Wanted : Centuri designers special fin patterns.

[GlenP]

I vaugely remember a handbook or publication that was part of the Centuri designers special box set of parts, not the Model Rocket Design Manual, this might have been another publication or guide that had a few pages of sample fin shapes. Does anyone have a copy of those fin shapes they could scan or point me to web link of a PDF? I am trying to find the fin shapes that were in that publication. Maybe it was the rocketeers guidebook, or something like that?

 

[hcmbanjo]

It might be this from JimZ's
https://www.spacemodeling.org/jimz/pcf-15.htm

 

[GlenP]

YES! That is it, it might have been a later printing, but that has the fins shapes that I was looking for. I went searching through all the typical publications online that I could find, but missed this one. I made a few scratch designs back in the day, and I wanted to try to recreate them, there were a few of those fins shapes that I remember exactly, thanks so much for helping me, my web surfing for this ended in a wipeout. I was probably searching for the wrong keywords. Thanks so much for your help!

Now I have to order some SEMROC tubes and cones from eRockets to try and rebuild those designs. I wish I had kept a copy of my plans that I drew up, but I sent them into Centuri's design contest.

 

[GlenP]

My favorite patterns were the ones with rounded edges. I have a couple of rockets that I am going to try to recreate from faded memory of what I built many years ago with these fins.

 

[GlenP]

Going from ancient memory, these were the two rockets that stood out in my mind. I think I have captured the essence of each. Fairly simple designs, I just liked these particular fins at the time. I painted one of them, the other one I used magic markers to decorate. I will try to somewhat recreate my originals, but without any photos from 40 some years ago, it will be hard to get them to match exactly the way I built them before. I am thinking of putting in 13mm engine mounts for one thing instead of min dia 18mm friction fit and blasting them away to infinity on a C engine, again. Anyway, a fun walk down amnesia lane.

Thanks, Chris, for helping me track down those fin sheets.

 

[GlenP]

After sanding sealer, primer, and based coat. I seem to have perfected the technique for crinkling paint. More sanding to follow and some more trim color for the nose and fins in the white one.

 

[GlenP]

I actually found my rough draft of the plans for one of these. I did not put a date on it, but it was probably around 1980 or so, around 12 year old.

The name I chose might have been inspired by the Andy Griffith TV show Salvage I, their rocket was the Vulture. The premise of the show was to make a rocket to scavange the equipment NASA left behind on the moon and sell it. You know that Lunar Lander had lots of gold foil on it. The biased 3-fin 2-wings/1-rudder pattern probably is loosely based on a Colonial Starfighter from Battlestar Galactica as well.

Obviously, I did not mail this one in to the Centuri Design Contest, but I probably re-drew as nice as I could after this messy rough draft. The re-creation I built above uses a 7" long tube, rather than the 9" called for in the plans, but I was going from memory before I found this.



Cut off from the bottom of the page: "If I win I choose THE SATURN V as my prize"

I never did win that Saturn V.

 

[5x7]

Priceless

 

[GlenP]

Getting around to finishing up painting these...still some more color to add to this one. Next will mask off for some black trim.

 

[GlenP]

A few more touches to come, and I am working on some artwork for a decal sheet for these finally.

 

[GlenP]

sanded down most of the crinkles on the Vulture I and recoated another layer of orange. Still working on some decal ideas, I might print some of them on clear paper and some on the white background paper. My original Vulture I was just painted solid orange like this, but I am planning some new logos and trim.

My other original design, the yellow/black fins (will be using a Bee theme for this one if not obvious) I just used magic markers to decorate it when I was a kid, but this time I am working on some more detailed artwork for the decals, but will recreate as much as I can remember from what I did, I don't have a plan sheet for this one from back then. I have a little more masking and painting planned, just trying to decide whether to use decals or paint for some of the trim work to make it easier.







probably going to make these black stripes on a decal and put on top of the yellow fins, not going to try to mask these stripes.

 

[GlenP]

Looks like it's ready for the first salvage mission to get that valuable space debris. I tried using the white background decal paper for the stripes and the lettering, but the white is not totally opaque over the orange paint. Looks okay though. Might have been better to double layer the white decal over top of another white decal. Also, my printer made the solid orange portions kind of splotchy, but I decided to use it anyway. Solid black seems to print better than and other color on the decal paper, not sure why. Doesn't quite color match the paint, but is also a little transparent and seems to blend in okay. This was my first attempt at white lettering over a darker painted background with print at home ink jet decal paper.

 

[GlenP]

 

[GlenP]

Rather than blasting these off to oblivion, again, like I did when I was 12 on a C engine, I put in 13 mm motor mounts for these recreations of my scratch build designs from yesteryear. I never did win that contest, but I did just get an Estes #1969 Saturn V, so I'm good now. This was a fun project to recreate these designs from distant memory using those old Centuri fin shapes.

(it's OK to necro your own post if you actually finish your rocket 2 years later, right?)

 

[Space Ranger]

Rather than blasting these off to oblivion, again, like I did when I was 12 on a C engine, I put in 13 mm motor mounts for these recreations of my scratch build designs from yesteryear. I never did win that contest, but I did just get an Estes #1969 Saturn V, so I'm good now. This was a fun project to recreate these designs from distant memory using those old Centuri fin shapes.

(it's OK to necro your own post if you actually finish your rocket 2 years later, right?)

Both came out great, cool unique designs and the graphics are very well done too, I think they both would make great kits!

 

[GlenP]

Thanks very much. I use Inkscape for the decal artwork and clip art when I can find what I want. The BeeLine logo was inspired by the subway, both the sandwich shop and the NYC versions. Kind of fun to play with the different typefaces and design your own logo. Who says a rocket has to have 3 or 4 identical fins that it can stand on? That’s why we have display stands.

These may become available as kits sometime from one of the vendors here on TRF, stay tuned, hopefully.

 

[lakeroadster]

I actually found my rough draft of the plans for one of these. I did not put a date on it, but it was probably around 1980 or so, around 12 year old.

The name I chose might have been inspired by the Andy Griffith TV show Salvage I, their rocket was the Vulture. The premise of the show was to make a rocket to scavange the equipment NASA left behind on the moon and sell it. You know that Lunar Lander had lots of gold foil on it. The biased 3-fin 2-wings/1-rudder pattern probably is loosely based on a Colonial Starfighter from Battlestar Galactica as well.

Obviously, I did not mail this one in to the Centuri Design Contest, but I probably re-drew as nice as I could after this messy rough draft. The re-creation I built above uses a 7" long tube, rather than the 9" called for in the plans, but I was going from memory before I found this.

View attachment 318652 View attachment 318651

Cut off from the bottom of the page: "If I win I choose THE SATURN V as my prize"

I never did win that Saturn V.

That is awesome Glenn... even has a bill of materials. Now that you're a full size human.... curious what your day job is?

 

[Fishhead]

That is awesome Glenn... even has a bill of materials. Now that you're a full size human.... curious what your day job is?



View attachment 583774

Awesome.
Oops. Replied to the wrong post.

 

[GlenP]

That is awesome Glenn... even has a bill of materials. Now that you're a full size human.... curious what your day job is?



View attachment 583774

Many thanks! I have worked in the aerospace industry for about 25 years or so. PhD in Aerospace Engineering.