Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > The Golden Age of Model Rocketry > Model Rocket History
User Name
Password
Auctions Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts Search Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-23-2023, 01:23 AM
BEC's Avatar
BEC BEC is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Auburn, Washington
Posts: 3,643
Default MPC Lunar-Lectric launch controller - dates?

This afternoon I assembled an MPC Lunar-Lectric launch controller I have had for some time (and I don't currently recall when or where I got it). I was going to add it to the "classic GSE" I plan to use at a classic model-themed club launch early next month.

I thought it would be easy to establish when it was made, or at least the date range during which it was available, but after searching here, looking at stuff on JimZ and Ninfinger, and seeing almost nothing in a DuckDuckGo web search but Worthpoint listings, I'm a little stymied.

An odd thing about this particular example is that even though the illustration on the box is of a red and white controller, the actual unit is yellow with a sort of brown top.

So far I've assembled it per instructions except for using one of my LED-based lamps from Pinball Life for the continuity indication. I'm going to have to lengthen the leads that go to the pad and add micro clips because these are only about 11 feet long and just end in bare wires, since they were supposed to be attached to terminals at the pad (not unlike Centuri LIA-77/-100 pads) according to the instructions.

I also noticed in taking the attached picture that the box illustration shows a square launch button, but the actual hardware has, and the instructions show, a round one.

So....after all that...does anyone have a good idea of when this thing was actually sold? I'm guessing approximately 1969 to whenever AVI went away (1976?) based on reading other threads here. I've no idea if the ones sold by AVI were in MPC boxes.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  IMG_7266_smaller.jpg
Views: 60
Size:  851.2 KB  
__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE

Last edited by BEC : 09-23-2023 at 01:39 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-23-2023, 03:13 AM
Earl's Avatar
Earl Earl is offline
Apollo Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,894
Default

You may have located this (link below) past thread that lists a number of scanned MPC documents and literature pages. I had to do a search myself to find it, and I started the thread! But, if you have not seen it yet, there is some info there on the first release dates of the MPC line, which goes back to about mid-October, 1969.

Link: https://www.oldrocketforum.com/show...iterature+scans


I am not sure exactly how much longer AVI actively sold leftover MPC stock, but I think that by about 1978, AVI was pretty much about kaput.

And I may be wrong, but I want to say that Canaroc may have sold a revived version of either the old MPC launch pad or this controller in the early 80s or so. I recall a handful of years ago of seeing some photos of a Canaroc launch pad or controller in its product packaging (eBay listing or such…I can’t rightly recall) and I remember thinking “Well, geez, that is the old MPC stuff”, but it was in Canaroc packaging. Again, I can’t recall if it was the pad, the controller, or both.

And it is my experience also the plastic color could vary. I have several of these controllers in the box and while most are solid red, I think I have one that is somewhat different colored than that.

Earl
__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-23-2023, 09:05 AM
Ltvscout Ltvscout is offline
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 6,474
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Earl
And I may be wrong, but I want to say that Canaroc may have sold a revived version of either the old MPC launch pad or this controller in the early 80s or so. I recall a handful of years ago of seeing some photos of a Canaroc launch pad or controller in its product packaging (eBay listing or such…I can’t rightly recall) and I remember thinking “Well, geez, that is the old MPC stuff”, but it was in Canaroc packaging. Again, I can’t recall if it was the pad, the controller, or both.

You are correct on that Earl. I have a Canaroc (MPC) pad in my collection. I'm not sure if they bought the molds or just the old stock. It doesn't have the cool ceramic exhaust deflector that the original had though.
__________________
Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
Ye Olde Rocket Plans - OOP Rocket Plans From 38 Companies!
Ye Olde Rocket Forum
WOOSH NAR Section #558
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-23-2023, 11:40 AM
BEC's Avatar
BEC BEC is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Auburn, Washington
Posts: 3,643
Default

Thanks, Earl. I either didn't catch that thread last night or just didn't read through it. I searched on "Lunar-Lectric".

It seems to me I should scan the instructions for the controller and add them to that thread.

I'm going to assume for my purposes that the controller I have was a late MPC (so early AVI) unit since it was iii an MPC box but is colored like the one in the 1973 AVI catalog that's on Ninfinger. I just want to be able to give a rough idea of its age for the combination display and functional GSE for that October launch. Since I don't have an MPC pad it'll have to be paired with an Estes pad of some sort....maybe a first-generation Porta-Pad. That can go alongside the Centuri Powr-Tower that is also part of this little collection.

Some of the stuff I skimmed through last night makes me think that Canaroc sold the MPC pad but used the MRC controller. I have one of those in a box that might get assembled, too. It's essentially a very nice looking interpretation of an Estes Solar Launch Controller morphing into the Electron Beam.
__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-23-2023, 02:45 PM
Earl's Avatar
Earl Earl is offline
Apollo Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,894
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
Thanks, Earl. I either didn't catch that thread last night or just didn't read through it. I searched on "Lunar-Lectric".

It seems to me I should scan the instructions for the controller and add them to that thread.

I'm going to assume for my purposes that the controller I have was a late MPC (so early AVI) unit since it was iii an MPC box but is colored like the one in the 1973 AVI catalog that's on Ninfinger. I just want to be able to give a rough idea of its age for the combination display and functional GSE for that October launch. Since I don't have an MPC pad it'll have to be paired with an Estes pad of some sort....maybe a first-generation Porta-Pad. That can go alongside the Centuri Powr-Tower that is also part of this little collection.

Some of the stuff I skimmed through last night makes me think that Canaroc sold the MPC pad but used the MRC controller. I have one of those in a box that might get assembled, too. It's essentially a very nice looking interpretation of an Estes Solar Launch Controller morphing into the Electron Beam.


I thought I had the controller instructions scanned already, but turns out I did not. Post those if you can, in time. I just posted the pad instructions in that older thread.

Earl
__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-23-2023, 04:53 PM
Faithwalker Faithwalker is offline
Craftsman
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Olive Branch, MS
Posts: 379
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
Thanks, Earl. I either didn't catch that thread last night or just didn't read through it. I searched on "Lunar-Lectric".

It seems to me I should scan the instructions for the controller and add them to that thread.

I'm going to assume for my purposes that the controller I have was a late MPC (so early AVI) unit since it was iii an MPC box but is colored like the one in the 1973 AVI catalog that's on Ninfinger. I just want to be able to give a rough idea of its age for the combination display and functional GSE for that October launch. Since I don't have an MPC pad it'll have to be paired with an Estes pad of some sort....maybe a first-generation Porta-Pad. That can go alongside the Centuri Powr-Tower that is also part of this little collection.

Some of the stuff I skimmed through last night makes me think that Canaroc sold the MPC pad but used the MRC controller. I have one of those in a box that might get assembled, too. It's essentially a very nice looking interpretation of an Estes Solar Launch Controller morphing into the Electron Beam.

Aerospace Vehicles Incorporated (AVI) acquired the MPC model rocketry products in mid-late 1972 and they started selling the MPC launch pad and the MPC launch controller with AVI branding by December 1972.

https://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/n...ia/73avi08.html

Canaroc acquired rights to use the MPC launch pad after AVI did. Canaroc re-tooled the molds and added the Canaroc logo on their version of the pad. Afterwards, SMI was next in line to use the MPC launch pad design after Canaroc. Canaroc did not ever use the MRC launch controller, but they did use the Cox launch controller, and so did SMI. AVI used the MPC Lunar-Lectric launch controller as can be seen in the 1973 AVI catalog.

Space Models International, Inc. (SMI) used the exact same launch pad after MPC, AVI and Canaroc did. The SMI version did not have the ceramic blast deflector either, nor did it have the spring stand-offs on the mast.

Kind regards,
Jeff Jenkins
aka: Faithwalker
NAR #46879 SR
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  AVI_GSE.jpg
Views: 18
Size:  89.7 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  Canaroc Launcher.jpg
Views: 17
Size:  359.2 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  Canaroc_poster_downsized.jpg
Views: 22
Size:  91.6 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  SMI_ProductSheet.jpg
Views: 16
Size:  69.1 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  SMI_launch_pad.jpg
Views: 20
Size:  135.4 KB  

Last edited by Faithwalker : 09-23-2023 at 09:26 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 09-23-2023, 05:09 PM
BEC's Avatar
BEC BEC is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Auburn, Washington
Posts: 3,643
Default

Hmmmm....I wonder what I was looking at last night that made me think that the MRC controller was mixed into the Canaroc stuff. That's clearly the Cox one in all those Canaroc and SMI pictures.

Maybe I'll look again later. Can't do it right now.
__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 09-23-2023, 08:53 PM
Faithwalker Faithwalker is offline
Craftsman
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Olive Branch, MS
Posts: 379
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
Hmmmm....I wonder what I was looking at last night that made me think that the MRC controller was mixed into the Canaroc stuff. That's clearly the Cox one in all those Canaroc and SMI pictures.

Maybe I'll look again later. Can't do it right now.

Here's photos of the MRC Electro Launcher Controller for comparison.

This one is on eBay right now: https://www.ebay.com/itm/3144847802...%3Avlp_homepage
Not my listing, nor do I know the seller.

Kind regards,
Jeff Jenkins
aka: Faithwalker
NAR #46879 SR
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  MRC_Electro_Launcher_Kit_TL520_parts.jpg
Views: 24
Size:  111.4 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  MRC_Electro_Launcher_Kit_TL520_facecard.jpg
Views: 20
Size:  186.0 KB  
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 09-23-2023, 09:11 PM
Faithwalker Faithwalker is offline
Craftsman
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Olive Branch, MS
Posts: 379
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BEC
Hmmmm....I wonder what I was looking at last night that made me think that the MRC controller was mixed into the Canaroc stuff. That's clearly the Cox one in all those Canaroc and SMI pictures.

Maybe I'll look again later. Can't do it right now.

Here's photos of the Cox Launch Controller for comparison.

Kind regards,
Jeff Jenkins
aka: Faithwalker
NAR #46879 SR
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:  Cox_Rocket_Launch_System.jpg
Views: 30
Size:  248.0 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  Cox Rocket Launch System 001b.jpg
Views: 12
Size:  335.9 KB  Click image for larger version

Name:  Cox_Launcher_instructions_p1_reduced.jpg
Views: 10
Size:  134.9 KB  
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 09-24-2023, 11:02 PM
BEC's Avatar
BEC BEC is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Auburn, Washington
Posts: 3,643
Default

I just posted the instructions from this in Earl's MPC literature thread.
__________________
Bernard Cawley
NAR 89040 L1 - Life Member
SAM 0061
AMA 42160
KG7AIE
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:40 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe © 1998-2024