Centuri Quasar, Kit #KC-7, Background

The Quasar was introduced in the 1971 Centuri catalog.

A "Classic Space Ship Design!"

My Mother liked this one, she said: "It reminds me of the old Buck Rogers rocket."

The fin pod tubes had vacu-form ram-jet tops and bottom nozzle inserts. The same pieces were used in the Centuri SST Shuttle-1 kit. 

I won't be using vacu-formed or molded resin parts. I know Sirius Rocketry has them available, that'd be an easier way to go. I'll be assembling them from pieces and parts - old school. This build will be a "close" clone.

The first catalog colors were an overall white with two red fins. Later, Centuri recommended painting the body silver. I'll be home printing decals so the main body will be white. Home print decals are somewhat translucent, the red decals don't look very good when set over silver paint.

The Centuri "punched plate" style baffle was new and included in the Quasar, Centurion and Long Tom kits.

The more complex Estes "Ducted Ejection" (forward, back, forward) baffle was included in the new Bandit model first shown in the 1972 catalog.

From the NAR Facebook page, 

Glen Swanson posted a possible design influence:

"A conceptual drawing of an air-breathing boost vehicle. Turbojet engines are located in the body of the vehicle and the three pods. The first stage may be detached, as shown in the upper portion of the illustration, landed and used again. GE Electric, 1960."

I have to wonder if the Centuri Quasar inspired the more recent Estes Protostar. 

The fins have similar curved leading and trailing edges. The Quasar ramjet tube style engine pods have been replaced with three Alien Invader nose cones.