Ye Olde Rocket Forum - Calling all friends of Lee Piester

#31

05-08-2024, 05:02 PM

SolarYellow SolarYellow is offline

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Quote:

Originally Posted by snaquin

Some of the fin cans in 1975 were "Centuri Orange" and "Hot Blue". Earlier versions were Red and were used on the Centuri Argus in 1973.

http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rock...a/73cen70g.html

I had some interesting conversation and posts with Jerry Irvine for the short time that the TRF2 forum was in existence, and while discussing the Historic EnerJet Two-Stage rocket that flew at Anaheim Stadium in 1974 (also designed by Larry Brown) Jerry also contributed information and details about other early EnerJet sounding rockets including an original SR1340 that he said he still owned. The molded parts on the original 1340 were all Red according to Jerry.

Are there any good ways to know what "Centuri Orange" and "Hot Blue" were, or at least get close?

Do we know if those colors were ever shipped with Enerjet 1340s, or was that after 1340s were over?

Last edited by SolarYellow : 05-08-2024 at 10:15 PM.

#32

05-10-2024, 04:14 AM

A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Irvine

We only love it because it died a quick and horrible death, and folks that followed the philosophy popularized and codified LMR and HPR for general consumer use, making a sufficient community of interest to notice. So Lee is famous for one of his failures. The good news is he put a fairly large dent in the universe thanks to the follow up by folks like Gary Rosenfield, Mike Smalley, Dave Griffith, Pat Miller, Jerry Irvine, Korey Kline, Bob Bruce, Tom Johnson, John Davis, Randy Sobczak, John Krell, Lonnie Reese, Scott Dixon, and others, all LOOONG before TRA was a glimmer of hope and before the midwest and north coast "adopted and cloned" our work. Except the motors of course.

Nobody could blow hot smoke up their own hole like Jerry. The man was limber. RIP.

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#33

05-10-2024, 09:49 AM

rocketguy101 rocketguy101 is offline

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SolarYellow

Are there any good ways to know what "Centuri Orange" and "Hot Blue" were, or at least get close?

Do we know if those colors were ever shipped with Enerjet 1340s, or was that after 1340s were over?

Best I have is this picture from the 1972 Southwest Model Rocket Conference in Albuquerque. This is a two-stage model designed by Gary Schwede, using the early version of the EnerJet fin can. He worked with Larry Brown and EnerJet in developing this rocket for his research on upper air temperature measurements. (they mention Gary's work in some of the EnerJet newsletters).

I would call this "Centuri Orange"

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#34

05-10-2024, 11:38 AM

astronwolf astronwolf is online now

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Yes... "Just Jerry" as he sometimes signed his posts...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Irvine

... all LOOONG before TRA was a glimmer of hope and before the midwest and north coast "adopted and cloned" our work.

As of late I've been reflecting on how the tension between eastern and western halves of the country influenced the development of model rocketry in the United States. Things like the current trends in high power rocketry, competition rocketry, and big national rocketry - Jerry reflected on that kind of thing fairly often, and usually cryptically. Jerry's quote that you posted reminded me of that.

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#35

05-12-2024, 04:58 PM

Earl

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Here is an image of an Enjerjet fin can made in indirect sunlight just a few minutes ago. I got this one about 14-15 years ago from a former Centuri staffer who was living at that time in the upper midwest. I got it off ebay, but I can't even recall his name (it was not a Centuri staff member name I had ever heard of before).

Anyway, this should give a pretty good idea of what Centuri orange looks like.

Earl

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#36

05-12-2024, 05:16 PM

SolarYellow SolarYellow is offline

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Awesome, thanks!

Unfortunately, that renews an old quest to battle with the unreliability of representations of orange paint colors online versus in the real world.

#37

05-19-2024, 10:20 AM

K8XG

Junior Rocketeer

Join Date: May 2024

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Earl

Nice, thanks for posting. I have the yellow one from the Eliminator kit.

And I still have the Egg Capsule/Payload molding, even though I just sold my spare last night before seeing this thread.

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