RETRO ROCKET FLIES AGAIN - LUNA FROM THE MOVIE ‘DESTINATION MOON’

WE’VE FEATURED THE LUNA rocket from the 1950 movie Destination Moon before, but this new kit from Pegasus Hobbies assembles to make the tallest model yet. Luna comes in the accepted rocket scale of 1:144, so can be stood next to a Space Shuttle or Saturn V for comparison.

REVELL 2015 - ROBOT AND ROCKETS, SPACESHIP AND STARSHIPS

THIS SPACE AND SCIENCE-FICTION ROUNDUP concludes our review of Revell kits on display at the 2015 London Toy Fair. It's a good range with plenty of choice, whatever your interest.

TWO SPACE SHUTTLES RETURN - AS SCALE MODELS FROM REVELL

HERE ARE REISSUES of two Revell kits from the Space Shuttle age, the Boeing 747 SCA (Shuttle Carrier Aircraft) and (above) the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis. Both kits are to 1:144 scale.

FROM FILM TO DIGITAL: KEITH McNEILL RAISES THE ART OF SCALE-MODEL PHOTOGRAPHY TO NEW HEIGHTS

Here’s an in-depth article from Keith McNeill, a master of not only model-making, but also the art of studio photography and Photoshop.

‘SPACE SUITS - A GUIDE FOR SCALE MODEL BUILDERS’ ON RELEASE NOW

MAT IRVINE REPORTS 

Here’s the latest in the series of ‘Space in Miniature’ black and white books from Mike Mackowski. This eighth in the series concentrates on that basic necessity for working in space, the space suit.

TRIBUTE TO THE SPACE SHUTTLE FROM AIRFIX

Weekend read from Mat Irvine:

As the last of the Airfix space launchers to receive a makeover, the updated 1:144 scale Space Shuttle was released to coincide with the last-ever Space Shuttle mission, STS-135 in July 2011, when the Orbiter Atlantis made its 33rd and final flight. So how did Airfix do with the makeover?

STARDATE 2012 - SPACE SHUTTLE 'ENTERPRISE' FLYING IN TO NEW YORK’S USS INTREPID MUSEUM

Mat Irvine weekend read:

In 2012 a new addition will join the famed USS Intrepid Museum Complex at Pier 86, New York City. The new display star will be the ALT (Approach and Landing Tests) Space Shuttle Orbiter Enterprise, (above) due to fly from Washington DC to JFK International Airport on the back of NASA’s Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

MAD PHYSICIST MAKES MIND-BOGGLING MODELS FROM LEGO

SMN report:

LEGO builders number in their legions, but we've just come across someone who has blown our socks off, a Dutchman titled the ‘Mad Physicist.’

SUPER-DETAILED SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH TOWER

SMN report:

The Space Shuttle is dead... so long live the Space Shuttle. Only in the model world, that is, but an interesting set of superdetail kits has just been released by the Dutch company LVM to help relive those days of Shuttles roaring off the launch pad. The kits are designed to integrate with the 1:144 scale Revell Launch Tower kit, first released back in the mid-1980s. They offer a mixture of metal-etch and plastic parts, which combine to add a real air of authenticity to the basic kit.

LAST LANDING - SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS RETURNS TO EARTH

It’s the end of the space trucking era, says David Jefferis:

Forty two years after Armstrong and Aldrin stepped onto the Moon’s surface, it was touchdown for the Space Shuttle Atlantis, and the last-ever mission for the most complex spacecraft system ever built. There’s moaning and groaning by the bucketload, with headlines claiming the end of the US space program, but the reality is that the Shuttle, whatever its merits, represented a retreat from the Moon and true space exploration. For the Shuttle was a space truck to Earth orbit, and no further. Let’s hope that privateer companies like Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, fulfill their ambitions and take humans onward and outward, to explore the High Frontier.

HASEGAWA SPACE SHUTTLE AND HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - SEEING THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE

Mat Irvine sees stars

Getting a new lease of life out of an existing kit is hardly unusual, and this is precisely what Hasegawa has done with its 1:200 scale Space Shuttle Orbiter kit, by adding what was the Shuttle’s largest single payload, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). What is odd, given the number of Orbiter kits and the importance of this particular space observatory, is that no-one has done this before.

A multi-coloured kit, split usefully into related groups. The runner of grey components is newly produced for this kit.

SPACECRAFT MODELS FROM DRAGON - X-37B, DELTA II, SPACE SHUTTLE, HST SHOULD KEEP ARMCHAIR ASTRONAUTS SMILING... AND THERE'S A BELL X-1 ROCKET-PLANE TOO

SMN report

The Chinese model company Dragon continues to add models to its ‘Space Collection’ range. The subjects vary in scale from 1:72 to 1:400 scale, plus 1:6 scale astronaut figures. Spacecraft are ready-built, mixing diecast-and-plastic parts, and there are several new ones that have just come in, including a variation on the 1:72 scale X-37B ‘mini Shuttle’ we discussed a while back.

X-37B glides in to a smooth landing

Dragon’s latest X-37B represents the automated vehicle in early glide-test mode, which is a neat (if specialist) addition to a tabletop space fleet. As we mentioned before, the real thing looks distinctly more careworn than this miniature version, but no matter, you can always give Dragon’s X-37B a dose of the weathering treatment with an airbrush.

DRAGON SPACECRAFT RETURNS FROM ORBIT! X-37B LANDS ON RUNWAY!

SMN report
News that the US company SpaceX successfully test-flew its Dragon space capsule today makes SMN really proud - for this company is in the vanguard of the privatization of space. Along with the likes of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic program, it looks as if there might be a future for rocketry in the post-Space Shuttle era after all.

Spacecraft models from Dragon
And talking of Dragons, the Chinese model company of the same name is busy releasing a miniature ‘Space Collection’, to 1:72 and 1:400 scale, plus 1:6 scale astronaut figures. The spacecraft are all ready-built, mixing diecast metal with injection-plastic parts, and while some are familiar subjects - Apollo and Shuttle feature strongly - there is at least one really interesting of-the-moment release, and that’s the 1:72 scale X-37B OTV (Orbital Test Vehicle).

X-37B in space
Looking much like a mini-Shuttle (and originally designed to fit inside a Space Shuttle cargo bay) NASA’s X-37B program was taken over by the US Department of Defense in 2004. The craft saw its first orbital flight on April 22 this year, and stayed aloft on a secret mission until returning just last week, on December 3. The X-37B is a completely automated winged vehicle that lands on a runway like the Space Shutttle.

Comparing model with reality
The Dragon X-37B is a neat piece of model engineering that sits on a stylish stand. However, it’s interesting to compare the smooth and sleek lines of the 1:72 scale model with the lumps, bumps, and varying textures of the real thing, as seen in the official pictures above. And look at those white protective suits - the engineer-techs look for all the world like extras from a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster - Close Encounters anyone?!

Well done Dragon for this X-37B - it’s an unusual subject that’s been well captured. Let’s hope the company will provide a 1:72 scale Dragon capsule soon, preferably with a seven-astronaut crew inside!

We’ll be showing a neat diagram of the Dragon capsule and other spacecraft in the next day or two - keep your eyes peeled for that.

Visit Dragon Models here.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1  X-37B 1:72 scale model from Dragon.
2  CGI of the X-37B in orbit, with solar panels extended.
3  X-37B post-flight on the runway.
4-5 Technicians fettle the X-37B after its seven-month-plus mission.

REVELL INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TO 1:144 SCALE

David Jefferis reports
Science fiction enthusiasts are pretty well catered for by the toy and model industries - from Star Wars to Iron Man, the choice of available subjects, in both and ready-built form, is nearly endless. But it’s not such good news for ‘real space’ enthusiasts, and especially not from the main manufacturers. Would that the likes of Airfix produced a ‘Man in Space’ set, with a 1:72 scale range of US and Russian capsules, plus a lineup of astronuats and cosmonauts standing by them. Hey ho, there’s a dream that’ll never happen, but Revell’s International Space Station (ISS) kit does at least offer a taster for the real space modeller.

Moving solar panels
Even to the relatively small 1:144 scale, the Revell ISS assembles into an impressive beast, with the huge solar panel arrays giving the model an overall size of 745 mm x 500 mm (29.3 in x 19.7 in). Like those on the real thing, they are moveable, though you probably won’t want to shift them much - the model is more than a little delicate, even when perched on its rectangular stand. This neat component comes in a charcoal shade, but will look even better if you paint the Earth hemisphere in the middle blue and white; then the ISS can float proudly atop the lot, supported on a set of slim aluminium legs.

Miniature astronauts
The Revell ISS kit contains 183 components, which include all the dozens of panels, modules, platforms and robot arms (three of them) that make up the real thing orbiting high overhead as I write this. The Revell ISS also comes with two Russian Soyuz space capsules, and a trio of 13 mm (0.5 inch) spacewalking astronauts.

Space Shuttle add-on
Now, this will represent the ISS in operational configuration after 2011 or so, because the US Space Shuttle’s last few missions are due to be flown during the coming months. But, because the Shuttle has been the main cargo hauler for ISS assembly, it seems a shame not to have one on display, in addition to those far smaller Soyuz spacecraft. It’ll also make an even more impressive space display piece, but for that, you’ll have to obtain another kit, and handily, it’s one that Revell also supplies. The Revell 1:144 scale Space Shuttle comes in ‘full stack’ mode - that is, with external tank and solid boosters, standing atop the huge hauler-transporter used to take it from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad.

The ISS is a must-have kit for space modelmakers, while adding a Shuttle will make for a spectacular piece that shows off what will soon be a page of spaceflight history.


The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Revell 1:144 scale Iinternational Space Station.
2  Revell 1:144 scale Space Shuttle Full Stack.
3  An ISS book I wrote a while ago, with excellent graphics by Sebastian Quigley. You can buy it here.
      
There's more info at Revell here.

You can buy the ISS here, though it’s worth pointing out that the one review reveals a buyer unhappy with missing parts and a damaged box, so as the review states: ‘Caveat Emptor’.

Buy the Space Shuttle here.

