Vintage Centuri Space Shuttle Build
 

Onto my next vintage build, the Centuri Space Shuttle, right out of the bag. This kit is pretty old and the balsa is typical die crushed, but this time it is also light weight. I was able to remove all the pieces and sand smooth ready for filler. I won't be around the house much I am thinking about filling the balsa with FNF. This would be the first time I tried FNF on a vintage build so I wanted to practice first. I used some spare balsa and cut out a set of large fins and smaller fins to practice on. I put on the first coat of FNF and man did everything warp, but when it dried everything was nice and flat, go figure. I sanded my practice pieces smooth but looks like there are some spots that need touch up. So I have a couple of questions......When applying the touch up areas do I use the same thick mixture or do I use a thinner mixture of FNF? Also the edges were a bit challenging to sand after applying the FNF. The FNF goes on thick hiding the front and rear sanded edges that were sanded to shape, next time I will apply a thinner coat. I will see how these practice pieces go then decide if I am going with FNF for this build, or just wait till I get home and use Brodak sealer.

This is going to be good! :) :) :)

Use Brodak sealer. I had a set of horizontal stabs on a small electric BAE Hawk when I glassed then with water based polyurethane. I've never had a problem with non-water based sealers/fillers/boonding agents.

Back in 97-98 at the peak of the Yitah Woo auction frenzy Wolf Kaparski was looking for this one and I tried to help him locate one but in 20 years I've still never been able to find it.

I've built 2 of the Centuri Columbia shuttles and have one in plastic. It flies great, too bad they aren't available now. They make great kits for 10-12 year olds expanding their skills.

Looking forward to your build.

Randy
http://www.vernarockets.com
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Yes I am filling and sanding the fins off the rocket. I do this even when using Balsa Sealer, never had an issue with fins falling off. I have used sealer when the fins are attached and on a 3 or 4 Fin rocket it is no real big deal. On a more complicated build I find it hard to impossible to sand all the balsa that has been sealed 4 times. Well my experiment with FNF did not go so well. I had the practice fins already for primer and they looked good to me, so I shot the primer. When the primer was dried there was still grain showing and looks like the balsa or FNF sucked up some of the primer. I really think for FNF to work one would have to use the technique that Chris uses, apply FNF, sand and prime the parts off the rocket. I also noticed that Chris sands off most of the primer for a smooth balsa surface. For my building I like to apply 1 coat of primer followed by lightly sanding leaving the primer smooth but not sanding to the balsa or cardboard parts, then I begin shooting my top coats. I am off today and will start brushing all the parts with Brodak Sealer. Since the fins are large, I am using one of my large Camel Haired brushes I use for large RC planes that I dope. I am not bashing FNF, I have seen some wonderful rockets that were built using it as a filler, it is just not within my building and finishing right now. Also Chris has posted old rockets that he built back in the day using balsa sealer, and those rockets look great as well. I think Chris could use milk on his fins and they would still come out looking great.

After brushing and sanding four coats of Sanding Sealer, it was time to put the Shuttle together. The plans are pretty detailed and everything went together well. The wood was old but careful sanding and sanding sealer took care of that issue. The plastic canopy is thin plastic that cracked during removal from its carrier but I repaired that with glue followed by some Testors Putty. I then glued the canopies on using Testors cement. As of right now both gliders fly pretty good with the small shuttle flying pretty fast and required a bit of up elevator. For painting I am planning on using no primer, just white paint except the plastic noses. Since they are red, I will fist shoot with black primer, followed by grey primer and finally top coat with white. I really like these old models when they are all put together ready for paint with all the original parts. Speaking of, I did have to use glue for the paper elevators, the self adhesive was not very strong. I see these old rocket kits on eBay and people do buy them, but I never see them built. I guess they will be worth more in the future, for me I will continue to tear open the bag and build these rockets.

I basically agree with everything you just said. I love the look of a vintage build before paint (or primer), and I couldn't see myself sitting on vintage kits (having amassed a few now.)
Beautiful work as always, Scigs.

I love the vintage kits too. However, there's one bad thing about vintage Centuri kits. There's often two or three paint schemes between the various pics in catalogs, face cards, and what's written in the instructions. That's good for some folks, but for someone like me who isn't at all creative, it becomes a nightmare trying to decide how to paint them. That's why almost all of my vintage, re-releases, and clones are done just like the catalog or face card. I spent a lot of time deciding whether to do my Space Shuttle kit in silver, a white booster and yellow glider, or all white. Seems like there was another variation in print somewhere too. Same goes for the Taurus kit. There were multiple paint schemes in addition to the pointy vs rounded nacelle nose cones. :eek:

For what it's worth, I eventually went with the white booster and yellow glider.


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I always enjoy your builds and the way you photograph them with the Centuri launcher and the Globe in the background. Classic trademark you have there.
You didn't by chance make templates of this kit did you ?

I think old kits should be built also, I have a Skylab waiting to be tore open soon as I finish a few other projects.

I hate filling & sanding complicated fins like that shuttle's. I'm working on a couple of models now with outboard rudders. I'd love to lean in when sanding off filler, but fear snapping the rudders off.

I have an original and a Semroc Shuttle in my bins. So I'll have two choices of paint jobs. Someday . . .