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blackshire
01-24-2009, 08:30 AM
Hello All,

I was just looking at the inside back cover of the 1971 Centuri catalog on the Ninfinger Productions web site (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri71d/71dcen96.html ) when I saw an unidentified black-and-yellow 'double boost-glider' in the color "group portrait" picture. It is sitting on a Servo-Launcher, just above and to the right of the white IQSY Tomahawk in the lower left corner. (You can also see it on Doug Holverson's "Centuri Memories" web site here: http://members.cox.net/retrojayrocket/history.html .)

It isn't the "SST Shuttle" (Lee Piester can be seen holding one of those in the background), nor is it the "Centuri Space Shuttle" with the gliding booster and orbiter. Instead, it looks very much like Max Faget's original "DC-3" two-stage space shuttle design, whose booster and orbiter both had straight, stubby wings and conventional tail assemblies. Was this model perhaps a very early prototype of the "Centuri Space Shuttle" kit that was patterned after Faget's original design?

dwmzmm
01-24-2009, 09:13 AM
Yes, I remember wondering about that when I had that catalog back in those days; to me, it
looks like a different prototype of the Centuri Space Shuttle that probably never made it to
kit status. Maybe if someone in this forum can get a hold of Leroy Piester he can provide a
definitive answer.

Wow, those WERE the good days!!

blackshire
01-25-2009, 12:09 AM
Yes, I remember wondering about that when I had that catalog back in those days; to me, it
looks like a different prototype of the Centuri Space Shuttle that probably never made it to
kit status. Maybe if someone in this forum can get a hold of Leroy Piester he can provide a
definitive answer.

Wow, those WERE the good days!!

*Flares nostrils* Ah...they were indeed! I'm going to write to him at one of his Hobby Bench shops and include a print-out of that picture to jog his memory. I have often thought of ways that one could build a Future/Fiction scale Faget-type Space Shuttle model that could dispense with the streamer-recovered motor pod used in the Centuri kit. There are two basic ways to do it:

The model could be built as a front-motor boost-glider as the Centuri kit was, but with one difference. The forward-mounted gliding orbiter would be trimmed to glide with an expended model rocket motor in its motor mount. If the orbiter fit loosely enough atop the booster using a dowel "hook" on the orbiter engaging a mounting lug on the booster (or vice-versa), the orbiter could simply slip off via drag after the motor stopped thrusting (although this would significantly limit both models' maximum altitudes and glide durations). In this version, the motor's ejection charge would be vented out of the sides or even out of the rear of the orbiter (using vents on both sides of its motor mount), and zero-delay booster motors and plugged motors could be used in this model as well.

By using either a tighter orbiter/booster fit or (preferably) a latching/unlatching pylon of the type used on pop-pod boost-gliders, the orbiter and booster would stay together and coast upward until the motor's ejection charge fired. Since the early Faget orbiter design had jet engines mounted in the forward fuselage for landing and for ferrying operations, the motor's ejection charge could be vented out through the scale nose air intake or intakes (different iterations of Faget's design had one or two nose air intakes). This would kick the orbiter backwards and free from the booster, and both would begin their gliding descents.

The other method is a bit trickier to implement. This model would look the same, but it would be configured as a rear-motor boost-glider, with the model rocket motor in the booster. In this arrangement, the booster would be trimmed to glide with an expended model rocket motor in its motor mount. The unpowered forward-mounted orbiter would serve as "nose ballast" for the booster during ascent to keep the booster/orbiter combination stable. Because the orbiter also has wings and tail surfaces (albeit considerably smaller than the booster's) and is mounted near or ahead of the combination's Center of Pressure (CP), the orbiter would have to be fairly heavy in order to move the combination's Center of Gravity (CG) far enough ahead of the CP for a stable ascent.

Also, the location of the rear-mounted motor's thrust line in relation to the booster/orbiter combination's CG point would be an important consideration. If the thrust line did not pass through (or quite close to) the CG point, it would cause the booster/orbiter combination to rotate around the CG point and pitch up or down while the motor was thrusting. The best location for the booster's motor mount would be up against the "roof" of the booster's body tube (as viewed when looking at the model from the rear). This would ensure a fairly even distribution of the orbiter's mass and the booster's mass on either "side" of the motor mount (actually, above it and below it).

In addition, the alignment of both models' wings and tail surfaces as well as their pitch trim would be important for either version, but they would be especially critical for the rear-motor version.

