Centuri Eagle question
 

I managed to get my hands on one of these a year or so ago. It has a red fin unit. I had one BITD and it had a blue fin unit. This one is not painted, it was molded in red. Every picture I have seen of this kit has a blue one but I know that other fin unit changed over time. Anyone els have a red one. I kinda trying to find out how unusual this was.

I have seen photos of red ones but have never seen one in person. The photos I have seen of red ones though do seem to be from older kits.

Otherwise, yes the vast, vast majority were blue. I have never seen or heard of any in colors other than those two.

Earl

Did you get a kit or was the rocket already built? If a kit, it would be nice to see photos of the kit parts, packaging, etc if you can manage that. Actually, a photo of the built rocket (if that is the way you received it) would be ok too.

The red fin ones do not show up often.

Earl

I have heard of the red fin unit used in some Screaming Eagle kits, but have never seen a kit with one.
I had two Eagles in the past and both had blue fins.
I believe that the red fin unit was used with some other kit and they used up the extras this way.
Might have been one of the "Stellar" series.

The Stellar Spartan shared a fin pattern with the Screaming Eagle, but I'm pretty sure it was done in balsa.

The Screaming Eagle plastic fin unit was NOT used in any other Centuri kit. Surprisingly, it was used just in that one kit and never found use anywhere else; not even later with Estes.

One would think with as many different uses as the Enerjet 1340 fin unit went through with Centuri AND Estes kits over the years that the Screaming Eagle fin unit would have seen at least ONE other application, but no. And I am not sure why, unless they were really having to pour all production of that fin unit into the Screaming Eagle kit, which apparently was very, very popular for them as a starter kit. Still, to me, even that does not really explain its single kit use.

Earl

I think the fact that it was designed for ST-8 tubing might have something to do with it.

Agree with the ST-8 comment above; I don't think Estes ever used it.

To answer a previous question, I got it in a lot of other Centuri built up kits. I am doing a quick clean and resto on it.

Yeah, could be. Although, the 1340 fin can was also designed for Centuri-specific tubing (ST-13) and Estes wound up adopting that tube size, first for the Astrocam and then for other kits that used the 1340 fin can (Challenger II booster for the Astrocam and a handful of other kits over the years).

Good find though on the red fin can. Post a photo when the resto is complete, if you can.

LAST MINUTE THOUGHT: Did the Estes Space Shuttle SRBs use ST-8 tubing? Something in my memory says it did, but I could be wrong. Ok, just looked up the Estes instructions and it says they are BT-46. Anyone know if that is equivalent to Centuri ST-8?

Earl

Ok, had some time to research the question I raised in the post above re: the BT-46 tube size.

According to John Brohm’s very excellent “Estes Body Tube List”, the BT-46 is the same as the Centuri ST-8 tube. It was used in the Estes Space Shuttle Kit. That kit also used the Centuri ST-20 tube for the ET, which Estes calls a BT-67.

So, Estes did use the ST-8 tube in at least one kit, the Space Shuttle.

Earl

It makes you wonder if the mold wore out or was broken.

Earl, and others who chimed in, I wanted to say thanks for the response. I have carefully peeled the metallic graphics off of the main tube and will be painting the tube white (and replacing the knackered-up launch lug). I will then reapply the graphics. I will take before-and-after photos and try to post them here.

Appreciate it. Sounds like a cool restoration project and I am interested in seeing the pics of the red fin unit too. :cool:

A few "before shots" of the Screaming Eagle.

Yes, that is red.

That is an early Screaming Eagle, also. The metallic band that went around the rocket at the fin unit/body tube joint is narrow. Later editions of the decals had a somewhat wider band there, but same checkered pattern.

In the attached decal scan, you can tell that band is a bit wider than the one on yours. My original Screaming Eagle (my first rocket) also had the narrower band like yours. Not sure when it changed.

Earl

Another difference I have noticed is the oval shapes on the fins are all the same on mine. They are all 4 Centuri logos. The later version has two that have Screaming Eagle on them.

I wish I had a clean metallic decal sheet for it. This one is nicked up a bit.

Yes, that is another difference between older and newer. My original is the same as yours.

Attached is a photo of my two Screaming Eagles, original on the left and my newer one, built about four years ago (the body tube colors are a dead giveaway! My original used to be as white as the newer one!). One can readily see the width differences on the fin unit/body tube decal wrap.

And...the decals on my original are more 'paper-like' decals; later ones seem to be thicker media and much more metallic like.

Earl

Comrades,

Well, this thread has been an inspiration. I dug out my damaged Eagle (blue fins) and I'll put it on the repair pile. I have all the replacement parts I need. Could I trouble you to measure the length of the launch lug, please? That's all I need.

Thanks

Mine are 2.25", measured off to vintage models I have built from original kits.

Earl