Looks good, Steve.

She looks good to me Steve!

After a trying few weeks, I'm back at the bench and hoping to get a few hours of work done. Not much, but something.  Glad everyone has kept busy and managed to overcome the FSM Forum SNAFU.  My thanks to Steve for keeping things under control.

A few notes before I get to my own project report:

Bakster>  That really is a nice looking base!  The sandpaper will give it a nice textured appearance. A bit of weathering and I expect it to be exceptional!

Gamera> That's a great model!  Do you want me to change your entry from the Buran to the Revell Apollo astronaut?

Mach71> The Mercury capsule is coming along great!  I don't know about the instrument panel as they seem to have been slightly different for each one.  Hope you found something useful.

Steve> That Saturn V is coming right along!  You'll be finished before you know it.

Ben>  You are incredible!  You finished that X-15 in record time, and congratulations on being the first to complete two models.  I'll get that posted up on the front page ASAP.

JustinRyan>  Yes, I understand about the holidays eating into bench time.  Enjoy yourself!

Project Report:

Not much happening on my end, but I did manage to get the plastic mechanical pencils cut and mounted to use as nozzles. I used some pieces of plastic straw (banned in California) and a plastic round hole cover from a set of shelves.

I've temporarily tacky glued them in place, and as soon as it's dry I'll mount them on the bottom of the tower and see how they look.  I'm not sure about the angle and will probably have to adjust them later. Meanwhile, I'm using super-glue to help smooth out the booster cover and top of the LES.  Will sand and see how much more needs to be done to them.  At the moment, I'm just waiting for things to dry.

Mission Director (GAF)

Today in Space History:

1965 December 18 - .

• Gemini 7 - Wakeup Song: I'll Be Home For Christmas - . Flight: Gemini 7. "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and"Going Back to Houston" sent to crew just before retrofire..

1965 December 18 - .

• Landing of Gemini 7 - . Return Crew: Borman, Lovell. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Borman, Lovell. Program: Gemini. Flight: Gemini 7. Gemini 7 landed at 14:05 GMT only 11.8 km from the target point after a record 14 day mission...

Drums01> Front page is updated, and in recognition of your completing two model projects for this group build, you are hereby awarded a "Senior Astronaut Modeler" badge.  Congratulations, and thank you for participating above and beyond!

Mission Director (GAF)

Gary, nice to see you back up and around and nice work!

And yeah, if it's not to much trouble I'd love for you to switch me over.

Gamera>  Thanks!  It's nice to not be coughing my lungs up (though I'm still coughing).  I've updated the front page with the new build.

Project Report:

Progress on the LES continues, sort of.  The nozzles didn't work at the angle I glued them on, so I removed them and am considering a different method of attachment.  Meanwhile, while sanding on the nose cone for the escape tower, I broke it off.  This is probably a blessing as it just was not working as well as I had hoped, so I'm going to construct a different one (just as I did with the tower support structure).  Seems like scratch-building the LES is a matter of two steps forward, one step back.

Mission Director (GAF)

Today in Space History:

1960 December 19 - . 16:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC5. LV Family: Redstone. Launch Vehicle: Redstone MRLV.

• Mercury MR-1A - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: Mercury. Spacecraft: Mercury. Apogee: 210 km (130 mi).

• Mercury-Redstone 1A (MR-1A) was launched from Cape Canaveral in a repeat of the November 21, 1960, mission and was completely successful. This was the third attempt to accomplish the objectives established for this flight. The first attempt on November 7, 1960, was canceled as a result of a helium leak in the spacecraft reaction control system relief valve, and on November 21, 1960, the mission could not be completed because of premature cut-off of the launch vehicle engines. Objectives of the MR-1A flight were to qualify the spacecraft for space flight and to qualify the flight system for a primate flight scheduled shortly thereafter. Close attention was given to the spacecraft-launch vehicle combination as it went through the various flight sequences: powered flight; acceleration and deceleration; performance of the posigrade rockets; performance of the recovery system; performance of the launch, tracking, and recovery phases of the operation; other events of the flight including retrorocket operation in a space environment; and operation of instrumentation. Except that the launch vehicle cut-off velocity was slightly higher than normal, all flight sequences were satisfactory; tower separation, spacecraft separation, spacecraft turnaround, retrofire, retropackage jettison, and landing system operation occurred or were controlled as planned. The spacecraft reached a maximum altitude of 130.68 statute miles, a range of 234.8 statute miles, and a speed of 4,909.1 miles per hour. Fifteen minutes after landing in the Atlantic Ocean, the recovery helicopter picked up the spacecraft to complete the successful flight mission.

