spellbinder99 Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Well, I picked up my Amodel kit yesterday and Moses!, it is a big box and kit. Impressive box art painting of the Energya/Buran boosting away from the launch pad. For scale it is longer than the Dragon Saturn V kit box by a fair bit and for a change the box is fairly full of parts. Amodel pack their kits very well with the centre core, external boosters and Orbiter wrapped in cling wrap and all the detail sprues packed in appropriate sized zip-loc bags. In addition the four external boosters are taped together then wrapped in a sleeve of bubble wrap. The Energya core is a one piece fibreglass moulding that is basically completed with detail parts for the ribbed sections, antenna, engine bells and various feed lines. It is a BIG moulding that will stand impressively larger than a shuttle external tank. The detail parts look well moulded and have good detail that matches my available reference. Even the main engine bells have the cooling lines (?) moulded as separate parts. The four external boosters again come as full length mouldings that have stickers on them that define their part numbers. If you feel tempted to peel them off be aware that each booster is handed side to side and in its pair, so marking their numbers somewhere on them would be appropriate. In typical Soviet era fashion there are four engine bells per booster and four on the core so there will be at least 23 to assemble and fettle if you include the Orbiter. The same comments apply to these as the main core, the details seem to actually be a bit better for being moulded separately due to the multi media nature of the kit but keep track of which of the four boosters you are building at a time as they vary in the placement of the separation motors and other parts. The mold lines on the fibreglass are pretty well cleaned up but will need some fitting and fettling, but standard modelling abrasives seem to handle the job OK. The Orbiter kit parts are identical to those provided in the stand alone kit, the only concession to this version is the instructions mention a gear up assembly option for the mounted Orbiter. The decal sheet is likewise identical as the one provided in the stand alone kit having the Energya decals on the same sheet. Upshot is that I have a spare set of Energya decals should I need them. There are a few downsides to the kit, even to someone like myself who has been waiting five years since the initial announcement for the kit to arrive. The kit is expensive, my cost being 3 times the local cost of the Revell 1/72 Shuttle full stack kit but the chances of an injection moulded kit of the subject? I am not going to bet on that pony! There is no in box option to open the bay doors and detail the payload bay, a pity especially as the Buran bay in my mind looks significantly different to the Shuttle version and has twin manipulator arms to boot. The flip side to me is that I prefer the lines of the Buran with the doors closed. The provided stand is assembled from clear parts with a screw going into the base of the core. I have my doubts whether it will suffice given the overall bulk and weight of the model. I intend to go at least initially with a scaled up version of the simplified launch pad representation seen in the STC-Start 1/288 kit. Cheers Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Hi Tony, this seems to be an interesting kit, can you show us some pictures for better understanding? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bubble Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Tony , i have almost done this model kit , i,m on 80 % now , you need a lot of filler spray primer for a good surface , i also fill the shuttle the ET and four stacks with purpose foam . watch where surfaces and thin, I have two holes made with a sanding , it,s a nice model but hugh specialy as all the parts come togetter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mario krijan Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Interesting kit! Please post some photos :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spellbinder99 Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share Posted August 26, 2013 Fantastic job Bubble,you have been really quick building that! Is that the paint scheme recommended in the instructions? I agree with what you say about filling the tank and boosters with foam, there are a few thin spots that would probably be OK but will be more secure with some form of backing. I also note you have reinforced the tank to booster attach pins with longer rods? Again an idea that struck me as soon as I saw the size of the parts. I would love to see a picture when it is all stacked together. Cheers Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I was hoping a vendor might have this for sale at the IPMS USA Nationals in Colorado last weekend, but nobody did. So I will either wait for Squadron to get it (which they should here pretty soon as they also stock AModel's monster sized 1/72 Do-X) or go another route. I've wanted to build a Buran stack myself for a few years now after having done the Master Modell 1/288 model back in 1994. Where I would stick the thing when finished is the big question though if it is indeed bigger than a Monogram shuttle stack (of which I have built two). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mario krijan Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Looks fantastic! Thanks Bubble! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bubble Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 the paint scheme was 90 % good , and i have see a few burean energia combi, on photo,s and the they are diffent of scheme example : the engine,s some are outside black other more gun metal . top nose ET hole white ,other one light gray , some with orange rings the pins in the ET and stacks i did by myself ( brass tube/rod ) , for connect the four srb,s to the ET and the shuttle to the ET , i was 90 % sure that it will come loose by the standart kit system and i did the ET and stack,s fill with purpose foam and make it stronger but also heavyer . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bubble Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 the model is now put togetter , last details/decals now , and make it a little older and it can over a few days on the base vertical :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spellbinder99 Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Fantastic job Bubble! Cheers Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mario krijan Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Great work! Looks magnificent! Cant wait to see decals on them :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Berkut Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Looks very sharp bubble! Will be nice to see it in vertical and with decals. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 My, my, my that DOES look excellent! You do build consistently great models! Did you put any texture to simulate the white tiles onto Buran? Thanx Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bubble Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Thanks people , !!! , yes some laser cut try out stikker sheet i have try out , mabe by a other time i can do try it out on a hole shield , i,m still wait on the base , bought yesterday a M6 threaded rod of a meter for in the base for a part in the base . in the ET exactly in the middle between the large engines is a molded screw thread connection. about 10 mm deep , you can srew the hole model on to it . in the kit is a base stand with also a screw , but by a other base you need a longer rod . The model can also be loose and well right vertically on its own engines without falling over :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
x3mperformance Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 (edited) This is a AWESOM kit. And Bubble, you are doing a great job. Really nice model, you have in my mind catched the essence of it, lots of different Shades of White, just as many grey colors and some Black. Nothing to keep it shiny and polished. It could however use some small degree of weathering. You have an good eye for the details. I actually didn't know that the Buran had it's main engines at the bottom of the "ET", i did however knew, it only had two main engines on the orbiter. I just assumed that the extra power was gained by the double set of ernergia packs.... Now i know why NASA stated that the SRB's was the most powerfull boosters on and off this planet. But a impressive model. If i success with my 1/72 Space Shuttle Stack, i will continue with this. Greetings Rene' Edited August 28, 2013 by x3mperformance Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Oh man, totally cool. Bubble, if possible, can I ask a favor of you? I'm trying to find a photo of this compare to Revell Shuttle to see the difference in size. Can you take photo of it with a soda to give me a size comparison? TIA. Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 (edited) Hi Mike, this drawing to scale gives a good size comparison of the Soyuz rocket, Space shuttle and Energia-Buran. Source: wikipedia.org During the Energia/Buran stack with 59 m is approx. 3 m higher than the Shuttle stack, the Shuttle orbiter (37.24 m) is a little bit longer than the Buran (36.37 m). Edited August 29, 2013 by spaceman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Awesome...Thanks Brother!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bubble Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 the end result people , i must take a little distance take the hole shot so big is she the red one :) this kit i give a 7+ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Hi bubble, my compliment, the stack looks fantastic and you did a great job. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted August 29, 2013 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Nice work. The display stand also compliments the stack very well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 This is a nice looking model and I can just see this and a 1/72 Shuttle Stack side by side ... that would be an impressive display. But one tiny thing you might want to correct, Bubble, if this is going to a client ... on the plaque a spelling error ... 2nd line "trust" should be "thrust". It'll be good to see yours come together too Tony! I'm looking forward to seeing all the WIP pix! Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bubble Posted August 30, 2013 Share Posted August 30, 2013 thanks people ,, yep my swenglish language is always a problem :( new one than :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
x3mperformance Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 (edited) thanks people ,, yep my swenglish language is always a problem :(/>/> new one than :)/>/> Swnglish... Not much better than my Danglish... Think we might be "neighbors"... It's an impressive model when it gets upright. Nice Work Bubble. Rene' Edited August 31, 2013 by x3mperformance Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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