My favorite rocket in the 1970s was Skylab by Centuri. It was the first rocket I built, but it was too difficult for a beginner. It looked awful. I bought it in the sixth grade when it was first introduced. I watched two friends build their models and I built another two versions until I got it right. I did not launch the model because many plastic details did not survive the launch when my friends launched their Skylabs. I kept the model from 1975 until I launched it around in 1990. I found the old rocket a few weeks ago in 2015, and that led me to start building rockets again. (I built a rocket in 1990 to launch with Skylab). I always thought it would be interesting to build a Skylab inspired rocket out of generic parts. I bought some parts last week and put this together over the weekend. I wanted to show the picture to someone. The model looks a little like Skylab but it built with a balsa tube reducer rather than a paper tube reducer. It is not meant to be a clone of the original kit but merely has some features, like booster rockets and solar panels. I am planning to use separate parachutes for each section, but I am open to suggestions. I wanted to show it unpainted so people can see it is clearly not an original Skylab Centuri kit.

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Mmmm. Skylab.

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Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

Build floor: Centuri Mini Dactyl Estes - Low Boom SST Semroc - Marauder, Shrike, SST Shuttle

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark, Groonie Der V 1/2

That's an interesting project! I built a Skylab back in the day and, yeah, it didn't come out very well.

You might check Michael's or Jo-Ann's for specialty Contact paper. These come in interesting metallic colors. You could use those to cover the "solar panels."

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NAR #27085 - Oregon Rocketry - SAM

Very Nice !
Welcome to the forum !

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Que delicioso! Que saboroso!

Delicious. And flavorful!

In plain English (Ingles?), *nicely done!*


Cheers,

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Jay Goemmer
"Centuri Guy"/"Tau Zero"
YORF Member 28
Semroc SAM #0029
NAR 86131


"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

Welcome to the forum!

It's a beautiful rocket. With all that weight and drag in the back, be sure to put some nose weight in to bring the CG forward, or you might get some loop-de-loops off the pad.

If you're ever interested in building a clone of the Skylab, Sirius rocketry offers the nose cone (SRMO-PNC102) on their web site as part of their "Moldin' Oldies" line.

I flew my Skylab several times as a kid - but had to "fill in" the docking ports in the connecting tube, as ejection gasses melted the bottoms of each one out! But, a couple hard plastic wheels off a F9F model that "donated" its landing gear to the parts box and "voila!" Flyable Skylab again!

Be sure to post pics of the finished bird, and (if you can snag them) some launch pics when you fly it. We're all about seeing other rocketeers in action.

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Dean Fox
NAR #53946SR

---- "Wherever you go, there you are"

Thanks for the great advice everyone. I painted my Centuri Skylab inspired rocket and used scanned decals that were printed on Avery labels. The Avery label approach is probably not a long lasting solution to the decals, but I plan to fly this rocket so it is all right if it doesn't last very long. Here's what my rocket looks like today. I still need to test the center of gravity and add weight to the nose, but before I do some testing, I wanted to post what the rocket looks like before an accident may happen. For comparison, I also posted my "restored" Centuri Skylab from 1974, which I saved for over 15 years and flew a couple times in 1990, and repaired with parts from other broken rockets I found in my parents' garage a few weeks ago, thus, the restored Skylab does not look as nice as it did in 1974. Some people have been impressed, however, that a rocket from 1974 still exists.

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Besides Skylab, another favorite rocket was the Nomad, which was sold by Centuri when I built rockets in 1972-1975. I never had the rocket, but a friend's dad had built two of them (we lost one on a windy day), and I always wished I had the rocket. I know that Semroc makes a kit, but I wanted to build a less expensive version, which cost about $8. The decals are from an Air Force jet model, so it is not a "U. S. Navy" missile like the original Centuri model. But the rocket was fun to build from Internet photos. Like the Semroc model, I made the main fins from balsa wood and the longer fins from basswood.

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Mike,

First, welcome to the forum, very nice build. Surprisingly, Avery label paper decals will hold up very well over time if you seal them with a clear coat. The key is to find a clear coat that won't make the ink run. I've always had good luck with Painter's Touch Clear (from Home Depot, Ace, etc.). Here is a thread I did on applying full tube-size label paper wraps.

Lately, though, I've switched to using inkjet-printable Contouring White Waterproof Vinyl from Papilio Papers (http://www.texascraft.com/hps/home.php ). It's a bit more expensive than full sheet label paper but it's way better in terms of how it prints and the fact that it is waterproof.

Papilio makes a number of great products, including inkjet printable waterslide decal paper (I've never tried it). The Contouring Waterproof Vinyl is the same material John Pursley uses to make the incredible Interceptor wraps he sells on eBay.

Anyway, really nice work on the "Sorta-Skylab" , and welcome to the forum.

Steve

How thick is the Papilio paper compared to Avery labels?

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I love sanding.