K2Pete Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 I think I'll play along too ... I built one of these in my very 1st Group Build here on ARC 10 years ago. I've had aftermarket items for this kit for a few years and this is a great time to give 'er a go! Plus, today, July 20th, is the 49th anniversary of the USA's First Lunar Landing ( I'm Canadian ) and this could be a tribute to the US Space program, I guess. I built this back in 1967 or so ... and still love the box art! This is an eBay find and all the parts were there. But, I shall be using not all of them and will be modifying the kit a ... lot. The interior will be from LVM and is PE and resin. The exterior will be accurized using resin from Real Space Models. Decals are from Rick Sternbach's Space Model Systems. PE got a Vinegar bath and the resin pieces were washed up too. This will represent mission 9A. I had built this particular mission already but the model was sold to a collector a few years ago and I still have the ATDA ( Angry Alligator ) model and I want to display both of these together again, for the first time. Thanx for taking a peek :^ D Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airmechaja Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Best looking capsule NASA designed. Always wanted to build one. I'll never forget where I was July 20, 1969 when they landed on the moon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Revell and Monogram sure did have some great space craft models...and great box art to accompany them too ! I have the Saturn V rocket in the stash. I think its 1/144 scale? I picked it up at Kennedy Space Center back in the 80's. Perhaps I should dust it off for this GB. Anyways, I'll be following along. Good luck on your build! Regards. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RKic Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Holy crap! This is entirely new to me! PS. Did Gemini astronauts ever space walk? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john53 Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 (edited) Nice kit! I think I did this when I was in 8th grade, about 1967, it was new and I am old! Really going to keep an eye on this, I built the 1/48 Revell- Mercury-Gemini kit last year.---John BTW I remember the Gemini "space walks".---John Edited July 21, 2018 by john53 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 Wow!! That is a cool old kit! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
viper50 Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 I too remember building this one way back in the mid sixties. Tube glue, Pactra gloss enamels brush painted, silvered decals. Good times. Looking forward to seeing all the AM parts go on your build. Still have one in the stash. Don M. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airmechaja Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 14 hours ago, RKic said: Holy crap! This is entirely new to me! PS. Did Gemini astronauts ever space walk? Yes. It was one of their goals. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kurt H. Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 This looks like an interesting project. Is that really all the parts in the 2nd picture? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted July 22, 2018 Author Share Posted July 22, 2018 Rkic, here's a 3 minute video showing the very first US EVA or Spacewalk. Skip to 1:20 for the EVA. This Gemini program worked out all of the questions that needed answers in order to land on the Moon. Gemini's 9A, 10, 11 and 12 also had EVA's but only Buzz Aldrin's "walk" on 12 was completely successful. Kurt H. ... those parts are what I'm gonna use ... here's the rest of 'em ... mainly fuel tanks ... I've had a productive day or so ... cutting, fitting, but no gluing, yet. The resin pieces were removed from their pour blocks .. In order to build and install the PE interior, the old Ejection Seats had to be cut out and removed, replaced with a Brass plate. The Reaction Control Thrusters need to be drilled out and will be replaced with Aluminum Tubing This is the kit part and the resin updated part, just to give you an idea. This kit and virtually ALL of Revellogram's Space model kits were designed on the initial mock ups and were seriously lacking in any details as it related to the flown versions. The nose had to be removed to be replaced by the resin Radar assembly And the 2 window coves needs to be replaced too ... ... just dry fit ... there'll be a lot of sanding and filing. and the hole for the stand needed to be filled. It's a scrap piece of styrene and will be filed to match the corrugations. Thanx for looking in gents! Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bashace Posted July 23, 2018 Share Posted July 23, 2018 When I move back stateside for good, I'm going to start building spacecraft for my man-cave! I love everything about the Space Program of the 60's and early 70's! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted July 24, 2018 Author Share Posted July 24, 2018 Adding updated pieces goes on ... access panels and new Thrusters ... This is going pretty well but there's still a lotta little details to sleuth and build and then all the PE. I'm gonna try soldering it all as the PE is quite thick ... Now, I've soldered my copper plumbing pipes but never anything this small ... this'll be something quite new for me ... till later Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drifterdon Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 This has to be one of my all time favorite kits I built as a kid. Looking fantastic so far Pete. Following along with this one. Still have one or two of these kits in the stash. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 Wow, that update set sure makes a difference. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airmechaja Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 Is this kit easy to find still? How about the after market stuff? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted July 26, 2018 Author Share Posted July 26, 2018 Thanx a lot for taking a peek gents! Drifterdon, when I built this kit in the 60's, it was built in an afternoon and I played with it ... a ... lot! Tucking in a 'parachute' into the nose throwing it out the 2nd floor window and doing it over and over ... this kit has a lotta good memories too! phantom, the update set is just the thrusters, the access panels are all cut outta styrene sheet and glued on. airmechaja, I don't know if the updates are still available ... LVM's website, the interior PE, doesn't seem to be up and CultTvman, the retailer, doesn't have this update posted. Here's the other update set ... http://www.realspacemodels.com/shop-galapagos/?category=1%2F24+Conversion I've been detailing the exterior of the Adapter section with styrene sheet and strip and tweezers and a magnifier! This is the styrene tube installed to mount the model ... adding strip details to the upper rim ... ... and to the lower rim ... ... and this should do it for the exterior. It'll get painted all the same shade of White and decaled later on ... till next posting Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Awesome work Pete! Boy you are making this old kit pop! Well done Sir! Regards. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kurt H. Posted July 29, 2018 Share Posted July 29, 2018 That is an impressive amount of work, this build is quite inspiring. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted July 29, 2018 Author Share Posted July 29, 2018 Thanx Don! Kurt H. ... all the Real Space kits that I've done are all very inaccurate and were originally kitted in the 1960's and '70's ... so this much 'work' to make 'em more accurate is where I get my fun! The research, the sleuthing of images is all part and parcel to my enjoyment in building these models. I've built a few aircraft models and they're just too easy ... I do NOT want a kit that just 'falls together' ... I wanna get styrene dust all over the place!! :^ D And I'm just coming to the realization that you guys are not at all familiar with this element of the US Space program. Here's an image of a Gemini Spacecraft station-keeping with another Gemini vehicle in 1965 or 66 ... not at 600 mph, not at 1200 mph ... not even 6500 mph ... but speeding along at over 17,500 mph and got to within 10 feet of each other. These Test Pilots astound me, which is one other element of the US Space program that has kept me fascinated for over 55 years. As an aside, being Canadian, the designer of this Gemini vehicle was a Canadian who started working for NASA after being axed, along with 14,000 other employees, from the Avro Arrow program. Here's another showing a bit of the aft Adapter section. The Gold foil insulation will be on my model as well, later on. The insulation is there to protect the Fuel tanks and other equipment from direct sunlight. till later Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted July 29, 2018 Author Share Posted July 29, 2018 I needed to sand down some surface detail in order to replace it with some PE ... but trying to solder it down ... just melted the plastic!! .. KIDDING ... just kidding. Just wanted to see who's paying attention!! But seriously now ... I thought the soldering would be the hardest part ... this PE bending is a PITA! For you guys that have done complex folding, are these instructions typical? You can see the flat and the formed one, but the formed one took a few unbending and rebendings times and took about 35 minutes! The thinking involved is almost beyond me ... should I be bending starting from the inside folds and work my way out? I've used the Bending tool ( 1st time ) as well as long needle nose pliers and a steel ruler and Razor blade. I figured the pro bending tool would suffice ... These Ejection Seats have tabs ... DOWN bends ... and UP bends ... long edges that don't fit in the Pro tool ... and trying to figure out the order ... WHEW-W-w-w! Is there a rule of thumb you can offer? ... or is this simply a case of "Pete, just bend it any way you can. The only important thing is how it looks when you're finished" Any good advice you can offer will be most appreciated. If not, then I guess this old fart will figure it out ... Thanx Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted July 31, 2018 Author Share Posted July 31, 2018 After trying to figure out just how to fold these pieces ... and it DID take some figuring ... I had the main seat frame done. But, I had folded two folds the wrong way and bent 'em back ... and ... it broke. I had no idea this thick-ish brass would fatigue so easily. I used CA to hold it temporarily, till it gets soldered. ... the jig ... ... after gluing ... this was all 1 piece ... these folds were a sonovagun! The PE so far-r-r ... The interior of the hatches ... still more to do on these ... Here's what a flat looks like. Some bend UP, some bend down ... and trying to figure out how to get into those little tabs ... YIKES! ... after folding ... This part is the top of the Ejection Seat and I just don't know how I'm gonna get in there to solder it. I get the feeling it's gonna be messy! Onward and upward ... Thanx for taking a peek! Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airmechaja Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 I've bent enough PE for cockpits to say that's childs play compared to what you're bending! Those are complex bends and folds in micro scale. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kurt H. Posted July 31, 2018 Share Posted July 31, 2018 Nice recovery from the Broken PE. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 airmechaja ... thanx! This is good to know. I've used PE before but with very simple folds and CA glue. This ... THIS is way out of my wheelhouse. So it's comforting to know I'm not alone! Kurt H. ... thanx! I hafta say, you 2 mods are doing a nice job keeping the participation level pretty high! phantom, with your 'modding' experience, how would you rate this GB, or will you wait till the end. And seeing how fast most of you are with your builds, is 6 months necessary? I'll need a few more weeks fer sher, but that's just me. So far, I'm impressed with the participation levels! While learning how to solder mini bits, i needed a break and noticed that the original kit had embossed indications of latches. So I carved 'em out with some old carving tools I have ... Latch mechanism at the top of the hatch. I added bits of styrene to add some thickness to the PE parts. While sleeping, I had the brain wave that these PE bits might be in the wrong position at the bottom of the hatch. After a little more research, yup, wrong place. So I used some de-bonder and replaced 'em. The instructions are pretty poor on this update kit. And I see that their website is gone too ... that's too bad. I added small bits of styrene as standoffs and repositioned the PE. Playing with prepping for solder, and clamping these tiny bits, I'm realizing that CA or Gorilla Glue may be the way to go. I've watched a Paul Budzik video on soldering but this may take too long to learn how to do it for modelling ... but one way or the other, these'll get done. This is crude, rough and messy and I need to get good at this ... This Photo Etch is a kit in itself and is holding back my progress, but ... I have to figure this out. Thanx for taking a peek lads! Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drifterdon Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Great job thus far Pete. I was trying to find the PE for this kit but now I'm having second thoughts based on all the issues your having. Kudos to you for pressing on. I did order the RealSpace Models resin though. One thing I've never known the answer to is what the black lines on the aft sections were for. Were they used to detect roll rate or something? Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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