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Author
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Topic: U.S. launch vehicle 1:48 scale scratch builds
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dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 11-20-2007 08:11 PM
   
Here's a picture of the lineup of 1/48 scale U.S. manned launch vehicles that I've been building. All are in various stages of completion, from the Mercury Redstone which is essentially complete, to the Saturn V, which has a ways to go.  |
art540
Member Posts: 432
From: Orange, California USA
Registered: Sep 2006
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posted 11-20-2007 08:37 PM
A great lineup and scale comparison, Dave. I marvel at your effort and dedication... |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 11-20-2007 08:41 PM
Terrific stuff ... and by the looks of it, your efforts extended to some ceiling work  |
dtemple
Member Posts: 729
From: Longview, Texas, USA
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 11-20-2007 10:00 PM
What materials are you using to build these models? Are they all completely scratch built? |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 11-21-2007 03:19 AM
Nice touch having to cut a notch in the ceiling to get the LES on the Saturn V to clear it. That is one MASSIVE collection of rockets you have in the works man! |
Tomy1
Member Posts: 179
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 11-21-2007 06:34 AM
Dave - great models! Are these actual Marshall Space Flight Center models? Because the bases, especially the small man on the Saturn, sure look like the ones that were produced by MSFC. |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 11-21-2007 07:33 AM
Thanks for the nice words, and the comparison to with the MSFC models. Although I despaired of ever owning an MSFC lineup, they provided the inspiration (specifically, the big lineup of models in the background of Wernher von Braun's portrait) to build my own. These were (more or less) scratch built, with many bits and pieces scrounged along the way. RealSpace was a great resource for Mercury capsule components, as well as David Weeks' exceptional Saturn IB and Saturn V drawings. Redstone decals were from New Ware, and Saturn decals from Rick Sternbach. Mark Gray and I collaborated on some Saturn V parts, and of course his Spacecraft Films DVDs have been an invaluable resource. As to the little man on the Saturn IB, he's a copy of an original — eventually, each model will have one. |
Gilbert
Member Posts: 1328
From: Carrollton, GA USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 11-21-2007 07:40 AM
Very impressive! |
Henk Boshuijer
Member Posts: 450
From: Netherlands
Registered: May 2007
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posted 11-21-2007 08:54 AM
Great models. This makes a nice collection... |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 11-21-2007 09:05 AM
Dave, outstanding! Please share more pictures when you are finished.I'd love to have a collection like that at 1/144 scale. |
Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 977
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 11-21-2007 10:21 AM
Yes, as said above, this is a great lineup. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 11-21-2007 11:09 AM
Looks like these excellent models (at least the Saturn V) were made with fiber-reinforced polymer or fiberglass in popular naming. |
NASA Glenn
Member Posts: 79
From: Cleveland OH
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 05-05-2008 03:27 PM
Dave, the models are stunning, and I especially like that they are done in the style of the Marshall Graphics and Model Division. |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-04-2017 09:26 AM
I had been making reasonable progress on the 1/48 scale Saturn V shown in the above picture. Then, a couple of years ago, I was faced with an unexpected personal situation that caused me to lose interest in pretty much everything, including working on the big Saturn V model. A few months ago, after I finished my new book "Footprints 2.0, A Fancy Monkey on a Secret Moon", I finally got up the motivation to resume work on the Saturn, and here it is, as of today. All of the stringers are individually applied, and I've started painting "from the ground up." Lots of details to add to the second and third stages before those are ready to paint. I'm going to be moving within the next month, but I'm continuing to work on it and it will be the last thing to get packed up.  |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-04-2017 07:51 PM
Here's an updated photo. Paint is a little higher up, and the external conduit attached. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 09-05-2017 04:06 AM
Superb stuff... ready by the 50th anniversary of Apollo 8? |
randy
Member Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 09-05-2017 06:42 AM
Very impressive. You have done a fantastic job with these models. |
NASA Glenn
Member Posts: 79
From: Cleveland OH
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 09-05-2017 12:50 PM
Dave, I am glad to hear you are back at the models. Would you consider selling duplicates of the 1:48 scale NASA Man? I am in a position where I would really like to purchase a couple. |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-05-2017 10:19 PM
I'd be glad to make up a couple for you. Right now, though everything is packed, in boxes, in storage, and it will be at least a few months before I'll even have access to the boxes, and likely longer before I start unpacking. But, when the time comes, you can plan on it. |
GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2474
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 09-06-2017 06:29 AM
I need to jump on that wagon as well. I could use some NASA 1/48 figures as well.