1972 December 19 - .

• Landing of Apollo 17 - . Return Crew: Cernan, Evans, Schmitt. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cernan, Evans, Schmitt. Program: Apollo. Flight: Apollo 17.

• Reentry, landing, and recovery were normal. The Apollo 17 command module parachuted into the mid-Pacific at 19:25 GMT, 6.4 kilometers from the prime recovery ship, U.S.S. Ticonderoga. The crew was picked up by helicopter and was on board the U.S.S. Ticonderoga 52 minutes after the CM landed. Manned exploration of the moon had ended.

Thanks Gary! I hope this kit will be quick simple build. It is copyrighted 1971 for the original kit so it might be a little on the rough side... time will tell. 

Gamera>  Yeah, I've seen some builds of it.  Might need some updating, but it can be made into a nice model.

Nothing to report on the project front.  I went by Lowes and picked up some items for other projects.  At the moment, I'm trying to decide the best course for remaking the nose for the LES tower.  Minor things like more sanding and trimming the nozzles a bit for a better fit.  Nothing worth pictures.  Maybe I'll have something tomorrow.

Gary

Today in Space History:

1961 December 20 - .

• International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space - . Nation: USA. Program: Apollo. The General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously adopted Resolution 1721 (XIV) on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

1961 December 20 - . Launch Vehicle: Saturn V.

• Douglas named contractor for Saturn S-IVB stage - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: von Braun. Program: Apollo. Spacecraft: Apollo Lunar Landing.

• NASA announced that Douglas Aircraft had been selected for negotiation of a contract to modify the Saturn S-IV stage by installing a single 200,000-pound-thrust, Rocketdyne J-2 liquid-hydrogen/liquid-oxygen engine instead of six 15,000-pound-thrust P. & W. hydrogen/oxygen engines. Known as S-IVB, this modified stage will be used in advanced Saturn configurations for manned circumlunar Apollo missions.

 1963 December 20 - .

• Boeing Company to build five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft - . Nation: USA. Program: Apollo. Spacecraft: Lunar Orbiter.

• NASA selected The Boeing Company to build five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft. Beginning in 1966, Lunar Orbiters would take close-range photographs of the moon and transmit them by telemetry back to earth. The spacecraft would also detect radiation and micrometeoroid density and supply tracking data on the gravitational field of the moon. Information derived from the project (managed by Langley Research Center) would aid in the selection of lunar landing sites.

1965 December 20 - .

• Falling behind - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Korolev. Program: Voskhod. Flight: Gemini 7, Soyuz 1, Soyuz 2A, Soyuz 7K-L1 mission 1, Voskhod 3, Voskhod 4, Voskhod 5. Spacecraft Bus: Vostok. Spacecraft: Voskhod.

• Gemini 7 has landed. The Americans achieved every manned spaceflight objective they had set for themselves in 1965, and made 50% more launches than the Soviet Union. On the other side, the Russians have only been able to fly Voskhod 2. Korolev promised that three Voskhod and two Soyuz spacecraft would be completed in 1965, and that two of each would fly before November 7. The year has ended, and not a single spacecraft has been delivered. Kamanin calls Korolev, who says that the unfinished Voskhods will not be completed, and that the four completed spacecraft will be used for long-duration flights. All of his bureau's energies will be concentrated on developing Soyuz spacecraft to perfect space docking and to perform lunar flyby missions.

Project Report:

Work slows during the holiday season, but progress on the LES nose cone continues.  I've found a nice plastic cap that I'm shaping into the correct size, so sanding and polishing are the order of the day.  Still nothing major to report.

Mission Director (GAF)

Today in Space History:

A Major 50th Anniversary Event -1968 December 21 - . 12:51 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: LUT1. Launch Vehicle: Saturn V.

