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  #21  
Old 01-15-2019, 11:04 AM
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Tau Zero Tau Zero is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by blackshire
Looking at the catalog illustration of the Mini-Dactyl (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/73cen00c.html ), I was certain that it used the PNC-54 nose cone (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/73cen060.html ), the same one that was used in the Star Trooper kit (Estes' 4:1 tangent ogive BT-5 nose cone, used in their Gnome kit, is virtually identical). But to my surprise, the Mini-Dactyl used a balsa nose cone that--if I recall the thread about it correctly--was *only* used in that kit (it *may* have been the BC-50 http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/no...a/73cen060.html ). I ordered a few duplicate Mini-Dactyl balsa nose cones from Semroc a few years ago, and they looked almost nothing like the nose cone in the Mini-Dactyl catalog illustration.
I have a Centuri Mini-Dactyl kit that I got from Don Fent about ten years ago. The nose cone is equivalent to Semroc's BC-515E (1.5" elliptical), and Carl McLawhorn posted elsewhere that this was the only kit that used this particular nose cone.

I agree, the catalog photo shows a 2.2" long PNC-54, which I much prefer aesthetically.

In cases like this, I find myself wanting to recreate the catalog pictures instead of the actual kit. Case in point? Three pointy Semroc BC-517 pod cones on the Centuri Taurus instead of the PNC-51s.

Cheers,
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Bill “Wallyum” Eichelberger re: Estes Flutter-By
03 Sept 2014
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  #22  
Old 01-15-2019, 11:15 AM
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Tau Zero Tau Zero is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl
I have a couple of each of the similar (but single stage Lancer) and a couple of the Lance Corporals, and each of them feature the shorter, more rounded PNC-76.

It gets even a little more confusing sometimes lookng at catalog photos of other Centuri kits. When introduced in the 1972 Centuri catalog, the photos of the Excaliber kit showed it definatley with the more pointy PNC-74 cone. However, I have several of these in unopened form and NONE of them contain that cone, including a definate first year edition of the kit. They all contain the more rounded PNC-76 cone, which I don't think really looks right for that rocket. So, when I built one of those kits 5-6 years ago, I pulled one of my pointed PNC-74 cones out of my vintage parts stash to use in the build.

So, it certainly can be hard to know at times which part may have been used to kit a particular model, even in the face of catalog photos. Intersting to investigate though.
The box art for the Lance Corporal seems to show the "pointier" PNC-74, as well.

And that's *definitely* a PNC-74 on both the Excalibur and Bandito in the aforementioned 1972 Centuri catalog. I chose its counterpart for my Excalibur clone, and even found the "catalog" color spray paint, as well.


Thanks and cheers,
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"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
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  #23  
Old 01-15-2019, 04:46 PM
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Earl Earl is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tau Zero
I have a Centuri Mini-Dactyl kit that I got from Don Fent about ten years ago. The nose cone is equivalent to Semroc's BC-515E (1.5" elliptical), and Carl McLawhorn posted elsewhere that this was the only kit that used this particular nose cone.

I agree, the catalog photo shows a 2.2" long PNC-54, which I much prefer aesthetically.

In cases like this, I find myself wanting to recreate the catalog pictures instead of the actual kit. Case in point? Three pointy Semroc BC-517 pod cones on the Centuri Taurus instead of the PNC-51s.

Cheers,


Now on the Taurus I can confirm that the early releases of that kit DID feature the longer, more pointed (and, as you pointed out, MUCH better looking) PNC-54 pod cones as shown in the catalog photos. I have an early sealed Taurus kit and it does feature the PNC-54s.

But, later kits feature the much shorter and rounded PNC-51s, like used on the Two Bits kit. It seems the later kits have instructions with, as I recall, an "-04/74" revision date and show the use of the -51s for the pods.

So, sometime in the Spring of '74 it seems Centuri revised the Taurus to use that anemic looking -51 cone.

Earl
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  #24  
Old 01-17-2019, 01:51 PM
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Tau Zero Tau Zero is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vanel
Thanks for the great info Earl!
Bill,

This is just too funny. I happened across this on the "Vanel's recent builds" thread from May 2014:

"Centuri RX-7 clone"

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/sho...8&postcount=126


This after I saw a December 2014 quote in which our own Black Shire asked, "... the X-7 is a Lance Corporal under different 'livery'[?]"


I'd never looked close enough to realize that.

At any rate, the only cosmetic difference I see between the two is that the Lance Corporal has the basswood strips in front of the sustainer fins.
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Jay Goemmer
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"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
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  #25  
Old 01-18-2019, 05:32 AM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tau Zero
I have a Centuri Mini-Dactyl kit that I got from Don Fent about ten years ago. The nose cone is equivalent to Semroc's BC-515E (1.5" elliptical), and Carl McLawhorn posted elsewhere that this was the only kit that used this particular nose cone.

I agree, the catalog photo shows a 2.2" long PNC-54, which I much prefer aesthetically.

In cases like this, I find myself wanting to recreate the catalog pictures instead of the actual kit. Case in point? Three pointy Semroc BC-517 pod cones on the Centuri Taurus instead of the PNC-51s.

Cheers,
Yes, it--the Mini-Dactyl nose cones I'd bought from Semroc--were longish elliptical ones (and I too prefer the PNC-54 shown in the Mini-Dactyl catalog illustration). Ditto for using that nose cone (or the Estes virtual duplicate) in the Centuri Taurus--the PNC-51 just doesn't look right for the pods.
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  #26  
Old 01-18-2019, 06:19 AM
Vanel Vanel is offline
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I see the resemblance now - who would have thunk it?

Thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tau Zero
Bill,

This is just too funny. I happened across this on the "Vanel's recent builds" thread from May 2014:

"Centuri RX-7 clone"

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/sho...8&postcount=126


This after I saw a December 2014 quote in which our own Black Shire asked, "... the X-7 is a Lance Corporal under different 'livery'[?]"


I'd never looked close enough to realize that.

At any rate, the only cosmetic difference I see between the two is that the Lance Corporal has the basswood strips in front of the sustainer fins.
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