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1/12th Mercury Capsule recommendations

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  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Tucson, AZ
1/12th Mercury Capsule recommendations
Posted by Archangel Shooter on Sunday, February 25, 2007 12:55 PM

 Hi! I'm sliding over to the Space forum Bow [bow] because I'm considering purchasing the MRC Mercury capsule and wish to know if any of you have built this kit and would you recommend it?  Thumbs Up [tup] Thumbs Down [tdn]

Scott

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  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Central Cal
Posted by mhvink on Monday, February 26, 2007 1:42 AM

Yes, YES!!!  1000% :)

Seriously, excellent kit.  Welcome,

Mike

  • Member since
    May 2006
  • From: UK
Posted by David Harris on Monday, February 26, 2007 5:34 AM

Another thumbs up from me. The thing is absolutely gorgeous IMO.

Fingers crossed for both a Gemini & Apollo in the same scale.

  • Member since
    March 2006
  • From: Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
Posted by Yann Solo on Monday, February 26, 2007 6:22 AM
Go for it, it's in my opinion one of the best real space model kit available for the price.  The astronaut figure is impressively done and the outer details of the capsule is aweseome.  There are some metal parts to get a good definition of the holding straps and the decals are wonderfull.  The interior is good but could have been more detailed.  If you like to add detail to a kit, you'll have plenty of room to add some in the interior.  I enjoyed this build very much.
No matter where you go ....... there you are.
  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Amongst Words
Posted by aardvark1917 on Monday, February 26, 2007 11:08 PM
And if you'd like to fly the thing on your PC, there's a simulator available that's based on the actual vehicle.

"Freedom is a possession of inestimable value." -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

  • Member since
    October 2006
Posted by Halo_819 on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 8:10 AM

Hi aardvark,

 If you like that simulation them I am sure that you will just love this one!

http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/orbit.html

Once this is installed you can download and add Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. The graphics are excellent and the best this is that it is entirely FREE!

I have had some good times actually learning about orbital physics with this simulator and I am sure that you will enjoy it also.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Tucson, AZ
Posted by Archangel Shooter on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 9:40 AM

Thanks guys, I'm sold on it now and will pick one up. As a kid I enjoyed building the old Revell & Monogram Gemini and Apollo capsules, hopefully MRC will put those out in the same scale.

Scott

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 On the bench: So many hanger queens.

 

 

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Central Cal
Posted by mhvink on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 10:55 AM

The way it currently sits, Accurate Miniatures is working on the 1/12 Gemini (EXPENSIVE) but, Scott at Atomic City (who made the masters for MRC) is working on a 1/12 Apolllo CM/SM.  No date or price as of yet.

Mike

  • Member since
    March 2006
  • From: Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
Posted by Yann Solo on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 12:10 PM
Hhuuuummmmmmm, yummy, yummy!Dinner [dinner]
No matter where you go ....... there you are.
  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Tucson, AZ
Posted by Archangel Shooter on Monday, March 5, 2007 8:18 PM

Hmmmm......Can you imagine a 1/12 scale Lunar Lander? That would be an awesome kit to have!

Scott

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  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: New York
Posted by Astronaut Buck on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 5:35 PM

I am curious, what glues did you use to assemble this model?  Do you know any good source that discusses which glues to use with which materials?  I looked on this site but to get the glue article, you need to buy the back issue.  Also, what glues should I avoid?

 Thanks!

  • Member since
    March 2006
  • From: Drummondville, Quebec, Canada
Posted by Yann Solo on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 6:43 PM

We curently have a discussion over here:

/forums/753660/ShowPost.aspx

Basicaly: Liquid cement is to weld styrene parts together and for all other materials, you need super glue or CA glue which means CyanoAcrylic glue.

No matter where you go ....... there you are.
  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: New York City
Posted by Mel Sharkskin on Monday, April 16, 2007 10:11 PM

I've had my Mercury capsule sitting around since it came out, and I'm getting ready to build it finally. What I was waiting for was some aftermarket things to come out, such as the forward pressure bulkhead, which is a major missing part of the kit. I was hoping someone would give us the thing in resin. Yeah, I know, that was a longshot. But some PE would be nice. All I have come up with so far are the nice wooden stands from Nautilus Models (the lack of a stand on such a large and complete kit is simply bizarre) and I obtained the AM decals by Space Model Systems.

Does anyone know of any other aftermarket goodies for this kit, such as PE. Also, did anyone ever come up with a good FS match for the instrument panel colors for the various capsules that flew?