• Apollo 8 - . Call Sign: Apollo 8. Crew: Anders, Borman, Lovell. Backup Crew: Aldrin, Armstrong, Haise. Payload: Apollo CSM 103 / LTA-B / S-IVB-503N. Mass: 28,833 kg (63,565 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Aldrin, Anders, Armstrong, Borman, Haise, Lovell. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: Apollo. Class: Moon. Type: Manned lunar spacecraft. Flight: Apollo 8. Spacecraft: Apollo CSM. Duration: 6.13 days. Decay Date: 1968-12-27 . USAF Sat Cat: 3626 . COSPAR: 1968-118A. Apogee: 185 km (114 mi). Perigee: 185 km (114 mi). Inclination: 32.5000 deg. Period: 88.19 min.

  Apollo 8 (AS-503) was launched from KSC Launch Complex 39, Pad A, at 7:51 a.m. EST Dec. 21 on a Saturn V booster. The spacecraft crew was made up of Frank Borman, James A. Lovell, Jr., and William A. Anders. Apollo 8 was the first spacecraft to be launched by a Saturn V with a crew on board, and that crew became the first men to fly around the moon.

  All launch and boost phases were normal and the spacecraft with the S-IVB stage was inserted into an earth-parking orbit of 190.6 by 183.2 kilometers above the earth. After post-insertion checkout of spacecraft systems, the S-IVB stage was reignited and burned 5 minutes 9 seconds to place the spacecraft and stage in a trajectory toward the moon - and the Apollo 8 crew became the first men to leave the earth's gravitational field.

• In honor of the 50th Anniversary, this NASA video:

In honor of the Apollo 8 liftoff 50th I present you my Saturn V. She's a big one and Ill have better pictures tomorrow in the daylight.

Just in time.

Hey Steve, congrats! It looks great! Looking forwarding to more pics!

Thanks Bakster.

Here it is. I tried to replicate Apollo 11, but they all looked pretty much the same, so I guess it's a generic Apollo. I was building the awesome Saturn V not necessarily a specific mission. Now wish somebody made the Space X Falcon Heavy, other than for model rocketry.

This dang thing is 2 feet tall so it's tough to get a good picture without some background.

Gary, this may be the only thing I can finish before the end of the mission. I have so many things on my plate coming up including a move back to Boise sometime this next year, hopefully early to mid year. If I get most of the projects off the bench I'll go after the Saturn lB or may dabble to complete one or both the Mercury's.

Use whichever picture you want LOL, they look the same.

Hey Steve, that is a great looking Apollo kit; really nice work there!

That would make a good centerpiece for any space display.

v/r,

Ben

Steve, your SV is stunning!

Great job on the best rocket ever!

modelcrazy

This dang thing is 2 feet tall so it's tough to get a good picture without some background.

I bet it was tough. You did good...

I expect to post an update on my Redtstone in a day or two. I am nearing the finish line.

She looks perfect to me Steve!!!

Course where do you display something this large???

Steve> Great looking SV!  Just in time for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8 also!  Nice!  I know you were planning on doing the "Man in Space" kit, but getting the Saturn knocked out is plenty good, and certainly enough to earn your Astronaut Modeler wings.  Congrats!

I'll get the front page updated ASAP.

Project Report:

My own efforts are pretty slow.  I've about got the nose cone for the LES shaped up, and have actually started gluing parts.  I had to check to make sure the skirt was positioned correctly on the tower, but I confirmed this with some photos.  Once that dries, I'll try to get the nozzles glued into position, and then the support structure.  Tonight or tomorrow I'm hoping.

Mission Director (GAF)

Today in Space History: 

1948 December 23 - .

• XS-1 Flight 103 - . Crew: Yeager. Payload: XS-1 # 1 flight 60. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Yeager. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. AF flight 38. Wing and tail loads during supersonic flight at high altitudes. Mach 1.09.

PS> Haven't seen PFJN around for awhile.  Wonder if he's still locked out?  Contact info for me if you are.  "oni_shin at yahoo dot com".

That's one small step for this group build--that's... one... giant... leap for my completed model collection. 

It's done. Here are my final thoughts about this kit.

CONS:

1. As I already documented this kit has some fit issues. As I moved forward in the build the problem became less so, but here and there it cropped up. It's imperative to test each part before assembly.

2. As I already documented the fuselage is terrible in terms if clean lines and sureness. This would have been one ugly beast had I built it OOB.

