Thanks, Gamera.

Justinryan215

I am really considering turning the rocket into a lamp, but illuminating rocket exhaust made with polyfill.   

Something along these lines... Lego Saturn V blast off

 

Hi,

I don't have any pictures tonight, but I did manage to clean the wings up a bit and attach them to the fuselage.  After that I've mostly been working on the wing/fuselage seems, trying to clean them up and fair them together.  Though I did take some time to make the aft landing gear bay deeper (by cutting out a small piece of styrene in each) and also clean up the pilot figure a little 

PF

Ok, guys I've finally,had some time this past weekend to get started on my Saturn V.  Not much time, but some time.  I've taKen a few photos which I will upload probably this weekend.  I've test fitted the rocket body halve and built sanded and primed the engine bells.  I've got them in black currently, with mist coats of Jet exhaust and aluminium inbound. 

I am really considering turning the rocket into a lamp, but illuminating rocket exhaust made with polyfill.   

Something along these lines... Lego Saturn V blast off

PF: Wow, love that resturant! I'd love to eat there! 

Bakster: Looks good, great work! 

Real G: That looks awesome! Looking forward to seeing how they come together. 

Nice find G

PFJN,

By golly, you can find anything on Ebay.  I just ordered decals for the NASA C-47.  Still dizzy with amazement about that long shot find.  Even if it’s Alps printed.  My first Ebay purchase!

And I was wrong about the paint scheme.  The “NACA” logo on the fin of the R4D photo I found should have tipped me off.  It’s actually just white overall with a blue band cheat line and NASA “meatballs” on the fuselage.

So... Moderators, please sign me up for an R4D to go with the M2F1.

Can't wait to see the two of them together 

So this is what the C-47 looks like after exhuming it from the Closet of Doom.

https://flic.kr/p/29KypAN][/url]R4D-02 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/29Kyp57][/url]R4D-05 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

I'll still need to research the markings a bit before adding it to the fire.

It seems that everyone has gremlins breaking things. Giddy up to the start of the M2F1, Real G. Thumbs up to everyone and their projects. 

Progress on my capsule is progressing. I seem to have licked the white ring issue. Simple enough, I should have. Dang gremlins though, I am holding my breath.

Minor update: I worked on polishing the hatch windows. I found that the quickest and most effective way to do this was to put a piece of acrylic stock into the chuck of my drill, sand a few swipes with a sanding stick, manually turn the chuck, do a few more swipes, turn the chuck and keep repeating. Gradually, using finer grained sanding sticks in the process. I can quickly get a nice and flat polished surface. Doing it free hand produced rounded edges and often, a slant to the piece. I also tried using the drill itself whilst pressing the piece against a polishing stick. This produced swirl marks.

Below: The two on the left are polished, the one on the right is unpolished as a reference. 

I had also experimented with painting the sides black to see how it affects its appearance looking in. I didn't care for it. Leaving it unpainted seems to give the acrylic a lighted look to it. I suppose errant light bounces around all long the piece. I am not sure that it will make that big a difference once it's closed up, but in testing, it seems to hold that effect.

No biggie here--just something for me to post.

Okay, some pics of the start of the M2F1 build:

https://flic.kr/p/NGwQfX][/url]M2F1-21 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

The detail parts are very small and delicate!  I'm weighing whether or not the truss structure behind the ejection seat wil be worth cleaning up versus making a new one from plastic rod.  It will test my eyesight either way!

https://flic.kr/p/NGwQq6][/url]M2F1-22 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

Oops, the instrument mounting bar snapped off not while I was removing it from the casting block, but rather while I was trying to trim off some flash.

https://flic.kr/p/NGwQxR][/url]M2F1-23 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

The teeny-tiny control horns molded to the rudders almost got snipped off.

https://flic.kr/p/2csQ2uR][/url]M2F1-25 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

I also had a look at the Italeri C-47 kit I have in the stash to see what needed work to make it into the tow plane.  I think the biggest challenge is sourcing the specific markings, followed by the color scheme.  From Google, the aircraft in question appears to be white on top, silver on bottom, possibly a dark blue cheat line, silver wings, maybe red-orange fin with yellow band with black NACA logo.  Not sure if the horizontal stabs are red-orange or silver.  R4Ds are not my area of expertise, so questions also remain regarding serial number and wing markings.  If anyone has any information it would be much appreciated!  Or I could just fake it.  

If I use an old Airfix kit, I could probably also enter it in the Airfix Group Build too

PFJN

Hi,

While searching the internet today @ lunch for Space Shuttle pictures I rn across this;

http://airportjournals.com/former-dc-3-airliner-is-now-a-kitchen-on-wheels/

I wonder if I could do a model of it for both the Race to Space Group Build and the DC-3 Group Build

PF

 

 

I'm not the Mission Director PH but I'd say that would qualify, but GAF would have to sign off on it. As far as the DC3 GB, master Keyda is the boss over there.

I just found this information while researching more on my Apollo lunar module. The information I am sharing has to do with the coding and programming during the Apollo timeline. While many of us know that it was a simpilar time, it is mind boggling just how simple it was, here it is:

To begin, it’s awe-inspiring that we went to the moon on so little code — just thousands of lines. Google, an extreme case of simplified coding today, is made up of 2 billion lines of code.

This gap in technology exists because when Apollo 11 was getting ready to launch, code didn’t exist. While developing the Apollo 11 space program, programmers at MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory were inventing flight software we take for granted today.

They did a lot of work with very little space. One programmer has worked out that an iPhone, which we carry around in our pockets today, has enough code to run 120 million Apollo missions.

What the MIT researchers came up with was a new way to store computer programs, called “rope memory,” and they created a new assembly programming language. The language is difficult to read and obscure to most modern programmers.

Kind of wild, right?

Ben

PFJN>  Nice!  It gives an idea of the size of the model laid out beside the paint brushes.  I thought it was bigger, but it actually is way smaller than I imagined.  Good work!

Glad the printer troubles got ironed out. 

Real G>  I had mentioned this in the C-47 / DC-3 GB as a possibility, and Modelcrazy and Lewbud had expressed interest.  Anyone who builds one can use it as an entry in this GB, no problem. 

Nothing to report on my end.  Still considering options for finishing up the LES, and work on the LM descent stage is ongoing (filing and sanding).  Long way to go yet.

Gary

Hi,

While searching the internet today @ lunch for Space Shuttle pictures I rn across this;

http://airportjournals.com/former-dc-3-airliner-is-now-a-kitchen-on-wheels/

I wonder if I could do a model of it for both the Race to Space Group Build and the DC-3 Group Build

PF

Looks awesome to me PF! 

Hi,

This has turned out to be a fairly good weekend, even if I didn't win the PowerBall last night.  

I did however just get off a computer session with a technical representative from my 3D printer company who was able to get their new software set up on my backup laptop, so now I can 3D print again 

Yeah

PF

GAF,

Argh, now you’ve done it!  A quick Google search revealed the R4D(?) that was used to tow the M2F1.  How can I say no to the DC-3/C-47 GB now?  I was trying real hard to stay out of joining another group build, but aw man I’m like a bug being drawn into a zapper!

OK I need to do a quick assessment of mods to the C-47 kit I have, and to source specific markings before committing to jump in another fire.

[quote user="GAF"]

Eagle90>  Wow!  That's a nice Saturn 1B!  You may be the first to finish here if you continue with that rate of progress.  Well done!

Thank you sir.  Not sure I'll be the first done.  Lots of masking to be done.  It's a bit more tedious then I had expected.  Hope to have her painted this week, clear coat it, and get the decals on.  She is a really nice kit.  Going together very well, easy instructions...Airfix did a good job on these space subjects.

modelcrazy

Eagle, now that is sweet looking. That makes me want to put my wee missles aside and work on the big boy in the box.

 

Thank you sir.  The masking is very tedious.  I hope to finish the majority of painting this week.

DRUMS01

Eagle90, that apollo build is looking nice! It will make for a nice display piece.

v/r,

Ben 

 

Thank you sir.  It will look pretty cool on the shelf.  Might have to the Saturn V so it won't be lonely up there.  LOL!

GAF

...

PFJN>  The shuttle is coming along beautifully.  I must admit it reminds me of one of the land-speed cars.  Put some wheels on it and you can go for the land-speed record!

...

Hi,

Not a bad idea.  Good luck with your build.

I usually only get to work on my build a little each day, which has its ups and downs.  It gives everything time to dry between steps, but sometimes progress seems a little slow.

Anyway this weekend was good because I had a bit of time to get some stuff done.  Below is a picture of where I am now.

Here you can see the to flat brushes I have been using for my painting and Bondo work, plus some other parts of my model.

The vertical tail is coming along pretty well and I think that I am almost ready to finish it up, trimming off the lower trailing edge and maybe trying to rescribe the hinge line and maybe some panel lines.

In addition, in black, you can also see two attempts that I made to try and 3D print a canopy.  They didn't turn out so well since I ended up having to trim away the bottom of the 1st one to try and match it to the fuselage, and I also tried to mold some windows.  Unfortunately the whole thing ended up so thin that it began to kind of fall apart on me.  The second one I tried to print out a little thicker but still had some issues so I ended up not using it.

In addition, you can also see the one of the original Thruster pods from the kit.  After looking at it today, I realized that I could have maybe used it as a starting point for the canopy (maybe next time if I ever try a build like this again ).

You can also see my astronaut, compared to one of the earlier attempts to 3D print him.  He seems to be coming along nicely, and I may to start painting him too.  I have to admit that it has been helpful having him to get a better feel of the overall size of the rest of the build 

On the main part of my build you can see how the canopy is coming along.  I find that it is helpful to frequently apply a thin coat of paint to help hide underlying stuff, and make any small dings or dents show up.  Plus it allows me to sketch on some test/reference lines to see how the sides compare, and identify areas that may need cleaning up.

