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  #1  
Old 11-05-2011, 07:10 AM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Default MPC Taurus-1 fin shape changes?

Hello All,

I have a question: Were the fins on the 15 mm diameter MPC Taurus-1 (see: http://www.rocketreviews.com/mpc-taurus-1-john-lee.html and http://www.rocketreviews.com/mpc-ta...n-lee-1114.html ) the same fins that were used on the 25 mm diameter MPC Flare Patriot (see: http://www.rocketreviews.com/mpc-fl...lace-jones.html and http://www.oldrocketplans.com/mpc/mpcR-212/mpcR-212.htm )? The reason why I ask is because the Taurus-1's fins appear to have changed. The ones shown in the two above-linked EMRR reviews look like the Flare Patriot's fins, while the Taurus-1 fins shown in this "Ye Olde Rocket Plans" scan (see: http://www.oldrocketplans.com/mpc/m...0/mpc3-0920.htm ) appear to have shorter root-to-tip spans, as well as a more pronounced difference between their root chords and tip chords. My only guess is that late in MPC's model rocket-production era, they might have switched to using Flare Patriot fins in the Taurus-1 kits as well, as they used up their kit parts inventory to make the last few production runs of kits. Also:

If anyone has the MPC injection-molded plastic detail parts that were included in the Taurus-1 kit and in other MPC/AVI rocket kits (Quest also offered these plastic parts during their early years, in the early 1990s), Sirius Rocketry www.siriusrocketry.com could reproduce them in resin (if they could borrow a set of the parts) as part of their "Moldin' Oldies" product line, which includes resin duplicates of old Centuri and Estes plastic nose cones and plastic transition sections.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help.
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http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
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  #2  
Old 11-05-2011, 09:15 AM
jdbectec jdbectec is offline
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I think the camera is playing tricks on you. The fins on my Taurus-1 are the same as the posted plans. Mine is an original from back in the day.

I also printed out both sets of fins, the Flare patriot fins are quite a bit larger and would look enormous on the Taurus-1. They have a 1.75" span vs. 1 .125 and a root of 1.5" vs. 1.125.
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  #3  
Old 11-05-2011, 10:22 PM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdbectec
I think the camera is playing tricks on you. The fins on my Taurus-1 are the same as the posted plans. Mine is an original from back in the day.

I also printed out both sets of fins, the Flare patriot fins are quite a bit larger and would look enormous on the Taurus-1. They have a 1.75" span vs. 1 .125 and a root of 1.5" vs. 1.125.
Jeff, thank you very much for this information. Just for completeness' sake (which would also be helpful to *any* would-be cloners of either or both kits), what are the tip chords of the Flare Patriot's and the Taurus-1's fins? From your other fin dimensions provided above, a partial dimensions list would be as follows:


MPC FLARE PATRIOT

Fin span (root-to-tip): 1.75"
Fin root chord: 1.5"
Fin tip chord: ???"


MPC TAURUS-1

Fin span (root-to-tip): 1.125"
Fin root chord: 1.125"
Fin tip chord: ???"
__________________
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.
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Last edited by blackshire : 11-05-2011 at 10:24 PM. Reason: This ol' hoss done forgot somethin'.
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  #4  
Old 11-05-2011, 10:36 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #5  
Old 11-05-2011, 11:00 PM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A Fish Named Wallyum
Thank you--I saw that one last night. I can print it out and cut the ruler part of the image off to measure the fin easily enough (being a JPG, I can't be sure if the image size is 1:1 with the original ruler and fin sheet as a PDF would be), but I've found that printed plastic rulers like those (as opposed to etched steel shop rulers) can be surprisingly inaccurate even over short distances on their number scales. If the smallest fractions of an inch and/or a centimeter are printed just slightly too wide or narrow, the error compounds pretty rapidly.
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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
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  #6  
Old 11-05-2011, 11:06 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackshire
Thank you--I saw that one last night. I can print it out and cut the ruler part of the image off to measure the fin easily enough (being a JPG, I can't be sure if the image size is 1:1 with the original ruler and fin sheet as a PDF would be), but I've found that printed plastic rulers like those (as opposed to etched steel shop rulers) can be surprisingly inaccurate even over short distances on their number scales. If the smallest fractions of an inch and/or a centimeter are printed just slightly too wide or narrow, the error compounds pretty rapidly.

I have the plastic ruler and my steel ruler right here in front of me. They're spot on each other.
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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Design Contest F-150 Hurricane Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Gee'Hod, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Multi-Roc, Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Snake Jumper
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  #7  
Old 11-05-2011, 11:49 PM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A Fish Named Wallyum
I have the plastic ruler and my steel ruler right here in front of me. They're spot on each other.
Good--thank you for confirming that!
__________________
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
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  #8  
Old 11-06-2011, 07:12 AM
jdbectec jdbectec is offline
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Double-click the first page of instructions and you can download them and the patterns as a pdf.
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  #9  
Old 11-06-2011, 12:44 PM
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Chris_Timm Chris_Timm is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackshire

If anyone has the MPC injection-molded plastic detail parts that were included in the Taurus-1 kit and in other MPC/AVI rocket kits (Quest also offered these plastic parts during their early years, in the early 1990s), Sirius Rocketry www.siriusrocketry.com could reproduce them in resin (if they could borrow a set of the parts) as part of their "Moldin' Oldies" product line, which includes resin duplicates of old Centuri and Estes plastic nose cones and plastic transition sections.

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help.


I can help with supplying the plastic parts for masters to be duplicated.

-Chris
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  #10  
Old 11-06-2011, 08:00 PM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdbectec
Double-click the first page of instructions and you can download them and the patterns as a pdf.
Thank you for this information!
__________________
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
Reply With Quote
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