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  #1  
Old 06-15-2007, 03:11 PM
shockwaveriderz shockwaveriderz is offline
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Default When did DAMON purchase Centuri

I revieed the 1971-72 issues of the old Model Rocketry magazine and I can find NO mention of DAMON acquiring Centuri; whereas, when EStes was acquired by DAMON, there was some information listed about it. I've read the centuri interviews in LAUnch and Le just states 1971. Can anybody be a little more precise?

tia

terry dean
nar 16158
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  #2  
Old 06-15-2007, 11:10 PM
Beaker Beaker is offline
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Jay Goemmer's article about Lee Piester says that he sold to Damon in 1972.

--Tom
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  #3  
Old 06-15-2007, 11:52 PM
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Exclamation Jay chimes in... yet again

Quote:
Originally Posted by shockwaveriderz
I revieed the 1971-72 issues of the old Model Rocketry magazine and I can find NO mention of DAMON acquiring Centuri; whereas, when Estes was acquired by DAMON, there was some information listed about it. I've read the Centuri interviews in LAUNCH and Lee just states 1971. Can anybody be a little more precise?
From Mike Maurer (whom I've tried to contact, to no avail) at: http://www.model-rockets.com/estes.htm

"Important Dates in Estes History:

...

September 27, 1969 merged with Damon Engineering Inc. The logo changed and says, 'A Subsidiary of Damon.'"

(Terry, can you confirm the date above?)


While I was talking with Lee and Betty Piester in preparation for NARCON 2006, they said that they sold Centuri to Damon about 18 months after Vern Estes sold his company to Damon.

Betty said they finalized the sale sometime in 1971.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Beaker
Jay Goemmer's [_Sport Rocketry_ Jan./Feb. 2003] article about Lee Piester says that he sold to Damon in 1972.
Tom,

That's the *one* mistake I made in that article. At first Lee said 1970, but we had some difficulty nailing down if he stayed on as President for 5 years or only 3. After talking with Lee and Betty at NARCON last year, they basically confirmed that it took *about* 8 months or so to settle things after Lee was first approached by an attorney representing Damon (while Lee was at the Johnson Space Center, IIRC).


Hope this helps.


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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  #4  
Old 06-16-2007, 01:10 PM
shockwaveriderz shockwaveriderz is offline
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Talking

Jay:

Yes I can confirm that date from the 11/69 issue of MRm "Estes Merges with Damon Engineering".

18 months from 9/69 would make it 6/71?

I checked the Centuri catalogs, and I can't find any damon/centuri logo change's although the 1970 Estes already shows a logo chnage.

MRm didn't even report the Centuri Merger with Damon which I find , well strange. THeres NO indiction that I can find on any of the centuri catalogs post 1971 that centuri was owned by Damon. I know that in 71-72, I certainly didn't know that Estes and Centuri were both owned by DAMON.

Jay, could you possibly contact Lee and see if you get a more specific date timeframe? It doesn't have to be to the day, but to the month would be great.

Also ,since you have interviewed Lee in the past, whats the best way for a person to get hold of him? I would like to ask him some unrelated questions about the really early days of Centuri.

Or if you prefer, I can send my questions to you, and you can forward them to Lee? whiochever you think is the best route.

thanks for your help on this!

terry dean
nar 16158


I am guessing that the 1st Centuri 1962 catalog came out around may 1962. This is based upon a G. Harry Stine article in AM magazine., where he mentions a new model rocket company called centuri Engineering and receiving their catalog.
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Old 06-16-2007, 04:29 PM
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Bazookadale Bazookadale is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shockwaveriderz



MRm didn't even report the Centuri Merger with Damon which I find , well strange. THeres NO indiction that I can find on any of the centuri catalogs post 1971 that centuri was owned by Damon. I know that in 71-72, I certainly didn't know that Estes and Centuri were both owned by DAMON.



My ageing and increasingly unreliable memory recalls going to the spring '72 PITTCON where Larry Brown of Centuri confirmed the sale, but stated they were not going to mention Damon in their catalogs because it might hurt Centuri sales if the public thought they were the same as Estes .
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Old 06-16-2007, 04:54 PM
shockwaveriderz shockwaveriderz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazookadale
My ageing and increasingly unreliable memory recalls going to the spring '72 PITTCON where Larry Brown of Centuri confirmed the sale, but stated they were not going to mention Damon in their catalogs because it might hurt Centuri sales if the public thought they were the same as Estes .


thanks dle for that tidbit. The "collective mind" is a shame to waste.....

I could "editorlize" here but I won't.


I wonder where Larry Brown is today? anybody know? willing to tell?

I wonder if there was any annoucemnt circa 76-77 when Estes absorbed centuri..... anybody have 76-77 Modle Rocketeers you can review for any information?


tia

Terry Dean
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  #7  
Old 06-17-2007, 10:32 PM
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From what I recall the Centuri-Damon relationship was kept quite quiet until the point was reached when Damon decided to shut down Centuri in the around 1981-1982 time frame. During that time it was semi-announced that Estes owned Centuri.
Most rocketeers at this time in my area of the country saw this as a sign that Centuri's days were numbered.
I got started in rocketry in 1977 and Centuri was already going downhill; I never knew what a great company Centuri was (say 1972 and earlier) until I became a BAR.
When I first got into rocketry everything new and interesting was coming out from Estes; at that point Centuri did not offer anything over a C engine; little did I know they offered composite Enerjet E and F engines several years before, only to be discontinued by the bean counters.
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  #8  
Old 06-17-2007, 11:59 PM
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Thumbs up In Search of... Larry Brown

Quote:
Originally Posted by shockwaveriderz
I wonder where Larry Brown is today? anybody know? willing to tell?
IIRC, Lee mentioned that Larry became a schoolteacher(?) in New England.

He's somebody *I'd* like to interview, since he came up with some pretty cool Centuri designs.


Cheers,
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"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
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  #9  
Old 06-18-2007, 12:22 AM
shockwaveriderz shockwaveriderz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CenturiGuy
IIRC, Lee mentioned that Larry became a schoolteacher(?) in New England.

He's somebody *I'd* like to interview, since he came up with some pretty cool Centuri designs.


Cheers,

Jay:

I agree. The space Shuttle was/is a very unique boost glider: both the glider and the pop pod was also a glider....now thats cool!

terry dean
nar 16158
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  #10  
Old 06-18-2007, 09:55 AM
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I remember a rumor going around at NARAM 13 that either Centuri was part of or was going to be a part of Damon, but I didn't know anyone who would confirm it.
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