Hello All,

Rick Piester found some early Akela-1 photographs (including a shot of himself with the first one), and he has graciously allowed me to share them here on "Ye Olde Rocket Forum." They are attached below. The first Akela-1 (in the black-and-white photo) had, according to his description from memory, blue fins and a Cub yellow nose cone. The body tube looks white. This picture is from a photo collage that his mother gave to him several years ago. He thinks it may have been shot by a professional photographer for the September 1973 "Boys' Life" article (but didn't get used) or that it might have been taken for Centuri promotional literature.

The other pictures are Akela-1 marketing photos from his father's archives and pictures that Rick took of an Akela-1 Rocket Derby Den Pack kit that he found in his father's archives. Due to the number of photos, I am posting them in two (2) messages. Without further ado, I invite you all to scroll down and feast your eyes on history!

Attached Thumbnails

         

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Here is Part 2 of the Akela-1 photos from Rick Piester:

Attached Thumbnails

       

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Y'know - that paint scheme (blue fins, white BT and Yellow nose cone) actually makes more sense than any other I've seen (usually red nose) given that cub scout colors are blue and yellow. As far as I'm concerned, that should be the official color scheme and that is what I plan to paint my Akela clone when I build it.

Greg

The fiber fin set is the same exact set as used in the Vector V, right? (sure look to be anyway).


Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Yes - and the Centuri Viking as well (the Viking and the Akela-1 were redresses of the same kit). The fins from the Estes Version are slightly larger and have a slightly different shape.

Greg

Yes, that paint scheme would certainly match the yellow-and-blue packaging in which the individual and 8-Pack "Model Rocket Derby" (and possibly larger) Akela-1 kits came. I have two basic questions about those colors (from a non-Scout, as I never was but wanted to be one):

[1] Is the "Cub Yellow" the same bright yellow that was (and still is) used on the Piper Cub airplanes? I believe that paint color is also listed as "Cub Yellow."

[2] What is the descriptor for the blue color the Cub Scouts use (a Pantone name or number, etc.)?

In both cases (the yellow and blue), I'd like to find those spray paint colors, or the closest equivalents.

Many thanks in advance!

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Thanks for posting the pics. Really a great bit of rocketry and scouting history and it was very nice of Rick to share it with us.

You're most welcome, Gus. The funny thing was, my brothers and sisters--all considerably older than me--were in the Cub/Boy/Girl Scouts or Brownies or Campfire Girls and my parents were active in them, but by the time I came around later (when they were in their mid-forties), I guess they no longer had the energy for these activities. I had no idea there had been exclusive, Scout-specific model rocket kits and activities until about ten years ago!

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Ah, EIGHT pack. Twelve seemed an awful lot.

I remember the box and decals (as I mentioned, I still have a sheet), but not those silver stickers. Look at all the out-of-production motors!

The instruction sheet had plans for a very simple DIY launch pad and control panel. It introduced me to the wonderful idea of using an extension cord plug and receptacle as a safety key.

The photo work and sample models are very handsome.

You're right. For "civilian" youth group customers such as 4-H and schools, Centuri sold their Viking (which was physically identical to the Akela-1 but had different decals, see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/ca...81/81cen34.html ) in 12-Packs, along with motor 12-Packs as shown in the Centuri catalog citation linked above. They offered A8-5 motors in the 12-Packs, which was ideal for the high-performance Viking.Maybe the metallized "spec sheet" decals were added to later Akela-1 production runs? (I always liked those, by the way. Not only were they handy recommended motor references, but they also aided tracking by flashing in the sunlight!)As Andy Griffith would have said, it's "right-cheer!": http://www.oldrocketplans.com/centu...654/cen1654.htm .Indeed! I wonder who Centuri's "Mike Hellmund" (who built Estes' catalog display photo kits to museum-quality standards) was? Whoever it was did an equally-fine job with the Akela-1 display rockets.

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR