Info on the Enerjet 1340, 1340/20 Fin Can Colors
I've seen several photos online of the Enerjet 1340, and the 1340/20, and precious few of them from when they were in production. Annoyingly, those photos from "In the day" are all black and white. The color photos I've found could be originals, or clones of the kits.
So, I'm asking for your help. I'm only interested in authentic kits, and not clones. Thanks! Jim |
I have seen pictures of kits and built Enerjet 1340s with red/orange and blue fin cans. I have only seen black fin cans on built ones and not in kits, so don't know if those ever came in kits.
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I have never seen an actual Enerjet 1340/20.
My understanding is that the model used red fin cans. I have Centuri Orange and blue colored fin cans in other kits from that era but not red. The red colored fin cans were/are rare. |
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Thanks for that info! Ok. So, we've firsthand confirmation that the 1340s came with red fins and blue fins at one time. I'm a little confused by the "/orange" remark. Did it come in orange too, or was the red fins one of those reddish orange colors that come up from time to time that could be red or orange depending on the person looking at it, and/or the lighting? Outside of the red fin cans from Enerjet (as confirmed by ghrocketman), Centuri released them with the Argus (KB-9) and no other kits from Centuri/Estes as far as I know of. So far, we've got nothing about white or yellow or black for stock Enerjet kits (yet)(though unlabeled photos exist for them, but are quite likely clones). If anyone else has information on these old kits, please chime in. Thanks! I wonder if any of the people who were at Enerjet/Centuri back in the day are still around to ask. Does anybody know? Or know how to reach them? |
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A non-comprehensive list of kits that had the fin unit from Centuri/Estes will include: Challenger II (Black) Maniac (Blue) Eliminator and Eliminator XL (Yellow) Also, the Centuri M.A.R.S. Project static display had Blue fins (I have one still in the bag) I too am going through an EnerJet cloning phase. Some vinyl EnerJet decals would be nice . . . . |
I’m tempted to buy a Cricut Maker. They not only cut vinyl for decals, but balsa up to 3/32”. The detail is amazing. The Maker lists for $399, but I’ve seen it on sale for $369 at Joann’s and Hobby Lobby this week.
If you just want to cut vinyl, the lower priced Cricuts work well. Check out their capabilities on YouTube. |
The 1340 existed as a kit and came only with red fin units and red nose cone and payload coupler for the thicker Mini-Max tube.
The 1340/20 was only in photos. The 2250 and 2650 were actual kits. Jerry |
Further research
Worthpoint has a kit that claims to be a 1340 with a blue fin can... There's some black and red parts in there too.. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthope...-1340-251820623 Some chatter in this thread indicates that it may have been a spev http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=8742 |
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Add the Estes ‘Long Shot’ 2 stager to the list - came w/2 black fin units. |
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The colors I know of are red, yellowish orange, blue and black. The only one I haven’t seen personally is red. Sean |
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I just happened to be looking at a sealed Centuri Argus kit this afternoon and the molded fin unit was a pale orange color, not red. |
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I think the original Challenger that came with a styrofoam glider had the yellowish fin can. |
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My mistake - the Discovery Starter Set had the yellow fin can and foam Hitch-Hiker glider (first offered in the 1986 catalogue): |
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Any chance of a photo? |
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I have to ask, what is the incredible attraction so many of you nice folks have for these rockets? My guess is that it must be nostalgia? They are so simple 3 or 4fnc rockets.
Happy for you, though!😁 Allen |
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Nostalgia, yes to some degree, but also for me, rarety, and just as important, these rockets are some of the earliest roots to what would later evolve into composite high power rocketry. Earl |
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Nostalgia and unobtanium. A dash of OCD. |
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I was the Plasmajet dealer. I was the Composite Dynamics dealer. I was the Mongrel designer. I flew the rocket. I took massive heat from NAR over it too. NOT at a NAR event. Not even close. Attached: Irvine's Ace Mongrel with 3x Plasmajet G88 and 2x Composite Dynamics G62 flown to about a mile altitude and recovered by parachute. Just like a model rocket did back then in 1979, but considerably more powerful. |
They just looked so cool... And my allowance wasn't enough to score them. There was no home internet access, no forums, and no ebay back then. And then Centuri was gone (at least the separate product line was). Now these kits beg to be rescued from their bags, built and flown. Or if not available, cloned and remembered. Perhaps to inspire the next generation of future BARs.