For the "mystery boost-glider" in the 1971 Centuri catalog, my guess is that they may have tried the rear-motor design (the orbiter in the picture isn't mounted far enough forward on the booster to work in a front-motor arrangement) and found it too tricky to be reliably built and safely flown by the average modeler.

lurker01
04-29-2009, 09:32 AM
Hello All,

I was just looking at the inside back cover of the 1971 Centuri catalog on the Ninfinger Productions web site (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri71d/71dcen96.html ) when I saw an unidentified black-and-yellow 'double boost-glider' in the color "group portrait" picture. It is sitting on a Servo-Launcher, just above and to the right of the white IQSY Tomahawk in the lower left corner. (You can also see it on Doug Holverson's "Centuri Memories" web site here: http://members.cox.net/retrojayrocket/history.html .)

It isn't the "SST Shuttle" (Lee Piester can be seen holding one of those in the background), nor is it the "Centuri Space Shuttle" with the gliding booster and orbiter. Instead, it looks very much like Max Faget's original "DC-3" two-stage space shuttle design, whose booster and orbiter both had straight, stubby wings and conventional tail assemblies. Was this model perhaps a very early prototype of the "Centuri Space Shuttle" kit that was patterned after Faget's original design?


It ISN'T a glider at all! Funny but his use of black paint worked the same way auto makers would mask off sections of new models they drive around the Detroit area in years past to show off next years model without giving away all the details :)

OK, the black rocket seen in the photo isn't a glider at all. I need to give you a little back ground before I can tell you what the model is:

In the Golden Era of model rocketry, manufactures like Estes, Centuri and the rest would take photos of almost everything they produced or did. It wasn't so much that they were protecting the history of Model Rocketry, as it was that they were protecting their intellectual property rights of their products.

Photos were chosen to promote product lines; we know this. Photos were not used sequentially all the time. Meaning, just because a photo was used in the 1971 catalog didn't mean that it was taken in mid or late 1970; it could have been taken in 1968 and used in the 1971 catalog. We see this through out early model rocket publications. If you look through the 1970's technical reports from both companies, they show models that were no longer being made and had been photographed back in the 1960's.

Now I give the reader all this setup for the following reason: The photo listed in the 1971 catalog wasn't taken in 1970, or even 1969; it was taken in 1968! A full two years before the 1971 catalog was released; and most likely 18 months before they started working on the 1971 catalog.

So now, what IS the 'Black Mystery' rocket in the 1971 catalog photo you ask? Well I can either make a guessing game out of this or just tell you :) I think I will make a game of it!

I will provide you a hint: The 'Black Mystery' rocket finally was produced in its final retail configuration and is actually in the 1969 catalog!!! :eek:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/69cenp97.html

Remember my long winded explanation of car manufactures protecting what a model looks like by using black paints and masking off areas of the car to 'hide' details? Lee used the same methodology with a particular design, and finally released it retail in 1969. Two years before the photo that was taken in 1968 was published in the 1971 catalog,

Come on now, put on your thinking caps and figure out what that 'Black Mystery' rocket was; it IS in the 1969 catalog photo I have linked above; well its final retail configuration is in the 1969 catalog.

This should be interesting ... or maybe not :)

Bob

GregGleason
04-29-2009, 10:59 AM
Bob,

Do you know the history of the "mystery rocket" first hand or was this information passed down to you?

Greg

lurker01
04-29-2009, 11:46 AM
Bob,

Do you know the history of the "mystery rocket" first hand or was this information passed down to you?

Greg

Passed down from the 'Horses Mouth' so to speak. So its OFFICIAL and not just second hand small talk over at the balsa rack or the RSO table :P

Bob

GregGleason
04-29-2009, 11:55 AM
To continue with the metaphor ...

The "horse" was 1) an employee of Centuri at or about the time of the alleged incident, and 2) was in a position to know said information.

How am I doing so far?

Greg

lurker01
04-29-2009, 12:33 PM
To continue with the metaphor ...

The "horse" was 1) an employee of Centuri at or about the time of the alleged incident, and 2) was in a position to know said information.

How am I doing so far?

Greg

THE OWNERS...

GregGleason
04-29-2009, 01:08 PM
So, Equus Majoris.

If you would permit me to saddle you with a few more questions. :D

I am more intrigued at how the conversation started. This is a rather obscure element in a photograph. Did it start out with the old Columbo/Peter Falk (I am dating myself), "Ya know Mr. P there's just one thing that's bothering me. This picture has a rocket ..." or was it something like "Now Bob, this rocket has a very interesting history. Once upon a time, we ..."

