diff --git a/include/cantera/thermo/NasaPoly1.h b/include/cantera/thermo/NasaPoly1.h
index c5643d0c7..09c28643c 100644
--- a/include/cantera/thermo/NasaPoly1.h
+++ b/include/cantera/thermo/NasaPoly1.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public:
     //! Empty constructor
     NasaPoly1()
         : m_lowT(0.0), m_highT(0.0),
-          m_Pref(0.0), m_index(0), m_coeff(vector_fp(7)) {}
+          m_Pref(0.0), m_index(0), m_coeff(7, 0.0) {}
 
 
     //! constructor used in templated instantiations
diff --git a/src/thermo/NasaPoly2.h b/src/thermo/NasaPoly2.h
index 5991cae02..c7fd8739e 100644
--- a/src/thermo/NasaPoly2.h
+++ b/src/thermo/NasaPoly2.h
@@ -59,10 +59,8 @@ public:
           m_midT(0.0),
           m_highT(0.0),
           m_Pref(0.0),
-          mnp_low(0),
-          mnp_high(0),
           m_index(0),
-          m_coeff(vector_fp(15)) {
+          m_coeff(15, 0.0) {
     }
 
     //! Full Constructor
@@ -79,17 +77,13 @@ public:
         m_lowT(tlow),
         m_highT(thigh),
         m_Pref(pref),
-        mnp_low(0),
-        mnp_high(0),
+        mnp_low(n, tlow, coeffs[0], pref, coeffs +1),
+        mnp_high(n, tlow, thigh, pref, coeffs + 8),
         m_index(n),
-        m_coeff(vector_fp(15)) {
+        m_coeff(15, 0.0) {
 
         std::copy(coeffs, coeffs + 15, m_coeff.begin());
         m_midT = coeffs[0];
-        mnp_low  = new NasaPoly1(m_index, m_lowT, m_midT,
-                                 m_Pref, &m_coeff[1]);
-        mnp_high = new NasaPoly1(m_index, m_midT, m_highT,
-                                 m_Pref, &m_coeff[8]);
     }
 
     //! Copy Constructor
@@ -101,18 +95,10 @@ public:
         m_midT(b.m_midT),
         m_highT(b.m_highT),
         m_Pref(b.m_Pref),
-        mnp_low(0),
-        mnp_high(0),
+        mnp_low(b.mnp_low),
+        mnp_high(b.mnp_high),
         m_index(b.m_index),
-        m_coeff(vector_fp(15)) {
-
-        std::copy(b.m_coeff.begin(),
-                  b.m_coeff.begin() + 15,
-                  m_coeff.begin());
-        mnp_low  = new NasaPoly1(m_index, m_lowT, m_midT,
-                                 m_Pref, &m_coeff[1]);
-        mnp_high = new NasaPoly1(m_index, m_midT, m_highT,
-                                 m_Pref, &m_coeff[8]);
+        m_coeff(b.m_coeff) {
     }
 
     //! Assignment operator
@@ -126,28 +112,15 @@ public:
             m_highT  = b.m_highT;
             m_Pref   = b.m_Pref;
             m_index  = b.m_index;
-            std::copy(b.m_coeff.begin(),
-                      b.m_coeff.begin() + 15,
-                      m_coeff.begin());
-            if (mnp_low) {
-                delete mnp_low;
-            }
-            if (mnp_high) {
-                delete mnp_high;
-            }
-            mnp_low  = new NasaPoly1(m_index, m_lowT, m_midT,
-                                     m_Pref, &m_coeff[1]);
-            mnp_high = new NasaPoly1(m_index, m_midT, m_highT,
-                                     m_Pref, &m_coeff[8]);
+            m_coeff  = b.m_coeff;
+            mnp_low  = b.mnp_low;
+            mnp_high = b.mnp_high;
         }
         return *this;
     }
 
     //! destructor
-    virtual ~NasaPoly2() {
-        delete mnp_low;
-        delete mnp_high;
-    }
+    virtual ~NasaPoly2() { }
 
     //! duplicator
     virtual SpeciesThermoInterpType*
@@ -212,9 +185,9 @@ public:
 
         double T = tt[0];
         if (T <= m_midT) {
-            mnp_low->updateProperties(tt, cp_R, h_RT, s_R);
+            mnp_low.updateProperties(tt, cp_R, h_RT, s_R);
         } else {
-            mnp_high->updateProperties(tt, cp_R, h_RT, s_R);
+            mnp_high.updateProperties(tt, cp_R, h_RT, s_R);
         }
     }
 
@@ -239,9 +212,9 @@ public:
                               doublereal* h_RT,
                               doublereal* s_R) const {
         if (temp <= m_midT) {
-            mnp_low->updatePropertiesTemp(temp, cp_R, h_RT, s_R);
+            mnp_low.updatePropertiesTemp(temp, cp_R, h_RT, s_R);
         } else {
-            mnp_high->updatePropertiesTemp(temp, cp_R, h_RT, s_R);
+            mnp_high.updatePropertiesTemp(temp, cp_R, h_RT, s_R);
         }
     }
 
@@ -278,9 +251,9 @@ public:
     doublereal reportHf298(doublereal* const h298 = 0) const {
         double h;
         if (298.15 <= m_midT) {
-            h = mnp_low->reportHf298(0);
+            h = mnp_low.reportHf298(0);
         } else {
-            h = mnp_high->reportHf298(0);
+            h = mnp_high.reportHf298(0);
         }
         if (h298) {
             h298[m_index] = h;
@@ -295,12 +268,12 @@ public:
 
         doublereal h298now = reportHf298(0);
         doublereal delH = Hf298New - h298now;
-        double h = mnp_low->reportHf298(0);
+        double h = mnp_low.reportHf298(0);
         double hnew = h + delH;
-        mnp_low->modifyOneHf298(k, hnew);
-        h  = mnp_high->reportHf298(0);
+        mnp_low.modifyOneHf298(k, hnew);
+        h  = mnp_high.reportHf298(0);
         hnew = h + delH;
-        mnp_high->modifyOneHf298(k, hnew);
+        mnp_high.modifyOneHf298(k, hnew);
     }
 
 #endif
@@ -314,10 +287,10 @@ protected:
     doublereal m_highT;
     //! Reference state pressure
     doublereal m_Pref;
-    //! pointer to the NasaPoly1 object for the low temperature region.
-    NasaPoly1* mnp_low;
-    //! pointer to the NasaPoly1 object for the high temperature region.
-    NasaPoly1* mnp_high;
+    //! NasaPoly1 object for the low temperature region.
+    NasaPoly1 mnp_low;
+    //! NasaPoly1 object for the high temperature region.
+    NasaPoly1 mnp_high;
     //! species index
     size_t m_index;
     //! array of polynomial coefficients