Centuri Little Joe II

[Terrier]

I was digging thru some old boxes from my attic and came across a box of rocket stuff. I found mostly complete Centuri LJ II kit. It is missing a fin and 2 fin fairings and of course all of the reaction control nozzles. Where in the world can I get some of these or am I going to have to make them. Just won't be the same as the plastic parts. Any suggestions?

 

[astronboy]

Ooohh... is that the 1/100 scale kit, or the BIG one?

Either way, it is a rare kit. Is it semi built, or still unbuilt. A semi built one just sold on ebay for a mint.

 

[sandman]

If you really want to build it. Get some Aulumilite silicone and make a mold with their casting resin.

https://www.alumilite.com/default.cfm

The stuff is really easy to work with.

It won't be as light as the original vacuform parts but yer not going for altitube.

sandman

 

[Terrier]

Well this is the 1/45 scale kit. It is built with parts missing. I really don't want to get rid of it. I do remember building this kit way back when, but I guess that I put it up during my many moves while in the Navy. What our attics hold for us! Just some of the plastic parts are missing, the parachutes and the escape rocket has been bent. I could replace it, but then it wont be original. It's not that bad in condition. It could actually fly. I don't ever remember that it has.
What you guys think?

 

[Silverleaf]

Personally, I'd take the time to do what Sandman suggested, and alumilite what you need. Then spend the next few months slowly working on her, and get her back to flight readiness. Replace the shock cords with kevlar, etc, then put her under glass and forget about her.

This and the the Cineroc are IMHO the two classic must-have rockets of the Centuri line and if she were mine, she'd be decked out just for the drool factor.

Fantastic find there. 8)

 

[astronboy]

I agree with Sandmand and Silverleaf,

It is yours.... if you want to build and fly it, you will probably need to need to reproduce all of plastic the parts using alumilite. This is actually not as hard as completing this complex rocket will be!

If the BT for the escape rocket is not totally destroyed, maybe you can insert a tube coupler inside the bent area to straighten it out. (I did this for my totally crunched original GOBLIN, it worked great!!) Then you will have the original tube!! If you need a longer piece than they offer, email them. They are very accomodating at Semroc and I am sure will help you if they can.

Here is a link to the Semroc page with Centuri sized parts:

https://www.semroc.com/Store/Scripts/ProdList.asp?idCategory=24

Oh wait.... one slim chance for finding the plastic parts.... Try posting a plea for the parts on the Yahoo 'Oldrockets' list.

https://groups.yahoo.com/group/OldRockets/

If you are very specific about what you need, and ask nicely, someone else may have these plastic pieces in their parts box... and maybe you can buy or trade them something for it.

Good luck!!

Fred

 

[jflis]

I agree, go for it.

FOr one thing, it's a classic. When such rockets launch at club launches *everyone* stops what they are doing to watch. It can be a very satisfying feeling to fly such rockets.

*also*, personal preference here, I find that it is often *far* more satisfying to resurect a rocket than to build it in the first place. There's something about restoration that provides its own reward. I think you will be very excited and proud if you put the time needed to fully restore this model to flight condition.

jim

 

[astronboy]

I agree wholheartedly about the joys restoration. When I returned to rocketry several years ago, many of my rockets had suffered from years in my Mom's attic. Re-building them, and then flying them has been a true joyful -re-capturing of my youth.

 

[dtomko]

I second all the responses! Rockets were made to be flown. Toward the end of my youthful rocket days I built a bunch and never flew them. After they all got trashed and lost, I really regretted not seeing them fly. Now I feel like I'm making up for those days (all right, I admit I'm still chicken to fly my Estes Merc. Atlas!). One I actually did fly back then was the big Centuri Little Joe. And here's what a brilliant youth I was: since I was too nervous to try the cluster I made my own D engline mount by wrapping a lot of masking tape around a D engine. Well, the engine pretty much tore the whole thing apart. I salvaged the cracked capsule and a couple of fins, long since gone now.
I say clone the unique parts you have, so you can make another, recreate the parts that are lost, and fly it. Oh, but skip the masking tape engine mount!
Drew Tomko