Greg

SEL
04-29-2009, 01:12 PM
It ISN'T a glider at all! Funny but his use of black paint worked the same way auto makers would mask off sections of new models they drive around the Detroit area in years past to show off next years model without giving away all the details :)

OK, the black rocket seen in the photo isn't a glider at all. I need to give you a little back ground before I can tell you what the model is:

In the Golden Era of model rocketry, manufactures like Estes, Centuri and the rest would take photos of almost everything they produced or did. It wasn't so much that they were protecting the history of Model Rocketry, as it was that they were protecting their intellectual property rights of their products.

Photos were chosen to promote product lines; we know this. Photos were not used sequentially all the time. Meaning, just because a photo was used in the 1971 catalog didn't mean that it was taken in mid or late 1970; it could have been taken in 1968 and used in the 1971 catalog. We see this through out early model rocket publications. If you look through the 1970's technical reports from both companies, they show models that were no longer being made and had been photographed back in the 1960's.

Now I give the reader all this setup for the following reason: The photo listed in the 1971 catalog wasn't taken in 1970, or even 1969; it was taken in 1968! A full two years before the 1971 catalog was released; and most likely 18 months before they started working on the 1971 catalog.

So now, what IS the 'Black Mystery' rocket in the 1971 catalog photo you ask? Well I can either make a guessing game out of this or just tell you :) I think I will make a game of it!

I will provide you a hint: The 'Black Mystery' rocket finally was produced in its final retail configuration and is actually in the 1969 catalog!!! :eek:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/69cenp97.html

Remember my long winded explanation of car manufactures protecting what a model looks like by using black paints and masking off areas of the car to 'hide' details? Lee used the same methodology with a particular design, and finally released it retail in 1969. Two years before the photo that was taken in 1968 was published in the 1971 catalog,

Come on now, put on your thinking caps and figure out what that 'Black Mystery' rocket was; it IS in the 1969 catalog photo I have linked above; well its final retail configuration is in the 1969 catalog.

This should be interesting ... or maybe not :)

Bob

Absolutely stumped here, Bob, tho I like I like the game. How 'bout another hint?

S.

mycrofte
04-29-2009, 03:15 PM
I can name that rocket in three hints...

Actually, I like the little black one that looks like a Fake Wulf.

blackshire
04-30-2009, 05:35 AM
I've stared at both catalog pictures...and still have no idea which kit it is.

It ISN'T a glider at all! Funny but his use of black paint worked the same way auto makers would mask off sections of new models they drive around the Detroit area in years past to show off next years model without giving away all the details :)

OK, the black rocket seen in the photo isn't a glider at all. I need to give you a little back ground before I can tell you what the model is:

In the Golden Era of model rocketry, manufactures like Estes, Centuri and the rest would take photos of almost everything they produced or did. It wasn't so much that they were protecting the history of Model Rocketry, as it was that they were protecting their intellectual property rights of their products.

Photos were chosen to promote product lines; we know this. Photos were not used sequentially all the time. Meaning, just because a photo was used in the 1971 catalog didn't mean that it was taken in mid or late 1970; it could have been taken in 1968 and used in the 1971 catalog. We see this through out early model rocket publications. If you look through the 1970's technical reports from both companies, they show models that were no longer being made and had been photographed back in the 1960's.

Now I give the reader all this setup for the following reason: The photo listed in the 1971 catalog wasn't taken in 1970, or even 1969; it was taken in 1968! A full two years before the 1971 catalog was released; and most likely 18 months before they started working on the 1971 catalog.

So now, what IS the 'Black Mystery' rocket in the 1971 catalog photo you ask? Well I can either make a guessing game out of this or just tell you :) I think I will make a game of it!

I will provide you a hint: The 'Black Mystery' rocket finally was produced in its final retail configuration and is actually in the 1969 catalog!!! :eek:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/69cenp97.html

Remember my long winded explanation of car manufactures protecting what a model looks like by using black paints and masking off areas of the car to 'hide' details? Lee used the same methodology with a particular design, and finally released it retail in 1969. Two years before the photo that was taken in 1968 was published in the 1971 catalog,

Come on now, put on your thinking caps and figure out what that 'Black Mystery' rocket was; it IS in the 1969 catalog photo I have linked above; well its final retail configuration is in the 1969 catalog.

This should be interesting ... or maybe not :)

Bob

Jerry Irvine
04-30-2009, 07:42 AM
There's one on the designer Special cover:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/69cenp74.html

The X-21 is in the picture

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/69cenp34.html

But the "mystery rocket" at issue is the Centuri Space Shuttle.

