1/48 Apollo 13 LEM-CSM?

[prowler4]

Just curious

I was reading an older FSM and noticed in their gallery a picture of the LEM-CSM combination.

The caption read that this was a Revell release in 1/48.

Never even heard of such a beast.

Anyone hear of or know of this?

Just wondering.

Might be another thing to add to the stash list.

Edited November 22, 2008 by prowler4

[Randy Wise]

I can fondly remember the old Revell 1/48 scale Apollo Stack. It included the CSM with the LES; the LM and it's adapter panels. By today's standards the whole thing would be considered a "hack" of a model kit. But back then she was a beauty. To a 10 year old boy it was a great toy. The whole thing came apart like the real thing and CSM and LM "docked" and locked together by slightly turning the two vehicles in opposite directions.

If you're still looking for a "Stack", check out Apollo Manics.

Randy

http://apollomaniacs.web.infoseek.co.jp/apollo/modele.htm

[Jay Chladek]

Back when that model was done for FSM, the Revell kit was the ONLY thing available in 1/48 scale. Biggest problem with it is the spacecraft represented was a block 1 CSM and the Lunar Module was based on pre-production mockups. Block 1 craft were built for Earth orbit test flights only. They were built to a design frozen in late 1963 and feature many differences from the block 2 craft (which had their design specs finalized in 1965 while post Apollo fire redesign added a few more changes to the craft). Apollo 1 was going to use a Block 1 craft when the fire broke out, but no Block 1 craft ever did manned flights (they did three unmanned flights).

Best way I can summarize the differences between the two in a nutshell is to compare the differences between a US Navy F-4B Phantom and a USAF F-4E Phantom with slatted wings. At a glance you know they are Phantoms, but up close the differences manifest themselves in many ways. Block 1 and 2 CSMs are like that. Glenn Johnson of Realspace Models built that model for the FSM article and as I recall he used a Monogram LM in place of the Revell one and practically had to rebuild a lot of the CSM to get it up to block 2 standards. It is not an easy job to do.

Today it is a little easier to do such a display. For starters, Realspace has an accurate resin 1/48 Block 2 CSM available and the Monogram LMs are still available from Stevens and coming back out again from Revell next year. There is also a toy 1/48 CSM/LM out from Action Toys (originally done by another company called IPI) and the firm that did it essentially copied the Monogram kit for the LM and scaled down the Monogram 1/32 CSM to 1/48 to make the display. It is a great toy out of the box and can easily be stripped down, rebuilt and accurized further to make a museum quality model display. Of course if you want to do Apollo 13 after the explosion, the internal tanks will need to be built from scratch and at least the Revell kit had that going for it as it had a hinged section that contained the cryo tanks.

[prowler4]

As a follow up

I was in my LHS recently and the guy there (pretty savvy about real space stuff) said the RM was going to re-release almost all of their Apollos stuff - including the Apollo 13 AND the Apollo large scale stack - was that 1/24? From my understanding that was everything above the third stage.

Good times.

[Jay Chladek]

As a follow up

I was in my LHS recently and the guy there (pretty savvy about real space stuff) said the RM was going to re-release almost all of their Apollos stuff - including the Apollo 13 AND the Apollo large scale stack - was that 1/24? From my understanding that was everything above the third stage.

Good times.

The only kits coming back out from Revell USA are the three Monogram kits. They are the 1/48 Apollo 11 LM diorama, the 1/32 Apollo CSM and the 1/144 Saturn V. All of them will apparently have Buzz Aldrin's mug on the box art. The 1/48 CSM, LM and top of a Saturn from the LM garage to the escape tower is not coming out. That kit was originally tooled up by Revell back when Revell and Monogram were seperate companies. Last time that kit was issued was 1994 by Revell of Germany for the 25th anniversary of Apollo 11 and it wasn't out for very long. RM to my knowledge has never issued any of the Apollo kits in Apollo 13 packaging.

[Arkasha]

The only kits coming back out from Revell USA are the three Monogram kits. They are the 1/48 Apollo 11 LM diorama, the 1/32 Apollo CSM and the 1/144 Saturn V. All of them will apparently have Buzz Aldrin's mug on the box art. The 1/48 CSM, LM and top of a Saturn from the LM garage to the escape tower is not coming out. That kit was originally tooled up by Revell back when Revell and Monogram were seperate companies. Last time that kit was issued was 1994 by Revell of Germany for the 25th anniversary of Apollo 11 and it wasn't out for very long. RM to my knowledge has never issued any of the Apollo kits in Apollo 13 packaging.

That's a real shame. With the 40th anniversary of the moon landing coming up, I wanted to set up a display at my school to commemorate the event. Thing is, with the absurd prices the 1/48 CSM commands, I just can't justify plunking down the dough.

[Jay Chladek]

That's a real shame. With the 40th anniversary of the moon landing coming up, I wanted to set up a display at my school to commemorate the event. Thing is, with the absurd prices the 1/48 CSM commands, I just can't justify plunking down the dough.

Not having the Revell 1/48 kit is no great loss. I have one. It is a Block 1 CSM, not a Block 2 module like what all the lunar flights used (numerous detail differences). The LM is also more closely based on an unflown mockup rather then an actual module. So the only real benefits one would get would be the S-IVB adaptor/garage and the LES. Best that could be done with it would be a desktop display model or a toy (the model was used both ways in the movie Apollo 13) as doing it as an accurate piece of flight hardware is A LOT of work. IMHO, one is much better off getting the Realspace Block 2 CSM and combining it with a Monogram LM if they want to do a 1/48 CSM/LM combo. I will admit the model does have a certain 1960s cool factor to it.

On my own 1994 RoG example (which I acquired for a long mothballed attempt to scratchbuild a Saturn 1B in 1/48), I saw evidence that the mold was starting to go bad on the bottom of the S-IVB adaptor section. I have a feeling this could be a reason why the kit hasn't been reissued since that time.

[NebLWeffah]

Not having the Revell 1/48 kit is no great loss. I have one. It is a Block 1 CSM, not a Block 2 module like what all the lunar flights used (numerous detail differences). The LM is also more closely based on an unflown mockup rather then an actual module. So the only real benefits one would get would be the S-IVB adaptor/garage and the LES. Best that could be done with it would be a desktop display model or a toy (the model was used both ways in the movie Apollo 13) as doing it as an accurate piece of flight hardware is A LOT of work. IMHO, one is much better off getting the Realspace Block 2 CSM and combining it with a Monogram LM if they want to do a 1/48 CSM/LM combo. I will admit the model does have a certain 1960s cool factor to it.

Here's my Apollo 11 based on the Revell 1/48 'Eagle and Columbia' kit. It was a bit of work to update it to the Block II flight configuration, but I think the end result was worth it.

cheers

Bob

[mlicari]

:)

Bob! Wow! Awesome!

Mike

[Jay Chladek]

Wow, very nice. I agree the effort was worth it in your case as you pulled off a mighty fine looking model. I'll bet it took A LOT of work though.

[Propellerhead]

Wow Bob, that's beautiful!!!

I've got the Monogram LM and New Ware's set sitting in the stash to become Apollo 12's Intrepid and the RealSpace CM/CSM sitting in the stash.

But with the current Apollo 7 Saturn IB project I'll need a break from short-run kit land before moving from launch vehicles to spacecraft.

Rob

Edited December 22, 2008 by Propellerhead

[NebLWeffah]

Thanks for the kind words everyone, this project realy was a labour of love. I first built this kit when I was a kid and slapped it together in a weekend. I vowed then and there that someday I would do it again and do it right. When the kit was re-released again many years later I bought it and it rested in the stash until I started into it about 4 years ago. I figure I spent almost a year changing the kit from Block I to Block II configuration, plus superdetailing all the antennas and various external equipment bits from the flag pole carrier attached to the LM ladder to the D-ring Neil Armstrong pulled to activate the camera which recorded his steps down the ladder and onto the moon. There's a whole host of other modifications, detailing efforts and updates that went into this model, but some of it included using various types of gold and orange foil (the chocolate bar wrapper stuff was the best...yum yum) and completely rebuilding the decent stage. I used Ultra Bright Chrome Bare Metal Foil for the CM and various other bright foil wrappings. The ascent stage of the LM was skinned in ordinary kitchen foil with the dull side out to give it the aluminum look. I did not use one single bit of after-market stuff on this model save for the flag decals. Everything else is scratchbuilt or modified from the kit.

Thanks for looking, I'm glad real space modelling is alive and well here.

cheers,

:D

Bob