Saturday, July 10, 2010

Old Engines MPC Mini Jets


Some of my old engines will be used - NOT THESE!

At one time I was building display models for Mike Bergenske after he bought out the MPC line and started AVI - Aerospace Vehicles Incorporated. Mike had first started Model Rocket Industries (MRI) before that.

I didn't get paid for building the rockets, I received a lot of merchandise in trade for the work.

These are the original MPC MiniJets, 13 mm (1/2") diameter by 2 1/2" long. This small B engine set many new NAR records.





And here's the back panel. It's in great shape, even the hang tag hole isn't punched out!

I can't read a date on the engines but I probably got these around 1975 or 76.

These remind me of the upcoming Quest Mini Engines. The Quest 1/2 A and A Minis are the same length (2 1/4") as the MPCs. The Quest Mini B3 engine will be just shy of 2 3/4" long.

3 comments:

  1. I'm totally in the 'fly em if you got em' camp. Why bother owning them if you can't ever fly anything with a 13mm B3? The casing look the same after, and you got a unique flight

    /rambling

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  2. Interesting! I built models for Mike B also, 1977 or so. Still got the letter offering me the "job" somewhere ... oh, those were the days. :)

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  3. Hi Tim,
    I finally met The Bergenske's at the Orlando NARAM in 1975. Yeah, I saved all my important rocketry letters, too. I've got some from both Vern Estes and Lee Piester.

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