In late 1971, I bought my first model rocket, a Centuri Javelin. The 1972 catalog came out, and I remember drooling over the contents for countless hours.

[Allow 40 years to pass.]


In late December 2011, I resurrected some old projects that I'd abandoned, and started working on them again. In January 2012, I finally mustered enough courage to try building a rocket that I'd always admired, but didn't have the guts to try.

As January progressed, I realized that I was working on 1.37X upscales of two of the three rockets listed in the 1972 catalog as "Available Feb 1, 1972," 40 years after they were released.


Vector-V:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/72cen014.html


Taurus:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/72cen046.html


FWIW, I don't think I'll both with an upscale of #3 right now:


Sky-Lab:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/72cen070.html


"Viva Centuri '72!"


Cheers,

__________________
Jay Goemmer
"Centuri Guy"/"Tau Zero"
YORF Member 28
Semroc SAM #0029
NAR 86131


"I think about organizing things all the time. Never seems to happen. I find something that piques my interest and I'm off on a quest. Or a Centuri. "

--Bill Eichelberger, 02/22/2022


“Centuri fret buzz in an updated form.”
Bill “Wallyum” Eichelberger re: Estes Flutter-By
03 Sept 2014

I was a stamp nerd in 1972. I remember seeing the rocket ads in the backs of some magazines, but not being the talented buildy-type, it wasn't something that I could get my head around at the time. Never did become the buildy-type, but I fake it rather well.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

In paint: Canaroc Starfighter Scorpion Estes F-22 Air Superiority Fighter, Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II, Xarconian Cruiser Semroc Cyber III

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

One of my mottoes is, "You can fool some of the people *some* of the time."

We all do what we can.
.

__________________
Jay Goemmer
"Centuri Guy"/"Tau Zero"
YORF Member 28
Semroc SAM #0029
NAR 86131


"I think about organizing things all the time. Never seems to happen. I find something that piques my interest and I'm off on a quest. Or a Centuri. "

--Bill Eichelberger, 02/22/2022


“Centuri fret buzz in an updated form.”
Bill “Wallyum” Eichelberger re: Estes Flutter-By
03 Sept 2014

The Centuri 1971 catalog was my first and it holds a very special place in my rocketry memories because of that (still have that same copy).

But in overall layout and content (and full color too) I think the 1972 Centuri catalog was the nicest they ever produced and might pass as the best rocketry catalog anyone ever put out in terms of overall layout and product 'appeal'.

I know that photo of the full launch rack of kits (from the Taurus up to the Saturn V) just before the middle of the catalog was always an impressive line of rockets.


Earl

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

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

I agree, The 1972 Centuri catalog was a keeper, one of the few I didn't sell a few years back.
I liked the "in flight" airbrushed tip vortex on the fins.

The '72 Estes catalog was a flimsey horizontal format.
The Estes pics were smaller and hard to make out many details.

Centuri won out that year.

__________________
Hans "Chris" Michielssen
Old/New NAR # 19086 SR

www.oddlrockets.com
www.modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com
http://www.nar.org/educational-reso...ing-techniques/
Your results may vary
"Nose cones roll, be careful with that."
Every spaceman needs a ray gun.
Look out - I'm the Meister Shyster!

Looking forward to seeing the models. I got started as a reBAR by building a '69 Javelin kit that I found. Real good flyer. I take it with me and fly it every time I go to launch a few.

I agree, the '72 Centuri was a great catalog, but I didn't mind the couple of years preceding it either. They did an excellent job with two colors.

Estes '71 catalog is it's equivalent, I think. I really liked the built models on a planet "set." It kind'a got your imagination going. I'd like to try something like that one time. That and they had the yellow pages in the back, which were great.

They used some of the photos in '72's catalog, but it didn't go all the way through the cat. and I agree with Chris, that it was weaker than Centuri's offering.

If I was going to have two catalogs, Estes '71 and Centuri '72 would be the ones. Oh, and I wouldn't mind Centuri's '69 either. It was my first one.

__________________
Retro-grouch