A simple title block for a simple diagram: a Consolidated Vultee layout drawing for a display model of the B-36 bomber (Air Drawing 42).
Jul 042014
Jun 302014
Now here I’ll be *really* surprised if nobody can figure out what it’s going to be, especially after the hint given the last time…
Jun 232014
A rather uninformative (no narration) NASA-Langley video of supersonic wind tunnel testing of the proposed Space Launch System. Interesting for the shots of the model itself (nice to see actual models, rather than just CGI), as well as a few shots showing the shock waves shed off the body.
[youtube 8NxB0KAsous]
Jun 222014
It’s been a bad half-year for model work. Scratch that: it’s been a piss-poor half year. Starting somewhere around October, I began to be beset with issues (weather, travel, financial and especially health) that put a serious damper on my ability to work on both CAD and physical models. The result is that I am *really* behind on some projects. Some for Fantastic Plastic, others for private individuals/companies. But now that winter *finally* seems to be over (I had to run the furnace just a few days ago, now the AC is on), there are no near-term travel plans, APR V3N4 is out and a few recent bronchitis scares blew past without going full-blown, I’m back to working on models, both physical and digital.
The next all-new one I’m working on for FP will, I think, turn out pretty spiffy. It’s actually going to be a conversion kit, starting with a conventional, easily-obtained plastic kit as the basis. In a few days I hope to have a few things worth showing. But in the meantime, here’s a hint as to what the subject will be:
May 292014
The Revell plastic model kit company is soliciting ideas for new models they’ll produce. You can vote and submit new ideas here:
Some of the ideas include (remember, these are just suggestions from the peanut gallery, and Revell is under no compulsion to actually produce them… however, higher vote counts just might help):
2001 – Discovery 1
ESA Hermes shuttle
X-303 Prometheus 1 :350
1/1400 BC-304 Daedalus
Lunar Module 32nd Scale
32nd Scale Gemini Space Capsule
U.S.S. Grissom Oberth Class starship
2001 : Boeing Aries IB
NASA & USAF Lifting Bodies
Hubble Telescope 1 :72
1 :32 Apollo CSM Block 2 Columbia
1/144 Skylab and Salyut Space Stations
1/48 Space Shuttle Orbiter
Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne 1/72
Lockkheed AH-56 Cheyenne 1/48
Douglas XA2D-1 Skyshark
Lockheed A-12 1/144
T-4 ‘Sotka’ 1/144
1 :48 Bell YFM-1 Airacuda
1/32 A-10 C ‘Warthog’
Lockheed A-12 / M-21 & D-21 1 :48
North American AJ Savage 1/72nd scale
Firefox
May 222014
A 1976 film from Rockwell International describing the Space Shuttle concept, design and current construction status. A lot of art, and footage of the full-scale mockup. And a lot of claims about the Shuttle that just didn’t come to pass.
[youtube OpR23HHRlLI]
May 012014
Turns out the HL-20 mockup built many years ago not only survived, it’s on display at the Wings Over The Rockies aviation museum near Denver. It seems to be in generally good shape, though it appears to be missing its landing gear doors. Sadly, while you can seen up into it, you’re not allowed to go crawling around in it. Would’ve liked to have seen the cockpit. Well, one day someone will send a camera equipped quadcopter in there, I suppose…
May 012014
This is pretty much the final version of the 1/48 MOL model. If you get this kit – and I recommend that you do, cuz it’ll be awesome – I suggest bonding the “feet” to a walnut or oak board. That should make it good and sturdy. It should be lightweight yet fairly strong due to some simple internal bracing. A new type of locating pin/feature/thingies will be used this time… if successful and popular, I expect to use ’em more.
Coming soon: a 1/48 Dyna Soar/Adapter/Transtage to go alongside this.
Apr 262014
If you’re gonna do it, overdo it. For example, here’s what an operational anti-missile Space Based Laser might’ve looked like, compared to the Zenith Star experimental laser and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory. Kinda bignormous, with a 50-foot diameter primary mirror. Details on this are shockingly lean, with the model put together using two tiny diagrams and one poorly reproduced bit of artwork… and they don’t agree with each other on everything. So a lot of this is guesswork. It’s not even close to done, but I thought some of y’all might be interested. The “tail end” of the operational SBL has what I’m assuming is an SP-100 nuclear reactor for running non-laser systems. The laser itself would be chemical, not nuclear, with around 80 shots worth of fuel.
Apr 252014
The CAD model for the 1/48 MOL kit for Fantastic Plastic nears completion. It is being modeled to represent the final generic design, without a whole lot of extra parts to keep costs down. However, the design is such so if you want to model one of the more complex versions, this will be easy to do.
Here is the MOL CAD model shown to scale with a Zenith Star CAD model I’ve built. Because… why not?
The Zenith Star is not planned to be produced as a kit, but rather was produced for the purposes of creating diagrams for a potential book (discussed HERE). Still, it’d make a snazzy – if rather desperately expensive – display model.
The view below shows the planned basic construction of the MOL model. A few external shells supported by internal rigidizing supports.