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri71d/71dcenb.html

The "blackout" was done because the final decals were not done and the mock-up painting completed.

Jerry

Ltvscout
04-30-2009, 07:43 AM
Remember my long winded explanation of car manufactures protecting what a model looks like by using black paints and masking off areas of the car to 'hide' details? Lee used the same methodology with a particular design, and finally released it retail in 1969. Two years before the photo that was taken in 1968 was published in the 1971 catalog,

Come on now, put on your thinking caps and figure out what that 'Black Mystery' rocket was; it IS in the 1969 catalog photo I have linked above; well its final retail configuration is in the 1969 catalog.
Well, since it was released in '69, I went to my handy dandy Centuri Kit List I have up on www.rocketshoppe.com and looked up all the '69 kit releases. Here they are. If it came out in '69, it has to be one of these models:

FireFly
Astro-1
X-21
Swift
The Point
Tomahawk
Marauder
Laser-X
Little Joe II
Saturn 1B
Saturn V
Nike Smoke
V2

GregGleason
04-30-2009, 08:39 AM
Taking Scott's release list of 13 kits and comparing it to the back cover photo, I can immediately eliminate the following 9 kits:

Swift
The Point
Tomahawk
Laser-X
Little Joe II
Saturn 1B
Saturn V
Nike Smoke
V2

That leaves us with 4 possible kits:

FireFly
Astro-1
X-21
Marauder

Greg

jbuscaglia
04-30-2009, 10:20 AM
Taking Scott's release list of 13 kits and comparing it to the back cover photo, I can immediately eliminate the following 9 kits:

Swift
The Point
Tomahawk
Laser-X
Little Joe II
Saturn 1B
Saturn V
Nike Smoke
V2

That leaves us with 4 possible kits:

FireFly
Astro-1
X-21
Marauder

Greg

The Firefly is in the photo - front and center, just to the right of the Mach-10. Isn't that an Astro-1 immediately above the Mach-10?

It's certainly not an X-21. No amount of black paint could disguise that. Plus, Bob said it wasn't a glider.

My first thought was that it was a Marauder with smaller booster fins, but I had talked myself out of it. Maybe that's what it is after all. It sure does look like the Space Shuttle orbiter on a different booster, though.

SEL
04-30-2009, 10:21 AM
There's one on the designer Special cover:

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/69cenp74.html

The X-21 is in the picture

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/69cenp34.html

But the "mystery rocket" at issue is the Centuri Space Shuttle.

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/centuri71d/71dcenb.html

The "blackout" was done because the final decals were not done and the mock-up painting completed.

Jerry

Except Bob said it's not a glider.

S.

mycrofte
04-30-2009, 04:49 PM
Yeah, it doesn't look like a glider. It looks more like a big front fin rocket like the in one of those old black and white sci-fi movies.

rraeford
04-30-2009, 05:25 PM
Anyone who's ever built a Centuri Space Shuttle knows it isn't a "glider."

rraeford
04-30-2009, 05:29 PM
My money is on the Designer's Handbook.

snaquin
04-30-2009, 05:48 PM
I'm still stumped :confused:

.

Doug Sams
04-30-2009, 06:00 PM
Anyone who's ever built a Centuri Space Shuttle knows it isn't a "glider."LOL! For some reason, I'm reminded of the X-15 when I look at it.

FWIW, I have one of Mike Gerauld's BFTPR Centuri Shuttle clones in my round-tuit pile. Along with the somewhat similar Quest Shuttle Intrepid.

Doug

.

SEL
04-30-2009, 07:23 PM
Anyone who's ever built a Centuri Space Shuttle knows it isn't a "glider."

Point taken.

S.

rraeford
05-02-2009, 10:37 PM
So....Bob....are you going to tell us?

lurker01
05-17-2009, 09:04 AM
Hey Romey,

It is Romey? Sorry if its not, just remember you from the rmr days and had dealing with you ... be prepaired to get PMs from Terry D and Jerry (DOC #20023788434) asking you what my last name is :)


OK, Miestro drum roll please ....................

The black kit featureed in that photo is a prototype Laser-X. It was one of the concepts but it finally made it to market under the form seen in the photo directly under Lee crouching in his business suit.

I have not recieved and answer as to why a prototype model was featued in a photo used in a retail catalog, but this information comes DIRECTLY from the Piesters and not some third or forth or twenty seventh party.

So there you have it, mystery solved although it opens up even mode questons...