3. The photo etch was ok but man... good luck cutting it from the sprue. The stuff was like spring steel. Removing them with a blade is near impossible. In fact--I was unable to without bending the heck out of things, and in the end--still not have it detach. I went out and purchased a dome shaped grinding bit that had a rounded edge. I then positioned the edge as close to the connection point as possible and ground it to where I could detach it.

4. In order to save money the manufacturer made pieces that have details covering the gamut of several launches. Though that option is nice--I question some of what you are left with after conversion. I don't have good documentation to confirm this but ... I have concerns with it.

PROS:

1. The decals went on without a hitch. I was most concerned with the decal just below the capsule. That decal is one piece that wraps around the entire fuselage. With all the fit issues I was sure that it would end up being either too large or too small. The kit comes with an extension piece if needed. Knowing that they included the extension made alarm bells go off too. I was fully prepared to mask all those details and AB it. In a series of circumstances, I was pushed towards trying the decal. I tested it first by photocopying the decal to see how it would fit. It seemed OK, and in the end the decal fit perfectly. I was happy about that because it saved me a lot of work. Also--there are some details I would have lost because replicating them would have been out of my realm to do so.

2. All in all with some hard work you can turn the model into a decent representation.

Moment of completion

 A tribute to Alan Shepard

Bakster> Wow!  That is so nice!  I love what you did with the base and the tribute to Al Shepard.  That's something to be proud of, knowing the problems you had with the body and all.  Congratulations!  You've earned these wings, that's for sure!

I'll get the photo up on the front page ASAP.  Quite the Christmas present!  If you wish a different photo than the one I chose, let me know.

Project Report:

Finally something worth reporting.  I've got the nosecone finished up and nozzles glued in.  Parts are mostly in place and glued.  The black wire you see are going to be the instrument harness that run down the sides.  I'm letting things finish drying before attaching.  That and a couple of small cover pieces on the skirt and she'll be ready for polishing (some gloss) and paint.  And I sure will be glad!

Mission Director (GAF)

Today in Space History:

1968 December 24 - .

• Cosmonauts ponder loss of the moon race - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Khrunov, Shatalov, Shonin, Ustinov, Volynov, Yeliseyev. Program: Apollo, Lunar L1. Flight: Apollo 8.

  The Soyuz 4 and 5 crews arrive at Tyuratam aboard an An-24. They work with their spacesuits at Area 31 until 23:00. On the bus back to the sleeping quarters Kamanin tells them of Ustinov's 'recommendation' that they do an automatic docking. They are against it, argue for a manual docking. If allowing enough time for the crew of the active spacecraft to adapt to zero-G is the issue, they propose switching the launch order of the active and passive spacecraft. This alternative is ruled out - it is too late and risky to modify the flight programs. Shatalov bursts out - 'Here we are debating this for the tenth time, while he Americans are orbiting the moon'. They call for the bus to stop. They exit out into the icy clear night and look at the moon. Thoughts came of the nine comrades who had died trying to put the USSR first to the moon, all to no avail.

_______________________________________________________________1968 December 22 - 25 . 12:51 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. Launch Platform: LUT1. Launch Vehicle: Saturn V.

• Apollo 8 - . Call Sign: Apollo 8. Crew: Anders, Borman, Lovell. Backup Crew: Aldrin, Armstrong, Haise. Payload: Apollo CSM 103 / LTA-B / S-IVB-503N. Mass: 28,833 kg (63,565 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Aldrin, Anders, Armstrong, Borman, Haise, Lovell. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: Apollo. Class: Moon. Type: Manned lunar spacecraft. Flight: Apollo 8. Spacecraft: Apollo CSM. Duration: 6.13 days. Decay Date: 1968-12-27 . USAF Sat Cat: 3626 . COSPAR: 1968-118A. Apogee: 185 km (114 mi). Perigee: 185 km (114 mi). Inclination: 32.5000 deg. Period: 88.19 min.

• On the 24th, a 4-minute 15-second lunar-orbit-insertion maneuver was made 69 hours after launch, placing the spacecraft in an initial lunar orbit of 310.6 by 111.2 kilometers from the moon's surface - later circularized to 112.4 by 110.6 kilometers. During the lunar coast phase the crew made numerous landing-site and landmark sightings, took lunar photos, and prepared for the later maneuver to enter the trajectory back to the earth.