WHAT-IF? SPACECRAFT FROM FANTASTIC PLASTIC

We’re great fans of ‘what-if?’ scenarios at SMN, so the latest 1:72 scale kit from Fantastic Plastic really hits the spot. It features a spacecraft design that was certainly real enough, but that may - or may not - have been built and flown. During the 1960s, the US Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory (AF-FDL) built several small test models to discover the optimum shape for hypersonic re-entry from Earth orbit. Some reports suggest that several of these FDL concepts were blown up to full-size test vehicles. Among them was the FDL-6, a 10 m (33 ft) long spacecraft built under contract with Lockheed.

Drawn from official USAF documents, this new FDL-6 kit depicts the manned version of this top-secret test vehicle, as it may have been carried in (and flown out of) the Space Shuttle's cargo bay in the early 1980s. The 23-piece kit was created exclusively for Fantastic Plastic by BLAP! Models and includes a detailed cockpit with ejection seat, landing gear and markings for either a NASA test craft or operational U.S. Air Force version. The final model measures 114 mm (4.5 in) long.

The 1:72 scale FDL-6 is now available for $70 USD, plus shipping. Find out more at the Fantastic Plastic Virtual Museum Store here.

The pictures above show:
1 FDL-6 kit art
2 Parts laid out
3 One of two possible marking schemes.

BLAST OFF! CHINESE ROCKETS FROM DRAGON, REALSPACE, TRUMPETER,

A MAT IRVINE REVIEW
A year ago today, China’s space ambitions took a big step forward with a spacewalk, taken by one of the three crew aboard the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft. China had become the third humans-in-space country five years before in 2003, when Shenzhou 5 carried the first Chinese taikonaut, air force pilot Yang Liwei. Shenzhou 6 followed in 2005.

Because of the difficulty of translating Chinese into English, various terms for their astronauts have been proffered, but ‘taikonaut’ - derived from ‘taikong’, Chinese for ‘space’ - is the one that has ended up in general use.

Getting details of the rockets and craft is not easy: it’s rather like getting information on Soviet rocketry in the Cold War years. However, the Shenzhou (‘Magic Vessel’ or ‘Divine Craft’) spacecraft is available as a 1:72 scale kit from Trumpeter, which is appropriate, as it is China’s main model kit company.

Shenzhou’s launcher is based on the long-running Chang Zheng, or ‘Long March’ rocket. Dragon, the Hong-Kong based model company, has issued two versions of the Chang Zheng CZ-2 to 1:48 scale, the CZ-2E satellite launcher and the CZ-2F Shenzhou launcher. At some 1220 mm (48 in) tall, the CZ-2F version is only a bit shorter than Revell’s 1:96 scale Saturn V, making it a contender as one of the world’s largest 'static space model' kits.

If you want a Chang Zheng rocket in the more widespread 1:144 rocket scale, Glenn Johnson’s RealSpace Models in the US offers a decent resin kit, complete with decals.

The pictures show, top to bottom:
1 Trumpeter 1:72 scale Shenzhou spacecraft, mounted on an included planet Earth base, here painted with simulated cloud formations.
2 Dragon 1:48 scale CZ-2F launcher, compared with the RealSpace Models 1:144 scale version. Both come with base mounts.
2 RealSpace Models 1:144 scale CZ-2F resin kit box at left, with the built model in front. A 1:144 Airfix Space Shuttle at back gives an idea of the large scale of the Chinese launch system.

Visit RealSpace here, and Dragon here.

You can view the Trumpeter Shenzou at Hannants here.

EGGPLANE CRAZY!

We’re long-time fans of Hasegawa’s Eggplanes here at SMN Towers. The earliest ones date back to 1976, but they've been reissued and reboxed, with new visual treatments to suit new times. The latest boxes have the neat and tidy look that's typical of modern Japanese graphics, and feature slinky anime-style girls to set off the rotund shapes of the planes.

Eggplanes are not to any particular scale, which is fine for the cartoon styling that Hasegawa came up with. There are presently more than a dozen in the range, from Zero fighter to Space Shuttle; four are shown in the top picture. Eggplanes are simple to make, mostly with fewer than 20 parts, and some of these combine various features in one. For example, the F/A-18 has wings, tail and missiles moulded as a single part.

Much as Bachmann’s 0n30 trains have spawned a legion of fans who enjoy creating semi-fictional railroads, so there is a subculture of Eggplane-eggsperts out there, who like to customize their Eggs or create new ones entirely. And above we show two views of the really nice ‘Eggswing’, made by talented model maker called Vince, of the X-Plane from Star Wars. What a delight!

Visit Hasegawa here.

Thanks to Vince for the Eggswing.

SPACE SHUTTLE PAPER MODELS

With the Space Shuttle docked with the International Space Station (ISS) it’s a record-breaking period for people in orbit at the same time, with both crews able to share the linked spacecraft.

If you are a Space Shuttle model builder then here’s a site to visit - AXM Paper Space Scale Models features downloadable plans to make various paper models. They range from the Shuttle itself to 1:144 scale, various payloads, different versions of the crawler-transporter, and an ISS to 1:100 scale. Even better, many are free.

Visit AXM Paper Space Scale Models here.