Here I think that maybe on the left hand side if I shave off just a little at the front and back little green arrows that I drew and maybe add just a little putty at the middle arrow, I may be close to done (barring any final clean up of small dings and dents ).

And finally, you can see the wings.  I had set them aside for awhile while I worked on everything else, but now its getting close to time to install them.  I need to do a a little clean up of the slot that the tabs on them slide into, to make sure that the bottom of them align with most of the rest of the bottom of the fuselage, and you can also see on one, where I had to add a little putty because the gap between the wing and aft control surface part of the wing was uneven.  Once that hardens I will try and clean it up abit and then try and rescribed the joint line.  On the other wing, I found that I inadvertantly sanded the trailing edge a little unevenly, so I will likely need to add a little bit of thin sheet styrene to square it off a bit.

Anyway, things seem to be coming along, and I just wanted to share the picture of where I currently am.

PF

Yeah, you guys keep knocking it right outta the park!!! Please keep up the great work!

Mach71>  The tower is looking pretty good from here.  Hard to tell that there's anything wrong.  I did want to ask about the exhaust shield (the cone shaped object just above the attachment ring).  Is that something that you can slide in between the supports?  I was wondering about how it was assembled.

Bakster>  Sorry you're having trouble with paint.  Sometimes it's the little things that give you the most trouble.

PFJN>  The shuttle is coming along beautifully.  I must admit it reminds me of one of the land-speed cars.  Put some wheels on it and you can go for the land-speed record!

Interesting about the Bondo and Mr. Dissolved Putty.  I'm just now trying out some new fillers so maybe I'll give that a try.

Real G>  I've worked with resin very little, but have found it's quite easy to break it.  I feel your pain!  Good luck at cutting!  Oh, and if you check in the C-47/DC3 GB you'll find your tow for the M2F1.

Ben>  Excellent work on the LM, as usual.  Can't wait to see the Ascent Stage and Landing Stage together!  

Eagle90>  Wow!  That's a nice Saturn 1B!  You may be the first to finish here if you continue with that rate of progress.  Well done!

Progress Report:

No pictures this time.  It's kind of a mixed bag, as I spent a lot of time removing paint from the secondary projects I'm going to work on, in addition to tinkering on something else (that D-7 I've had sitting on my desk).  I've redone the nose-cone for the LES so it appears closer to what the final version had, though it may actually be a block II instead of a block I. Plus, I've begun forming the flare skirt around the rocket nozzles.  I've also glued the LM ascent stage halves together and started filling and sanding the Landing Stage.  No real progress, just minor things on the road to completion.

Mission Director (GAF)

Today in Space History

2005 October 28 - .

• Cassini, Titan Flyby, Successful - . Nation: USA. Spacecraft: Cassini.

1971 October 28 - . 04:09 GMT - . Launch Site: Woomera. Launch Complex: Woomera LA5B. Launch Vehicle: Black Arrow.

• Prospero - . Payload: X 3. Mass: 66 kg (145 lb). Nation: UK. Agency: Royal Aerospace Establishment. Class: Earth. Type: Micrometeoroid satellite. Spacecraft: Prospero. USAF Sat Cat: 5580 . COSPAR: 1971-093A. Apogee: 1,403 km (871 mi). Perigee: 531 km (329 mi). Inclination: 82.0000 deg. Period: 104.40 min. To test in space equipment for future satellites and to conduct a scientific experiment to measure the incidence of micro-meteoroids. Launch time 0409 GMT, injection point 13.7 deg S, 137.9 deg E. Anticipated life 100 years. .

Eagle, now that is sweet looking. That makes me want to put my wee missles aside and work on the big boy in the box.

Eagle90, that apollo build is looking nice! It will make for a nice display piece.

v/r,

Ben 

This GB is great!  I'm liking the kits in here and the work is awesome! 

Here is a quick update pic of the Apollo 7.  The bottom part of the rocket is a little challenging to mask up, but I'm getting there.  Each of the reference photos/material I have has a slightly different paint scheme, so I'm kinda winging it.  LOL!

Mach, it looks like your rework has gone well my friend; lookin good. 

Thanks everyone for your kid words and motivating comments. I can only echo what Real G has already said, "Excellent work all around" everyone... 

My next photos of the accent module should be of my completed product. After that I will attach it to the decent stage and work on the plume deflectors as well as other details. 

Ben

Excellent work all around gents!

I started removing the teeny tiny detail bits of the M2F1 from their casting blocks.  It is a sobering reminder of why I like bigger scales now.

i already broke the IP mounting frame, but in my defense, it was really fragile.  The framework supporting the ejector seat rails is super delicate, but so far no breakage.  But one of the seat rails is short shot and needs a new bracket.

I scuffed the nose blister while butchering off the excess plastic.  But no worries, I plan to remake the clear parts anyway.  The kit supplied items will be used as sacrificial mules to test and adjust fit.

No pics till Monday, as I still cannot figure out how to work Flickr from my phone.

PF, you are gonna need a Dynasoar to go with that mini-shuttle!