Bill-

I guess it happens to the best of us as the years move along. We can take some heart insomuch as rockets kinda go through 'aging' too. I found the attached photo, made in June, 2007, on the 31st anniversary of building my first Screaming Eagle (ref'd in one of the above messages). On the left was the newly built Screaming Eagle from a vintage kit. On the right is my original Screaming Eagle from 1976 (motors in that starter kit were dated 1974, so I suppose that Screaming Eagle to be from the same year, though I purchased the starter set in early summer 1976).

It don't take no 'rocket scientist' (!) to see just how aged and yellowed my original Screaming Eagle had become over the years. I knew it displayed 'faded glory' somewhat, but I had NO idea just how yellowed and aged it had become till I built that second one in June, 2007 and laid them down side-by-side for the photo.

This newer Screaming Eagle was from the Centuri 'Big Shot' outfit (ebay purchase) and the motors in it were dated in the '80-'81 timeframe. The various stick-on decals for this Screaming Eagle were a heavier metal foil than my original, and were printed a bit different, too. The fin unit-to-bodytube wrap-around is definately different between the two versions. At some point (maybe late-late 70s) the type of press-on decal material was changed and I think the designs were 'refreshed' a bit too. This kit also featured the later one pieceblow-molded #8 plastic nosecone instead of the original Centuri injection molded nosecone with snap-in base.

This second Screaming Eagle is the one I fly now instead of my original. I've put the original pretty much into permanent retirement, though I might on occasion toss her in the car for the trip along with the other rockets to the flying field.

Earl

Attached Thumbnails

 

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

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Both of mine look a lot like the one on the right, but neither have the Identi-Plate sticker.

__________________
Bill Eichelberger
NAR 79563

http://wallyum.blogspot.com/

I miss being SAM 0058

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

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

Ready to fly: Estes - Solar Sailer II Semroc - Earmark

If Estes personnel are mulling over additional Centuri kit re-issues, the Screaming Eagle would be one of my favorites. Estes likely has the fin unit and nose cone molds.

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

That's an interesting observation. I always wondered why Centuri (and later Estes) never issued another kit that used that same plastic fin unit. There were at least four kits that used the larger plastic fin unit developed my Centuri: Enerjet 1340, the Argus, the Phoenix Bird, and finally Estes issued it with the Eliminator (I think that's it's name).

But the unit used on the Screaming Eagle was used only on that kit. I imagine they sold many, many Screaming Eagles and so maybe they did not feel quite as compelled to find 'alternate' uses for that fin unit to distribute mold development costs. But still, I would have thought over the years it would have been used in more than just one kit.

Then again, maybe they wore the mold out on just Screaming Eagle production. Who knows.

It does seem that Centuri had a winner with that kit over the years.

Earl

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

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Indeed--that fin unit could have been used for a payload kit, either sub-caliber, constant-diameter, or "hammer head." Especially in the last case (a rocket with a payload section of larger diameter than the booster airframe), the large-area Screaming Eagle fins would have provided a healthy stability margin.

__________________
Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
NAR #54895 SR

Actually, the Screaming Eagle was the first Centuri kit that I bought. My Screaming Eagle only needs a new piece of ST-8 and some decals to refurbish it for flight.

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'Til next time,

Mike Toelle

NAR 31692 L1

SAM 0373

Estes used the Enerjet 1340 fincan (it was the Enerjet can before any others used it) for the Long Shot 2-stager (2 fincans), and the Challenger 2 also.

__________________
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 !

Doh! Yep, missed those two Estes kits as well.

On just which kit appeared first, I've never been able to nail that one down concisely between the 1340 or the Argus. The Argus first appeared in the 1973 catalog which would have been prepared around late summer 1972 (the same time the Screaming Eagle was being developed and intro'd).

That would be about the time the new line of Enerjet kits were being developed and initially released as well (the consumer line anyway). Where the 'professional' market kits such as the 1340, et al fall timeline wise I'm just not sure.

Any concrete info that could specifically date the release of the 1340? I'd really like to know conclusively which #13 plastic fin unit kit actually DID come first: the Argus or the 1340.

Earl

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

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

And let's not forget the #2091 Maniac.

__________________
John
YORF #003
SAM #004

Never saw any Centuri kits when I was a kid. This was before model rockets started being sold in stores (at least in my area). It was all mail order and the only company that I wrote to for a catalog was Estes Industries. Besides, 1973 was two years after I had hung up my microclips for a long (too long) hiatus from the hobby. I missed out on a lot of kits during the break.

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SAM # 0011