Revell Mercury-Atlas 1/110

[Eric Mc]

OK - scratch that.
There was a reason Revell didn't provide a full diameter cylinder for the top of the spacecraft. The lattice work of the launch escape tower is too thick to fit around anything larger than the little "spike" provided. This is probably down to moulding limitations back in 1959. Discretion rather than valour so I've decided to stick with what Revell provided.

[John Leah]

Hi Eric

Nice to meet you at Modelfest a fortnight back - thanks for all the helpful information about the shuttle tile and project disaster points - your display of rockets looked great up against Andrew's Thunderbird spread

Looking for ward to seeing you at the next club meeting

John Leah (the guy with the Concorde display at Farnborough)

[Eric Mc]

Luckilly you managed to escape - I could chat all day about space related matters I've just finished reading another Shuttle related book "Bold They Rise" - which covers the programme from the first mission up to the Challenger disaster.

Unfortunately, I may have to miss next Monday's Farnborough club meet as I plan to be away in our motorhome - weather permitting.

[Eric Mc]

Still chugging along with this project. Plenty to do still but it's beginning to look like something now -

|http://thumbsnap.com/SNP3LX4Z[/img]

|http://thumbsnap.com/1b4hxvyC[/img]

[ShaunW]

Excellent, that is building up into a fine piece Eric. The inclusion of the launch pad by Revell really takes the thing to a higher level - quite something for a kit of this vintage.

[Eric Mc]

The pad isn't too inaccurate either. Looking at pictures it does resemble Launch Complex 14 which was the pad used for the Mercury/Atlas launches. The main inaccuracies are the colours indicated in the instruction sheet. Revell would have you paint the various pipes etc various reds and yellows. In reality they were all differing shades of grey - which is how I have painted them.

They also included some of the servicing vehicles in the kit and these are the bits that look the least realistic - being too toy like. I will probably omit most of them although I may include the truck cab which can be positioned ahead of the cradle structure on which the Atlas was hauled to the launch pad.

I'm looking to place the pad on a base of some sort and am trying to figure out how best to represent the ground on which the pad was set.

[Eric Mc]

Still plugging away at my Atlas. Currently, I'm adding all the little "bits and bobs" to the launch platform. To be honest, I don't know what half these are suppose to represent, but they look to me like workstations for pad crew and automatic fire and water hydrants for coping with fuel spillages and fires on the pad - which were not unheard of with Atlas launches.

It's all rather tedious and unphotogenic, but will add to the overall look of the final display, I'm sure.

[Eric Mc]

I'm calling this finito. To be honest, I'm gagging to start on a new model - a straightforward aeroplane for a change - so I'm glad to put this one to bed. It's an awkward shape to photograph being long and tall, so I'll apologise in advance for the quality of the pictures




[imghttp://thumbsnap.com/s/RDwiK8IS.jpg][/img]

[MarkyM607]

Looks good, nice one .

[iggie]

Looks really good; nice to see it completed!

[Eric Mc]

It was a bit of a struggle in the end. And I can't really see how I can transport it anywhere,. It's a very awkward shape and quite fragile.

[SBO]

It was a bit of a struggle in the end. And I can't really see how I can transport it anywhere,. It's a very awkward shape and quite fragile.

That is a shame as the kit looks so good! I am really impressed with how much stuff you get with it. You have really done it justice.

[ShaunW]

Excellent Eric, that really does look good. I agree, it does rather present some transport issues!

[Eric Mc]

A bit like the real thing - which had to be moved around VERY carefully - and then pumped full of helium when it was erected just to stop it collapsing under its own weight.

[bobblelink]

Fantastic!