In the early to mid 70s, Centuri had the Exotic category nailed. The X-24 bug, Vulcan, the Super Kits . . . I was an Estes fan but felt like Centuri was beating the pants off of them in the fancy stuff category.

Estes came back strong soon after . . . but then, by then Centuri was just a convenience label.

I was first and foremost a Centuri fan. To this day, they get my vote. Some Favorite exotics included (but not limited to)Skylab, X-24, ESS Raven, USS America, UFO Invader, Space Shuttle, Orion and SST. It wasn't until my Rocketry Rebirth that I came to appreciate the Estes classic exotics like the Mars Snooper, Interceptor (arguably their best), World Fed Star Probe, Starlab, Orbital Transport, S.S. Cassiopeia and the many more great designs some already mentioned. By volume alone, the case can be made they were best.

So for me, it is not really a question of who was best at exotics, but how many of these I could recreate with clone kits and scratch builds. I am a little ahead in the Estes lineup, but that is about where I should be with the greater number of offerings. Plus, they still have a few up their sleeves continuing to produce new kits, not just re-treads.

I'll be busy for a while.

Centuri had some GOOD exotics in their lineup, but their use of fibre/card board flat out STUNK.

Estes had some GREAT designs like the Mars Lander, Orbital Transport, Interceptor, Trident, and Sky Dart which were in an entire class above anything Centuri offered but the Enerjet Athena and maybe SST Shuttle.

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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, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

toss-up

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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

Just dont get the obvious distaste for the use of cardboard for fin material. I have a 37 year old KB-5 NOMAD that has taken the type of abuse no balsa fin or stabilizer would ever stand for. It has never detached, never dinged from its plastic cone and come in hot tail first on more than a few occasions. The ply did start to fray on a few occasions and was coaxed back to flat with thinned white glue. Overall, good material choice for some designs. Glad they were able to think outside the box and introduce different materials.

It also allows for some wicked fin designs that defy grain considerations without need for lamination. Tough to create, though; I've cut rings and some fins, sloppily. If only I had a laser cutter!

Gotta agree with you. One of my favourites (okay, probably my #1 all-time fav) is the SSV Scorpion. Fibre/cardstock parts made it possible.

Loved the Centuri Super Series! For those alone I'd have to say they had the best exotics. Would love to see them come back.

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Kevin Drayson

CAR S369 L4 RSO
TRA L3 09738
NAR 90969

What weird timing.....I had the instructions for this kit out last night mulling over whether to put this vintage kit into the build que and I had the same thought: not sure that kit would have been possible without fiber parts, at least on some of those fin/wing cuts.

I didn't dislike the fiber parts as a rule; in many cases they worked pretty well. The one attribute about them that I did not like was the different 'edge' left by the die cutting process. Actually, the die side of the cut was pretty clean with no crunching that could sometimes happen on balsa. BUT, the backside of the cut sheet sometimes had some pressure deformations (for lack of a better word) on the fiber board facing that would require some sanding and cleanup to look as smooth as the opposite side of the board.

That was not a universal issue but I did find it a bother at times (a vintage Excalibur build a few months ago diplayed this issue on the fiber fins). Otherwise, I overall did not mind the fiber stuff.

Earl

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

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Semroc's beveridge board (the industry name for the fiber fin stock) appears to be free from the pressure deformations. Also, as long as it isn't used for fin shapes and sizes that are inappropriate for its strength and stiffness characteristics (fiber Alpha fins would be overly fragile, for example), the fiber fin material is satisfactory and even superior for many rocket fin applications. Particularly for futuristic or science fiction models with simulated square or rectangular cross-section ramjet or scramjet engines, I greatly prefer fiber parts over sheet balsa parts.

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Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
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NAR #54895 SR

I agree with Bob T.
I think Centuri was a leader with thier exotic designs and thinking outside the box.

In my book for fins it can be balsa, ply, or basswood, plastic or even METAL fin cans, but NEVER el-cheapo FLIMSY cardboard.

__________________
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, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !