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Author Topic:   Apollo command module control panel replica
Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 50163
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-27-2021 06:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
collectSPACE
Hollywood artists offer full-scale replica of Apollo spacecraft controls

You can now take the controls of a historic NASA spacecraft ā€” literally.

A team of Hollywood prop and visual artists are offering replicas of the Apollo command module control panel. The museum-quality reproduction features every switch, knob and indicator that was used on board the first three missions to land astronauts on the moon and to bring the Apollo 13 crew safely back to Earth.

Rocket Chris
Member

Posts: 431
From: Guttentag
Registered: Nov 2009

posted 07-29-2021 05:16 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rocket Chris   Click Here to Email Rocket Chris     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Wow, so definitely in this offer. Imagine a full scale CM panel with moveable switches and toggles plus backlight for 1200 bucks... whaaat?!!?

Everyone who's not joining this one is for nuts! I am in!

Spacehardware
Member

Posts: 139
From: Durley
Registered: Jan 2008

posted 07-29-2021 06:16 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Spacehardware   Click Here to Email Spacehardware     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
What an outstanding and beautiful piece of art. I do hope he reaches his goal.

Make the next one a LM control panel with all the bells and whistles and I'm in. Set it up in a room with an infinity wall, projector and a bit of imagination and voila! Moon landing 2.0.

David C
Member

Posts: 1393
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012

posted 07-29-2021 10:14 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Iā€™m in. Hope it works out. A long way to go.

Headshot
Member

Posts: 1196
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 08-02-2021 08:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Does anyone know how heavy each of the three versions would be?

h00ktern
Member

Posts: 15
From: FL, USA
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 08-18-2021 07:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for h00ktern     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I do not think he listed weight as yet. He's probably having to wait until one gets put together. Looking at the photo of the center metal panel which he just got back, it looks like pretty thick aluminum.

fbullington
Member

Posts: 10
From: Houston, TX USA
Registered: Feb 2016

posted 08-18-2021 07:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for fbullington   Click Here to Email fbullington     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This is amazing! Backing this 100% - Please share with any space enthusiasts you know, really want this to be fully funded.

spaceheaded
Member

Posts: 169
From: MD
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 08-20-2021 03:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaceheaded     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This really has my interest and I've begun discussions with my finance department (a.k.a. dear wife).

Hmmm... at these prices, I bet the whole rocket could be built for somewhere in the 6-figure range!

h00ktern
Member

Posts: 15
From: FL, USA
Registered: Jan 2011

posted 08-20-2021 07:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for h00ktern     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I backed this one. It's actually cheaper than what I paid for The Real spacewalker model, and only a few hundred more than the upcoming moonwalker is forecast to cost. And if he gets funded and does a LEM, I'll be all over that too! Many thanks to Mr. Pearlman for finding this, and giving it some good space on the site.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 50163
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-22-2021 01:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Due to manufacturing changes, the half-scale plastic injection-molded model and the plastic full-scale edition are no longer available and the price for the full-scale metal control panel has increased to $3,900.

From the project:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, manufacturing pipelines, tooling, and other various sourcing supplies, we, unfortunately, will have to raise our prices to reflect the actual costs of producing the CMCP metal edition with real toggle switches in limited numbers (under 250).

For all of you who have already pledged, consider it like buying Tesla or Amazon when the stock was only fifteen dollars. Your reward is now easily worth 4X more than you paid.

Several things have recently changed: our metal panel supplier is no longer available, and we had to source a new one. Unfortunately, the price skyrocketed for various reasons, and our costs for the 3 metal 1/4" laser-cut aluminum panels are now almost $700. The circumstances regarding our injection molding vendor changed because of the lack of a large volume to offset mold-making expenses.

I can not state enough the complexity and number of custom-made parts. The limited number of units has caused us to reevaluate our business model and find the most effective way to produce it with the most satisfactory results.

We will still give away ten acrylic CMCP panels for free to those who have already contacted us from a museum or educational institution.

Rocket Chris
Member

Posts: 431
From: Guttentag
Registered: Nov 2009

posted 08-22-2021 11:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rocket Chris   Click Here to Email Rocket Chris     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well I am glad being one of the early birds catching that offer. Anyway if it also would raise 100% I still would be in... but 400%?! What the duck? This is way too much, as well if you count in fees and customs which come plus onto it.

Strategically It would be smarter to calculate the price more accurate and raise it then 25-50%. I guess that this increase will not realize the project, sad to hear.

hbw60
Member

Posts: 299
From:
Registered: Aug 2018

posted 08-23-2021 01:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for hbw60   Click Here to Email hbw60     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Mr. Lasoff has spent a lot of time working on this project, and he's already in production, with daily updates for backers. I think it's clear that even if the Kickstarter campaign doesn't reach its goal (which is almost certainly going to be the case), he'll create another one with a lower threshold, or just sell them directly. I don't think he'll abandon this completely. He's done too much work already.

But I don't imagine that the original backers who pledged $1000 will still have access to that price. Most likely, everyone will have to pay the new $4000 price, which is unfortunate. I was happy to pay $1000 for such a remarkable item, but $4000 is outside of my budget.

According to the campaign update, the problem is that he has to go through a new supplier, and the price for machining the parts is very high because the quantity is so low. By far, the most expensive work for the machine shop is setting up the templates/molds. Once that's done, the individual cost of creating items is rather low in comparison. So when the order is small, that setup cost is spread over fewer items, and the price goes up dramatically. So if he were to double/triple the amount of orders, the price would drop back down toward the earlier levels.

So instead of using the short-term, low-quantity funding method of Kickstarter, I think a better solution for this project would be a business loan. That would increase the amount that could be produced, which would lower the price again. And then they could be sold for a longer period of time than the brief Kickstarter window. And with a final product ready to ship, people will be more willing to make a purchase, without taking the risk of Kickstarter.

I was one of the people who got burned by Master Replicas, when they opened pre-orders for a $1000 HAL 9000 replica, and then declared bankruptcy and walked away with our money without producing anything at all. As a result, I have a really difficult time trusting any type of crowdfunding project, and I know a lot of people share that wariness. Mr. Lasoff is clearly a reliable and honest person, but I just don't know if the Kickstarter model is best suited for such an expensive, high-quality product. If he were able to find a way to have these ready to ship upon purchase, and if he were able to get the price closer to the original $1000, I think these would be extremely popular.

Retro Rocket
Member

Posts: 469
From: Santa Paula, Ca,. USA
Registered: Dec 2007

posted 08-23-2021 11:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Retro Rocket   Click Here to Email Retro Rocket     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Having built a few full scale panels of Apollo and the Space Shuttle I was very skeptical of the prices they were offering. When it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

Charlie16
Member

Posts: 543
From: Italy
Registered: Dec 2010

posted 08-24-2021 02:29 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Charlie16   Click Here to Email Charlie16     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
As you know, a few years ago (2011) I rebuilt a complete command module. I cut the panels out by plasma and rebuilt all the instrumentation.

Actually, about $1000 may be low if you build one of them, but if you build in series, the costs come down a lot. I think a middle ground is more fair and affordable for many. We'll see.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 50163
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 08-25-2021 11:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just a few days after the price and option changes, the campaign continues to attract new backers. With more than $76,000 raised, they are now just over 50 percent funded with 26 more days to go.

The project has also added a few new options to the $3,900 full-scale metal replica:

  • $949: Three aluminum laser-cut panels (bare bones); No instruments, no switches, no parts for anyone who wanted to build their own. Includes left, center and right aluminum laser cut panels only.

    This is for anyone who already pledged for the STL file set and wants to build their own replica.

  • $995: All of the above plus the STL files.

  • $1495: Apollo 11 command module control panel full-scale replica with six acrylic panels. Materials are plastic and acrylic and includes 200 real toggle switches.

David C
Member

Posts: 1393
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012

posted 09-15-2021 02:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So although this project appeared to be falling short of its Kickstarter goal, Mr. Lasoff has posted a very interesting update:
We have not posted any updates recently because we have been discussing with someone who would like to invest a significant amount to help our cause. What they are proposing would significantly reduce our costs and bring all the tooling we need in-house.

We are no longer concerned with reaching our goal because we will have the resources available through this third party. We will continue on our original path of completing one prototype within the next two weeks. We will showcase it in a museum here in Albuquerque and publish photos for everyone to see.

We will have a 1/2 scale version certainly available. The full size is quite impressive but too big for many collectors' homes. The half-scale is still large enough that it feels real but with half the space.

I have not been able to post any photos because I have been out of town on another project but will be back this weekend to post updates.

But I wanted to let all of you know don't be disappointed if we do not make our goal because we now have an alternate solution that will help us get funding without needing a Kickstarter. Once we're up and running, you will be able to place an order directly and have it delivered within 60 days. So there will be no risk at all.

Our focus now is to complete a prototype and showcase it.

That's mixed news for me as an early backer. Great that it looks like it's going to happen, but I fear it will be at several multiples of what I hoped to pay.

SpaceAholic
Member

Posts: 5235
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-15-2021 03:21 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceAholic   Click Here to Email SpaceAholic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
VC money flows into an Apollo replica project ā€” who could the potential suspect(s) be? Hmmm.

Rocket Chris
Member

Posts: 431
From: Guttentag
Registered: Nov 2009

posted 09-16-2021 12:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rocket Chris   Click Here to Email Rocket Chris     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Well, the early birds were those who gave the initial kick-off and I also fear that the project won't be realized on KS. The mysterious backer could also flow his money on KS and it would be realized.

Also the statement that the original version is too big for most is quite interesting, this means that the full scale model will just be available for a marvelous price... and that sucks!

proxima1
New Member

Posts: 9
From: San Jose, CA
Registered: May 2015

posted 03-30-2023 03:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for proxima1   Click Here to Email proxima1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Mark Lasoff was working on a 1:1 replica of a CM main display panel, but after a couple of failed Kickstarter projects, has just vanished, even after an investor came along to help out. No Kickstarter updates since September, no responses to Linked In messages, website pulled down.

Seemed he and his partners were certainly the types to get this working, albeit, it was severely under-priced. Looked like they had some prototypes in the works, but poof.

Editor's note: Threads merged.

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