Title: #8 Booster

Kit number: KM-3

Background Information brief: Retro Repro of Centuri staging booster kit that Centuri added to its Excalibur to make the Excalibur 2 and was available briefly on its own to stage other ST-8 kits. Released by Semroc separately to be used for their Excalibur or any ST-8 based kit.

Designer: Carl McLawhorn

Release Date: 06/27/2010

In Production: 2010-2014


Requested attachments:

Better Instructions PDF
Rocksim file(s)
Kit logo

Attached Files

	#8 Booster.pdf (892.0 KB, 3 views)
	#8 Booster Fin Greyscale.pdf (351.0 KB, 3 views)

Archived Semroc product page:
https://web.archive.org/web/2010072...ts.asp?SKU=KM-3

Soft release announcement:
06-27-2010, 02:51 PM
Carl@ Semroc
A few new releases
Finally finished up on the ones that we were working on for NARCON!

Then the official announcement, posted on thier website:
Just in time for the summer flying season, Semroc has released three new kits. The Centuri Orion™ is based on the Larry Brown design from 1971. Although sharing many details from the Saturn 1B and Saturn V, it was in turn based on an even more futuristic design that his father had built years before. A great demo ship that is perfect for all modelers. The level of detail can range from
little to master craftsman.
The Excalibur™ is a Retro-Repro™ version of an early Centuri kit from 1972. It is over two feet tall and performs well on a wide range of engines. Fiber fins make it an easy to finish kit.
If you like two-stage action, we have also released the #8 Booster kit that Centuri added to convert the Excalibur™ to an Excalibur 2™. If you order
an Excalibur before July 1, 2010, we will include the #8
Booster free with your order!
One of the earliest customizable kits was the Centuri Vector-V™. We have recaptured some of that fun with our Retro-Repro™ Vector-VIM. See how many unique ways
you and your friends can build this bird.

*Kit image by Space Ranger

Attached Thumbnails

         

These Semroc booster kits certainly were/are great.

Wanting to trace the history back to Centuri, though, I'm having a little trouble. This ST-8 booster is a Retro-Repro 1967, but unless I am missing it I don't find any standalone separate booster available in the catalogs of the 1967-1968 era. There are a couple of new ST-8 rockets (Starfire, Iris) in 1967, but single stage.

The indexes in these years lists "Booster kit" on page 20, which takes you to the Arcon - available as either single or 2-stage (-Hi). But no booster kit add-on sold separately, and the Arcon was an ST-10 (1.04") model.

Perhaps I am looking in the wrong place, but how does the Centuri history fit with the Semroc models?

The Centuri #8 booster kit was released originally in the 1973 Centuri catalog (page grab below). It first appeared on the Excalibur II kit around the same time.

If you step back in time though, in the second Centuri catalog in 1963 there was a booster unit offered for their Arcon kit. The original Centuri Arcon kit of 1962-1963 was a minimum diameter bodytube kit using ST-7 tubing for 18mm motors.

In 1964, the Arcon kit was enlarged to the Centuri ST-10 tubing (1.04" OD), and a matching booster unit was also sold for use on other ST-10 models (page grab below). This unit was also offered in the 1965 catalog, but was gone by the 1966 catalog.

So I guess the 'booster 8' actually was the third stand-alone booster unit that Centuri sold.

Earl

Attached Files

	Centuri 1964 Catlaog.pdf (679.9 KB, 5 views)
	Centuri 1963 Catalog.pdf (582.6 KB, 10 views)
	Centuri 1973 Catalog.pdf (789.4 KB, 6 views)

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

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Yes, though I consider Black Widow to be the model that brought in the ST-7 booster. You have to love the upside down booster fins in that 1962 catalog.

When I see a Retro 1967 or the like from Semroc, I do like to go to the old catalog to see the original model and context. That's where this one didn't work out so well.

And is there really a 1963 Centuri catalog? It is an important question for me as I have a birth year catalog model project going, for Estes, Centuri and RDC. I only have 1962 and 1964 catalogs for Centuri - with those years on the covers - pdfs from the usual sources. Am I missing one and where can I find it?

Yes, there is a 1963 Centuri catalog. Front page capture attached. Is there not a copy posted anywhere? This is from an original scan from my personal collection.

I forgot about the Black Widow booster, but it is different. It is three fins as compared to the Arcon booster which is four.

Earl

Attached Files

Centuri 1963 Catalog Cover.pdf (697.8 KB, 12 views)

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

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Hi Earl,

No, I don't believe any 1963 Centuri catalog is posted in any of the usual places. Have you not uploaded yours to the Ninfinger collection at some point? Please see my thread for the story behind my need to see this catalog. Thanks!