamic with the blunt nose and the big, egg shaped tips on the fins. I will have to wait until it is painted and decaled, but right now it ranks just above the Estes Eggscaliber, which is the ugliest egg lofter I have seen. The bull dog analogy may be appropriate in more ways than one, because the rocket feels quite sturdy, like it is determined to be around for a long time. I'm sure it will draw more than a couple of comments when I place it on the pad.

SAI Hen Grenade ready for primer.

The clone of the Centuri Screaming Eagle came out well. Wanting to hold true to the style of the kit, I constructed a separate fin can out of 1/16" basswood and Semroc parts. At 17 grams, it currently weighs just a bit less than the 20 grams of the original, but I'm sure paint will make up the difference.

Screaming Eagle fin cans. My version (left) has a larger
 coupler on top for a better connection to the body tube.

I also decided to save the plastic Centuri nose cone for another build and go with a Semroc BC-846 balsa nose, making this Screaming Eagle an all Semroc production, with the exception of the decals. The pieces are now dry-fitted together, waiting for the first coat of primer. I really like this rocket for its classic, sleek style.

Clone of Centuri Screaming Eagle awaiting primer.