Was the prototype Laser-X just used to have a rocket sitting on the Servo Launcher? Maybe they felt that showing an empty Servo Launcher was bad and have something on it that would acccent but not take full attention awau from the launcher. Afterall, this black rocket is unrecognizable and for almost 40 years, no one even noticed it! :) I guess it did its job being black and innocuous.

Well there you have it, I know its like what the (#$* are you saying that is a prototype Laser-X... it looks nothing like the retail version.

Well I could say the same about all the scores of test Astron Space Planes tested before the final retail version was released. Also, there are 8 inch reels of 16mm film floating around showing prototype testing of Estes models from the 1960s where the models flown look close but not exactly what finally made it to retail.

No I don't know where these films are 'floating' at and after the 'You stole my Cineroc' squeeze play orchistrated by JI and MD, I am keeping my mouth shut completely about what I know about. Heck, I don't even own a rocket. I just do slot cars, and Everquest 2!

Thanks all for playing.

Bob

Jerry Irvine
05-17-2009, 09:20 AM
be prepaired to get PMs from Terry D and Jerry (DOC #20023788434) asking you what my last name is :)

No I don't know where these films are 'floating' at and after the 'You stole my Cineroc' squeeze play orchistrated by JI and MD, I am keeping my mouth shut completely about what I know about. Heck, I don't even own a rocket. I just do slot cars, and Everquest 2!


So it's STILL all about me, eh? Hmmm. I don't need to PM anyone and even if you told me your name I would not post it. The only reason I am even curious is I want to parse it against past observations and experiences of people from the distant past which you seem to be.

Have fun, keep posting historical info, and be aware when someone expresses concern their property is in your possession, it is not a personal attack on you, it is a valid concern. My advise if you want it, is since the artifacts are of historical significance and you are clearly keeping it safe, keep doing that, but for goodness sake take really good photos of the artifacts and make a digital movie of the films and send Dorffler a DVD or two. He at least deserves that.

Thank you in advance.

Just Jerry

rraeford
05-18-2009, 09:05 PM
Thanks Bob.

Yes I remember you. A Laser X pre production model !? It makes sense I guess. I always thought it was an early version of the Space Shuttle which didn't work out. I thought that's why they had one at the lover left side of the picture.

Thanks.

rraeford

blackshire
05-19-2009, 03:42 AM
Well, hitch me to a beer dray and call me a Clydesdale! This rocket doesn't look at all like what it is--it was well "hidden in plain sight." Thank you for letting us all know.

Hey Romey,

It is Romey? Sorry if its not, just remember you from the rmr days and had dealing with you ... be prepaired to get PMs from Terry D and Jerry (DOC #20023788434) asking you what my last name is :)


OK, Miestro drum roll please ....................

The black kit featureed in that photo is a prototype Laser-X. It was one of the concepts but it finally made it to market under the form seen in the photo directly under Lee crouching in his business suit.

I have not recieved and answer as to why a prototype model was featued in a photo used in a retail catalog, but this information comes DIRECTLY from the Piesters and not some third or forth or twenty seventh party.

So there you have it, mystery solved although it opens up even mode questons...

Was the prototype Laser-X just used to have a rocket sitting on the Servo Launcher? Maybe they felt that showing an empty Servo Launcher was bad and have something on it that would acccent but not take full attention awau from the launcher. Afterall, this black rocket is unrecognizable and for almost 40 years, no one even noticed it! :) I guess it did its job being black and innocuous.

Well there you have it, I know its like what the (#$* are you saying that is a prototype Laser-X... it looks nothing like the retail version.

Well I could say the same about all the scores of test Astron Space Planes tested before the final retail version was released. Also, there are 8 inch reels of 16mm film floating around showing prototype testing of Estes models from the 1960s where the models flown look close but not exactly what finally made it to retail.

No I don't know where these films are 'floating' at and after the 'You stole my Cineroc' squeeze play orchistrated by JI and MD, I am keeping my mouth shut completely about what I know about. Heck, I don't even own a rocket. I just do slot cars, and Everquest 2!

Thanks all for playing.

Bob

Royatl
05-19-2009, 01:45 PM
Well, hitch me to a beer dray and call me a Clydesdale! This rocket doesn't look at all like what it is--it was well "hidden in plain sight." Thank you for letting us all know.


