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-   -   Coaster Corporation Catalogs (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=15949)

PhoenixGuy 04-27-2016 08:26 PM

Coaster Corporation Catalogs
 
2 Attachment(s)
Attached should be scanned copies of the Coaster Corporation catalogs from 1962 and (I believe) 1963. I believe this because I remember using the latter catalog to order rocket engines from Coaster in the summer of 1963.

I plan to send scanned copies of the 1962 RDC and Krueger catalogs later this week.

LeeR 04-28-2016 12:53 AM

I'd never heard of Coaster. Really interesting to see what they offered.

Joe Wooten 04-28-2016 07:46 AM

I think I read somewhere Centuri bought out Coaster in 1964.

Ltvscout 04-28-2016 08:11 AM

Thanks for posting those, PhoenixGuy!

JohnNGA 04-28-2016 08:12 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Wooten
I think I read somewhere Centuri bought out Coaster in 1964.


I believe that is correct, I know the Coaster motors evolved into the Centuri MiniMax motors. Interesting to see a RDC (Irv Wait) static motor test stand in the 63 catalog.

ghrocketman 04-28-2016 11:30 AM

Coaster was indeed the precursor to the Centuri Mini-Max line of end and port-burning E and F large 29mm SU BP motors.
Centuri bought out Coaster.
At that point the Coaster "super jets" were re-labeled as Centuri Mini-Max motors and the Centuri "Large Model Rocketry" line of large kits consisting of the Aero Dart, Hustler, Lil' Hustler, Explorer, Scorpion, and Jaguar came onto the market somewhere around '64 or '65.
In 1971 the Centuri Enerjet 29mm composite motors were brought to market to also be used in their "Large Model Rocket" line of kits.
The only year that both the Mini-Max and Enerjet lines of motors were catalogued in the Centuri catalog was 1971. That year was also the last year the Mini-Max motors appeared in any catalog, although I understand back-stock of Mini-Max motors were available upon request for a couple more years.
The Enerjet consumer catalog was separated from the full Centuri catalog in 1972. That was the same year that the "Enerjet kits" also came out using standard model rocket (not thick walled) tubes. 1972 was the only year for an Enerjet catalog of kits/engines, but they were available through at least 1976 and possibly 1977. The Enerjet line of 'consumer' kits included a redesigned Aero Dart (known as the '72 Enerjet Aero Dart), the Nike Ram, the Enerjet Egg Crate (which was NOT the same as the Centuri Egg Crate) egg-lofter, the 'working smoke' Nike Smoke kit (I just sold one of these kits), the Pterodactyl hitch-hiker boost glider, and the uber-cool ULTIMATE Enerjet kit Athena.
Enerjet also offered a 'professional' line of kits/Engines consisting of the 1340, 2250, and 2650 kits using thick-walled tubing along with a 'professional' G76 engine that was above the then 80n-sec impulse limit for model rocketry. The 1350 was a single engine payloader that could be had in regular and large payload configurations that used the F67/G76 motors. The 2250 and 2650 were 3-engine cluster payloaders that had 2.25" and 2.65" payload capsules respectively that also used the F67 and G76 engines.
My understanding is that Enerjet also produced prototype H through J level composite single-use motors that were never released to the general public.

Initiator001 04-28-2016 02:23 PM

2 Attachment(s)
Centuri bought Coaster and moved that companies equipment to Phoenix, Arizona.
During the moving of the Coaster equipment Lee Piester fractured his leg.

When Centuri re-issued the Coaster motors they were labeled as 'Atlas' or 'Hercules' motors.
The Mini-Max name came later.

JohnNGA 04-28-2016 03:41 PM

Estes cranked out motors on their automated "Mabel", I wonder how Coaster did it. I would guess less automation and something on line with FSI, more hands on loading. Anyone know?

stefanj 04-28-2016 10:32 PM

Anecdote:


Ed from AAA told me that when Irv Wait visited Centuri he spotted a flaw in the automated press that was used to make Mini-Max BP motors. There were three cylinders, but only one cut-off sensor, so it was possible that only one of the three motors had had its fuel grain properly compressed. Centuri equipped each cylinder with a sensor (depth? amount of pressure?) so all of the motors received the right amount of compression.

No further details about how automated the process was otherwise.

astronwolf 04-29-2016 11:38 AM

Thank-you for scanning and posting these.

I really appreciate being able to get more insight into the early days. In the 1963 catalog Coaster announced that the 20-lb motors were NAR-certified as F motors. But the 30- and 40-lb motors were not (yet) certified. Those are black-powder G motors!

Did you order 30- and 40-lb. motors, and fly rockets with them? Give us a story!

The "Mercury" rocket reminds me of an Estes Vagabond. Too bad they didn't include some dimensional data for their kits.


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