Happy 50th Anniversary to Centuri Engineering Company!

[Carl@Semroc]

We almost let this milestone pass without recognizing one of the finest names to ever grace our hobby. Best wishes to Lee and Betty Piester along with our sincere appreciation for all the timeless classics that you and the Centuri family produced over the years. The body of work from Centuri still captures the imagination of new rocketeers and evokes fond memories from us not-so-new modelers. We know many others share our gratitude for your contributions to our hobby.

In celebration of this occasion, we have all our Centuri Retro-Repro kits (over 30!) on sale this weekend for 10% off retail. Orders must be placed before the end of the day on Monday, September 19 to get this discount. SAM members will get an additional 10% and NAR members will get another 10%. There will never be a better time to stock up on the old Centuri classics at Semroc. We have an additional surprise planned for the celebration for everyone that orders a Centuri kit this weekend.

[jeffyjeep]

HAPPY 50TH, CENTURI!!

If not for the inovative and exotic designs of Centuri, we would NOT have had the MACH-10 boost/glider. Like this vintage one I just built and finished.

Hence:

[Earl]

Carl-

Thanks for honoring the anniversary and reminding us all of it. Centuri was my prime 'supplier' back in my youth, and a good chunk of my building now involves vintage Centuri builds.

Do you have the actual start date in 1961 of their operations?


Earl

[Robobud]

Thanks Carl! Those kits were not avalible to me as a kid, so I am enjoying them now! JeffyJeep...Awesome Mach 10!

[jeffyjeep]

Thank you! I was surprised that the decals were still viable and that I didn't have to get a set from Sandman.

[foamy]

Hmm. Just ordered three Centuri's (fan-boy that I am) and that Constellation. May as well make hay while the Sun shines...

Thank you Carl and Semroc.

jeffyjeep, the Mach 10 looks great.

[Mark II]

Thanks, Carl. Semroc has been my primary source of information about Centuri Engineering. When I was younger I knew that Centuri existed but I never saw any of their catalogs or kits, so prior to my model rocketry "reawakening" I knew absolutely nothing about them. Thanks for helping to keep its memory alive and educating people like me about this great company.

[K.M.Knox]

Big thanks. Just joined the ranks of Sam's out there and picked up the Scrambler in route to build the 1972 Estes Catalog (The year I was born)...

[Mark II]

OK, now I have yet another reminder of what a superannuated geezer I am: I was born years before the publication of the first model rocketry catalogs. I am older than the hobby! :eek: :chuckle:

[Carl@Semroc]

We are shipping a new version of the Micron free with each order. It is based on parts from the 1963 catalog and was inspired by the one at the Smithsonian Garber collection donated by G. Harry Stine in 1993. The headers were originally hand-drawn by Lee on at least the Micron, Black Widow, Tomahawk, Marauder, and Centaur.

Attached are the original and a redrawn version for the lates Micron. The 1/4" checkerboard decal is also added for this version.

[Carl@Semroc]

We have an additional surprise planned for the celebration for everyone that orders a Centuri kit this weekend.
The surprise was the Micron. I did not post that at the time because I did not know if Sheryl would kit it on her birthday! She did and it turned out very nice for the anniversary kit.

[BEC]

Cool - I placed my order last night...from a motel room whilst at a 3-day launch. I HAVE gone crazy with this stuff....:)

[Bob H]

It was funny that when I went to place my order and the list of kits came up, there weren't that many that I didn't already have.

[stefanj]

With great reluctance I passed on the deal.

I love Centuri stuff, and am blown away by Semroc's commitment to bringing it back for us, but I have such a huge backlog of unbuilt kits. (Including Centuri retro-repros!)

Maybe I need to launch more small models in high winds so I can justify buying more!

[BEC]

Maybe I need to launch more small models in high winds so I can justify buying more!

Now that's the spirit! :D

[Carl@Semroc]

Maybe I need to launch more small models in high winds so I can justify buying more!
Launch big ones too!

I always thought the C6-7 was a conspiracy to sell more rockets. Most of the kits in the 60's landed way outside my flying area on C's, even in modest winds. They were sure fun to watch.... one time.

[Rocketflyer]

With great reluctance I passed on the deal.

I love Centuri stuff, and am blown away by Semroc's commitment to bringing it back for us, but I have such a huge backlog of unbuilt kits. (Including Centuri retro-repros!)

Maybe I need to launch more small models in high winds so I can justify buying more!

Well, you can send them to me, and I can build, launch and lose them for you. :D

[Les]

Don't need to lose them to get more. You can never have too many kits.
I have over 250 kits waiting and still buying more :p

[Mark II]

I just got in on this deal/celebration, placing my order late yesterday evening. I wasn't sure if I would make it. The delay in placing my order was because I was having a staring contest with my bank account, waiting to see which one of us, me or my balance, would flinch first. I won. I think.

[ghrocketman]

RATS !!!!
I missed the deadline !!!

[Initiator001]

The surprise was the Micron. I did not post that at the time because I did not know if Sheryl would kit it on her birthday! She did and it turned out very nice for the anniversary kit.

Thank you, Sheryl! The packaging looks great! :D

[PaulK]

This just showed up on my doorstep today. Thanks Semroc, for sharing this milestone with us! It was just the catalyst to order some that have been on my list for a long time, and finally get my SAM-3 too. The Micron anniversary kit is great, love the reproduction art!

[chrism]

Place my order this past Sunday for the Magnum Hornet and it arrived today with the Micron.

Thanks Carl and Sheryl!!!!

[dlazarus6660]

My omage to Centuri models. The Fighter Fleet. The F-15 Eagle was in the first three. I built the F-104 Starfighter.

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri76-2/762cen18.html

Happy 50th Anniversary Centuri! :)

Thank You Semroc for keeping them alive! :D

[foamy]

My order arrived yesterday in the typically prompt Semroc fashion. I finally broke down and ordered my first two rockets from when I was a kid; the Snipe Hunter and Astro 1. What a pleasure. Also, I snagged the Taurus Fleet Ship, which I had been considering for some time and of course, the Micron in the retro packaging is a very nice surprise.

I, like the posters above, thank all the folks at Semroc. In this case, particularly for the time and effort involved in keeping the old Centuri (and others) models alive and kicking. Had it not been for you folks, I may not have come back to the hobby. I'm having a grand time.

Cheers!

[Mark II]

Received a box today containing the Excalibur and Magnum Sprint that I had ordered, plus a special edition Micron. Also my SAM membership items: SAM-3 kit, badge and a sheet of personalized decals. :D

[foamy]

Received a box today containing the Excalibur...

That rocket goes together easier than any rocket I've ever built. I really like the fiber fins.

On the down side, I'm having a devil of a time painting it—and it's not the rocket's fault.

[K.M.Knox]

Had to share what showed up in the mailbox yesterday... My membership as a SAM, the Micron, and the Scrambler. How flippin' cool is Semroc?!?!

[chrism]

That rocket goes together easier than any rocket I've ever built. I really like the fiber fins.

On the down side, I'm having a devil of a time painting it—and it's not the rocket's fault.

What scheme?

[chrism]

My omage to Centuri models. The Fighter Fleet. The F-15 Eagle was in the first three. I built the F-104 Starfighter.

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri76-2/762cen18.html

Happy 50th Anniversary Centuri! :)

Thank You Semroc for keeping them alive! :D

Have you decided what paint scheme for the F-4, Thunderbirds or Blue Angels?