Thanks,

Tom

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, June 2, 2007 1:38 PM
 I have spent months in vain trying to find resin or photo-etched add-ons for this great kit.I am still amazed that someone has not,as it would be a cash cow,because every panel was slightly different,and the kit didn't have the periscope panel.I carved and sanded off the chest mirror,and replaced the zipper and straps,under the mirror with a good two part epoxy putty because later mercury flights,didn't carry the chest mirrors.I ended up doing Gordo's Cooper spacecraft,because that was the closest match for the main panel.I am going to attempt to photo-etch about 3 of the most popular panels,but don't know what the results will be!LOL I'm new to photo-etching,my own parts.
  • Member since
    December 2007
Posted by tiznit on Sunday, December 9, 2007 8:37 PM
The 1/12 Mercury is well worth the time and money. I am looking at my finished capsule now. It's beautiful.
  • Member since
    February 2008
Posted by defiant1 on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 11:50 PM

1/12th lunar lander? WOW! i started making cardstock templates for a 1/25th scale a few years back and it was nearly a foot tall. 

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: New York
Posted by Astronaut Buck on Saturday, February 16, 2008 8:16 AM

Custom Replicas is working on a 1/32 scale model LM.  I am saving my pennies for this one as well as their 1/12 scale Gemini.  That will be a great partner for the Mercury.

http://www.customreplicas.com/LM.htm

 

Also, Scott (Captain Cardboard) from Atomic City, showed 2 panels for his 1/6 (!!!) scale Mercury!!  You need to take a look at the picture to really appreciate the size of this model.  I need a bigger house.

http://atomiccity.yuku.com/topic/548/t/1-6-Mercury-Capsule-Project.html

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: New York City
Posted by Mel Sharkskin on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 10:08 AM

Well, here I am again, red-faced, because I notice that it's been a year and a half since I posted that I was about to begin my build of this beautiful kit. It didn't happen. And to make it worse, it was a magazine assignment, which required me months of trying to convince my British editors that real spacecraft qualifiy as flying machines and thus were proper subjects for aviation modeling magazines. They are still waiting for their model and article.

I have this AMS problem, and it stems from having heard so many conflicting stories about which of the Mercury spacecraft, those that flew manned missions, the kit most closely resembles. I'm pretty certain that, as was noted above, unless you are doing Alan Shepard or Guss Grissom, you'll need to carve the mirror off the figure and somehow add zippers and I-don't-know-what to the space suit.

But which instrument panel does it closely resemble, and has anyone yet found any close FS matches for the pastel colors used on those panels? I know they were not painted with FS colors, but a close match would be nice for a starting point. I have a shortage of color photos of the interiors.

Also, I'm still in a quandry about the forward pressure bulkhead. There is an enormous void behind the instrument panels with that bulkhead left out, and it shows. And no matter how many of the wiring bundles you add, it doesn't compensate for that big piece of concave metal. I seem to recall reading somewhere that someone smash-molded one from a rubber ball! I wish I had kept that article.

Anyway, has anyone yet made any aftermarket parts for this fine model, aside from the AM decal sheet and the Nautilus stands, both of which I recommend highly? And what's the latest on the Gemini and Apollo command module kits in 1/12?

Finally, can anyone tell me if there is a web site devoted to Real Space modeling, one that has a forum for asking questions? I'd love to find one. There just seems to be too few of us on the FSM site.

Many thanks,

TOM 

 

 

  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Central Cal
Posted by mhvink on Thursday, February 28, 2008 1:23 PM

Tom, (Mel, whatever . . ;)

You need to join us at Yahoo/groups (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/space-modelers/)

We have a great space modelers forum there.  You need to sign up, but it's free.  There are a LOTTA gearheads there.

Mike

  • Member since
    July 2007
  • From: Ontario, Canada
Posted by mallagoodee on Friday, February 29, 2008 7:08 AM
Absolutely right!

I joined the Yahoo Group last year and these guys have helped me with, what I thought, were obscure Real Space questions ... and the amount of information provided to me was astounding! Doesn't matter if it's manned, unmanned, x-plane, conceptual ( like the MOL) you'll get answers.

There's also a Photos section wherein members have posted some pix of their efforts.

Go ... join ... hurry up ... you still here?

Pete
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Flatlander on Saturday, March 8, 2008 4:26 PM

Thanks for the info - I'll check out the Yahoo group.  I have been eyeballing this model at Hobby Lobby.  It started at something like $69, and I notice last time it was down to $49, and with the 40% discount coupon they offer it is within my means.

I have seen a couple of these gems in the box and they are truly outstanding.  It is amazing that nobody has any aftermarket goodies for them.  It's like the model was launched into a modeling vacuum as hard as outer space.  I guess the numbers just aren't there. 

I remember watching the first Mercury launch with my father when I was a kid - the space race defined my childhood.  I would love to build a couple of these kits.

Now if I can just get my wife to give me an early birthday present. 

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