To the world's spacewatchers, progress on Virgin Galactic’s sub-orbital space program has been little short of phenomenal, and test flights of the spacecraft-carrierplane pair are due to begin soon, with passenger flights planned around 2011.
Becoming a sub-orbital astronaut won’t be cheap, but should provide the thrill of a lifetime for anyone (like this reviewer) who has spaceflight in their blood. Tickets to ride are currently priced at $200,000 USD (£122,000 GBP), with deposits starting at 10 percent. Around 250 would-be astronauts have already plonked down their moolah.
The latest offering from Fantastic Plastic (FP) is considerably cheaper - $75 USD (£46 GBP) - but should provide the space model fan with an impressive display piece. Even at 1:144 scale, the 29-piece resin kit spans more than 290 mm (11.5 in). It’s worth pointing out that you are on your own with markings on this one - trademark issues have meant that FP have not been able to provide Virgin Galactic logos.
Even so, the kit looks fascinating, and we’re looking forward to adding one to the SMN collection.
The pictures above show, top to bottom:
1 SpaceShipTwo separating from the VMS Eve carrier plane.
2 The parts for Fantastic Plastic’s kit.
3 View of the kit in built-up form.
Visit Fantastic Plastic here.
Visit Virgin Galactic here.