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I cloned one last year. On the day I flew it, it was the only rocket to fly back over the pads with the wind. All I can do now is remember it. :(
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For me, anyway, it's 'the look'. A well designed rocket, no matter how simple, will maintain it's appeal and every one of the Enerjet SR series has that. Of all the rockets I bring to launches both with clubs and on my own, the SR1340, 1340/20 and SR2650' and the down-scaled variants I've built are the rockets that get the 'Wow!' comments - the ones I get the most questions about. Another example is the Crown/SSRS Lasor 134 -very simple, sleek design (though notice the similar fins to the SR2650...) Estes take note: The down-scaled SR2650 for 13mm motors would make a great kit! |
I've seen photos of the SR1340, 1340/20 and SR2650 kits, but I've never seen literature on them. Where can I find the advertising literature? The 72 Enerjet catalog only has the Nike Ram, Athena, etc. I know we have plans on YORS, but I don't ever run across it in old catalogs, mailings, etc.
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I think what you are looking for is here in the plans section: http://www.oldrocketplans.com/enerjet.htm On the 2650 plans, what is not obvious is that the full brochure opens when one clicks the line drawing. This is the only advertising literature I've seen on these kits, other than originals of the same I have in my personal collection. Hope this helps. Earl |
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The E24 was 40 N-s 9 lb-sec. 1.7s burn The F52 was 52 N-s 11.7 lb-sec. 1.0 sec burn The F67 was 80 N-s 18 lb-sec. 1.2 sec burn the G76 was 120 N-s 27 lb-sec 1.6 sec burn Unobtanium H111 was 178 N-s 40 lb-sec. 1.6 sec burn Put that in your rocket and fly it. Just Jerry |
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Was this a clone of the 1340/20? The same thing happened in the final flight of mine. Pointed it into the wind -admittedly it was a pretty stiff breeze out on the beach at Neskowin - and as soon as it left the rod it cruised off with the wind. Wonder if it has anything to do with the size of the payload section? Pretty large, light weight area ... S. |
There is some new data about the aerodynamics of fins below a wider transition section. Check out the article titled "Increasing Rocket Aerodynamic Performance" by Thomas Salverson on page 42 in the May/June 2019 edition of Sport Rocketry. Essentially (on the right side of page 48) the portion of the fin inside the turbulent wake of the airflow behind a reducing transition doesn't do anything for the rockets stability. It is suggested that while a transition section below a wider payload section decreases the aerodynamic drag on a rocket, it induces a wake that interferes with and decreases the effectiveness of the rockets fins, and these fins should extend out beyond the rockets body until they are in the laminar airflow region beyond the diameter of the transition. I am working on a RockSim fix for this effect.
Also mentioned is that rail buttons create an asymmetric wake behind the rocket causing it to fly in an arc. Did you use launch lugs on your design that might have a similar effect? The original 1340/20 used a thin loops of wire for launch lugs visit: http://plans.rocketshoppe.com/enerj.../enj1340-20.pdf |
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Interesting - I'll pick up the magazine tomorrow. While the fins do extend somewhat beyond the payload diameter, it may not be enough if the wind is up. I used stand-off's for ( 2 ) lugs to fit a 1/4'' rod (see photo's below). I didn't know about the loop-lugs until long after I built mine (back in '96/'97) and rail buttons weren't common, so I just assumed the stock kit used the same style lug as the SR2250/2650. I'd logged many flights on this model - I'm guessing upwards of 25 - in all kinds of weather, more than a few launches at the beach in similar winds. All were flown off a 4 foot 1/4'' stainless rod and as far as I can recall, all went where I aimed them. I had to go back to my original thread for this ( http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/show...&highlight=1340 ) to remind myself what motor I used and it may just have been the combination of stiff winds and the (relatively) long burn E9, but I still would have expected it to weathercock into the wind rather than with. S. |
Wow, I love that shot of the launch in front of the ocean!
All of those models are nicely finished. The Crown model is a real "back in the day" type finish design; it reminds me of pictures in late-80s vintage catalogs. |
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Thanks Stephan. That day at the beach was no Day At The Beach; in addition to losing the 1340/20, the upscaled Sprint landed in the ocean. That one dated back to the ‘96/‘97 time frame as well. |
The 1340-20 was effectively a SPEV. It used the available plastic fin unit and plastic Egg Crate payload to make a rocket, then aimed at university and commercial customers. The market for that was not at all developed and Enerjet was not doing considerable outreach to develop it.
In every relevant aspect Enerjet was before its time. Jerry |
I would have loved to see the business plan.
Creditor: Sounding rockets were developed in part to to reach altitudes balloons can't reach. This is a tiny sounding rocket that goes to the same altitude any plane, kite or teathered balloon can reach. Why? |
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The answer would be, "The tiny sounding rocket can be inexpensively launched from almost anywhere at a moments notice, <whisper>while carrying a minuscule payload that is basically useless with today's so called miniaturization technology.</whisper>" |
A sounding rocket... that would become an Estes Maniac/Eliminator. Or is it really the other way around? :rolleyes: Wish I had more of these fin cans.
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It became the Challenger II long before the Maniac/Eliminator. http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/81est026.html |
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Yeah whatever... same point... |
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Ahh, this explains it. :D |
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Special K... |
Hopefully he DROPPED A DEUCE IN THE URINAL too.
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