I'm still not convinced. Not at least until I hear Lee saying so himself.

tbzep
05-19-2009, 07:55 PM
So the prototype Laser-X had a piggy back glider on it?

rraeford
05-19-2009, 08:17 PM
By the way. It's Romie.

rokitflite
11-03-2009, 09:49 AM
Just a funny follow-up on this thread. A couple weekends ago while I was talking with Lee and Betty in Chicago, I brought up this thread. I asked Lee about the "mystery rocket" in the picture and he laughed... He said someone had been bugging him about it and asking what it was and that he had not a clue about it. I sent a picture to his Daughter when this thread started and asked her to show it to him, so he saw the rocket in question. He remembers being called out by his staff to take the famous picture at a local golf course, but has no idea what the model in question was. So Laser-X? Nope, just speculation.

blackshire
11-03-2009, 10:41 AM
Oh dear...I hope I'm not the one whom Mr. Piester said was "bugging him about it." Several months ago I postal-mailed a print-out of that photograph in a Centuri catalog to him (at one of his hobby shops), along with a cover letter about the unknown rocket.

At the time, in my mind I had jokingly pictured him showing the letter and print-out to Mrs. Piester and going into the same "Get a life!" tirade that William Shatner did in the famous Star Trek Convention skit on Saturday Night Live. It would appear that he actually did do something similar in response to someone's query (either mine or yours, rokitflite) about the "mystery rocket" in the catalog photograph.

Having gotten G. Harry Stine upset with me the first time I contacted him in 1993 (I was doing research for an article in "Quest: The History of Spaceflight Magazine," and he got angry because they were using the same name as the model rocket company), perhaps I should not risk possibly achieving a perfect "3 for 3" in 'offending the rocket gods' by contacting Mr. Estes. :-)

timorley
03-01-2010, 11:43 PM
I was looking through a 1971 catalog and was reminded of this thread when I got to the back inside cover. I rescanned the rocket in question at a higher resolution than what's linked to at Ninfinger to see if it's mystery could be unraveled. I still have no idea what it is, but it could be as speculated a prototype for the space shuttle. I've attached the rescanned image. The yellow tipped wings and tail seem to belong to a piggyback orbiter of some sort and it looks like it's made from fiber board and not round with a wedge shaped nose to me. The red seems to highlight the shape of it. All could be an illusion though. Enjoy!

blackshire
03-02-2010, 03:24 AM
I was looking through a 1971 catalog and was reminded of this thread when I got to the back inside cover. I rescanned the rocket in question at a higher resolution than what's linked to at Ninfinger to see if it's mystery could be unraveled. I still have no idea what it is, but it could be as speculated a prototype for the space shuttle. I've attached the rescanned image. The yellow tipped wings and tail seem to belong to a piggyback orbiter of some sort and it looks like it's made from fiber board and not round with a wedge shaped nose to me. The red seems to highlight the shape of it. All could be an illusion though. Enjoy!Thank you for posting the higher resolution scan, Tim. It is definitely a pair of winged vehicles, with the smaller one mounted piggyback (or "piggybelly") on the larger one. (I wrote "piggybelly" because I can see what looks like a vertical stabilizer, possibly one of two such stabilizers [although it *could* be part of the launcher] apparently protruding from the other side of the larger vehicle.

The apparent orbiter does have what appears to be a broad, wedge-like nose. Some of the Faget-style straight-winged shuttle orbiter designs that NASA was studying during that era (1969 - 1971) had slab-sided fuselages and wedge-shaped noses like those that the smaller yellow-winged model in the photograph apparently has. It could have been made mostly of sheet balsa, with the wings, tail, and fuselage made of sheet balsa "slabs" and with the nose consisting of a carved balsa block. Had the design been "frozen" for production at this point, the kit version of this model could have had a vacu-formed plastic nose.

The model's apparent booster also looks like the Faget-style winged reusable boosters that NASA was studying at the time (the booster of Dr. Maxime Faget's "DC-3" shuttle, North American Aviation's "B8D" booster, etc.). The Northrop/Grumman design team also proposed winged boosters of this configuration.

rokitflite
03-02-2010, 09:26 AM
Its swamp gas...

A Fish Named Wallyum
03-02-2010, 02:46 PM
Its swamp gas...
I get that whenever I eat swamp.

blackshire
03-02-2010, 08:57 PM
Its swamp gas...Alas, the full-scale design remained "vaporware."

If Dr. Maxime Faget's modest design had been built (but not as an operational system--more like Boeing's prototype 707 that lead to improved operational variants later, after much testing), I think that fully-reusable TSTO (Two-Stage-To-Orbit) winged spacecraft would be commonplace today.

Ez2cDave
08-30-2014, 10:41 PM
It's STILL a "MYSTERY" . . .