• On the fourth day, Christmas Eve, communications were interrupted as Apollo 8 passed behind the moon, and the astronauts became the first men to see the moon's far side. Later that day , during the evening hours in the United States, the crew read the first 10 verses of Genesis on television to earth and wished viewers "goodnight, good luck, a Merry Christmas and God bless all of you - all of you on the good earth."

  Subsequently, TV Guide for May 10-16, 1969, claimed that one out of every four persons on earth - nearly 1 billion people in 64 countries - heard the astronauts' reading and greeting, either on radio or on TV; and delayed broadcasts that same day reached 30 additional countries.

• On Christmas Day, while the spacecraft was completing its 10th revolution of the moon, the service propulsion system engine was fired for three minutes 24 seconds, increasing the velocity by 3,875 km per hr and propelling Apollo 8 back toward the earth, after 20 hours 11 minutes in lunar orbit. More television was sent to earth on the way back.                                      _______________________________________________________________    

• In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 lunar mission, and as a Christmas eve message, here's the reading of Genesis and video.

Hey Gary, thank you for the kind words and the wings! It was a fun journey, one where I learned some things along the way. Thanks as well for hosting this GB. It's been a privilege serving with you all. I will stay with the crew until the mission is completed.

You are making nice progress on your project!

PS: The image that you chose is perfect. I would have picked the same.

Bakster: Beautiful job there and a fine tribute to Shepard!

And really nice work there too Gary!

I have started on the astronaut figure. Not much to show so far, I've applied a metric ton of putty to the seams and will be sanding the krap outta him over the coming week or so.

Sweet job Bakster! That looks so cool!

modelcrazy

Sweet job Bakster! That looks so cool!

 

Thanks Steve and Gam...

Merry Christmas! Hope you are having a good one.

Bakster, that really looks super nice! Watching your build, there is no doubt to me that it never would've looked near this good without your tenacity and skills, good job!

So, who is up to building another one, like me?

Ben

DRUMS01

Bakster, that really looks super nice!

Thanks, Drums!

DRUMS01

So, who is up to building another one, like me?

Oh boy, I'll have to think about that one. If I can find an easy one that won't bog me down too much--then I might join the "another one" party. 

GAF, a question: Would a Bell X1A qualify for this GB? I might consider building that as a second model for this GB.

BTW Bakster, the wife and I watched the Reluctant Astronaut last night LOL. A lot of great clips of the Saturn V and S1B. The S1B lifts off like a model rocket compaired to the SV.

Hey Steve, LOL.  I was wondering if you two watched it.  And yeah--I enjoyed seeing all the NASA hardware in that movie. Good point too about the S1B! 

Thanks, guys!  Though I still have a ways to go before finishing anything. 

Gamera> I understand about putty and sanding.  Good luck with the figure!  Look forward to seeing some pictures.

Bakster> Yes, the Bell X-1A would certainly qualify.  Rocket powered aircraft?  Yeah, certainly!  Heck, the NF-104A would be a great build.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Gary

GAF

Bakster> Yes, the Bell X-1A would certainly qualify.  Rocket powered aircraft?  Yeah, certainly!  Heck, the NF-104A would be a great build.

Okay, I'll build another one. A slight change, however. I will build the  X-1 variant and not the X-1A.

Unfortunately, I won't start the kit for a few weeks because I had to order it. I am going with Eduards 1/48 X-1 profiPACK. It comes with masks and PE. It looks like a clean kit and hopefully less work than what I just went through. But, as usual--my brain is bigger than my good sense. I am already formulating custom work that will negate the time saved fixing the model. Sigh. 

As was the Redstone the X-1 has been on my build list for a long time. I currently own Revells 1/33 scale X-1A kit. I looked at it last night and the receipt was still in the box! I bought it for $7 and change almost 30 years ago. I don't even recognize the store that I bought it from! Where has the time gone. Can you believe that price? Unreal. And man--it is a big kit! It looks nicely molded too. I'll save that kit for another time when I have more time. Or maybe just sell it. I am gravitating to smaller kits for lack of space.

Ok--I am done blabbering. 

Updated 12/27: The Revell kit is 1/32 not 1/33. Typo. Also--that kit appears to be the X-1-1. Not sure about all them variants. Others here would have a better knowledge of that.