Impressive Saturn V! |
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
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posted 09-06-2017 08:43 AM
At that scale, I might be able to build the S-IVB stage and still have a home to live in! Very impressive collection. |
Retro Rocket
Member Posts: 445
From: Santa Paula, Ca,. USA
Registered: Dec 2007
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posted 09-06-2017 02:04 PM
Looks great Dave! I see the interstage I made and the F-1's, shrouds and wings, but the LM shroud looks different, did you use mine and modify it like the F-1's? Once it's done it'll be a twin model to one I built at the Hornet. Who has the molds now? |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-08-2017 05:35 PM
Here are a couple of progress photos, showing the Saturn V model resting on its wooden base and supports. The wood and supports, by the way, are exact replicas of the ones made by the NASA Marshall folks back in the 1960s. Michael Keys did an outstanding job of duplicating the supports using pictures and dimensions that I was able to obtain from an actual model, and a local carpenter friend made the pedestal. Just a trial fit at this point, both the wood and supports need to be finished.In the midst of packing and moving, but will be doing some painting on the model this weekend.  
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dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 09-08-2017 06:42 PM
One more update, showing a little more paint. |
keymichael1855
Member Posts: 176
From: Virginia Beach, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 09-15-2017 03:15 PM
Dave, this is looking fantastic!!! You have done a great job with all of those stringers. If you don't get those perfect, they stick out like a sore thumb. Glad to have helped you out with a few parts. Can't wait to see the progress!!! |
p51
Member Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 09-15-2017 04:05 PM
I'm in awe of this Saturn V build. Such great work! |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 11-16-2017 12:20 AM
Even with selling the house and living in an extended stay, I've still been able to make decent progress on the Saturn V model. I do the cutting, gluing, shaping, filing, and sanding in the hotel, and the painting in an outbuilding at work. I have the whole stack set up in my office presently.  
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Retro Rocket
Member Posts: 445
From: Santa Paula, Ca,. USA
Registered: Dec 2007
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posted 11-16-2017 08:29 PM
That looks fantastic! Is the LM shroud one of Michael's 3D prints or did you use the one I made, which used the old Revell kit as the master? |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 11-17-2017 06:53 AM
Thanks, Jon.That is Michael's amazing handiwork. I never had one of your LM shrouds, although I did use an actual Revell SLA as a placeholder for a number of years. By the way, in response to your earlier post, those old molds went to Mark Gray at Spacecraft Films. |
Retro Rocket
Member Posts: 445
From: Santa Paula, Ca,. USA
Registered: Dec 2007
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posted 11-22-2017 03:56 PM
If I recall correctly, I built a 1/48th Saturn V for the Hornet Museum around late 1999. Over the years I built about four or five. All the masters were done before CNC and the person doing the milling was a great machinist. The part I liked the most was the interstage thrust structure, he did a good job getting the spacing correct and I carefully applied the correct size styrene strips into the grooves. The LM shroud used the Revell kit that I had to mold, cast then remold to get it to shrink to the correct size. The rest of the parts including the F-1's were scaled up versions of the 1/96th Revell kit. I used sheets of evergreen plastic to do the stringers and it came out pretty nice. Its too bad Plastruct doesn't make the 8.25" dia. ABS tube anymore, that worked perfect. The Apollo CSM and the LM were from the model set that had them finished with the astronauts. It was called "_____ in time" I think, you can still but them on eBay and they were fairly accurate. I made a simple BPC and the escape tower was from the Revell kit. The parts I made are still around, I think I have a few sets in storage and I sold the molds to Dave and I guess they are now with Mark Gray. Here's what the big parts look like.  Last year, I got the blueprints from MSFC for their 1:96th Saturn V and SI-B. They are PDF scans of the original prints from long ago. I'm using these to help in the restoration of a 1/96 Saturn V for a friend, but it's neat to see how they did the old models! I wish I could build another 1:48th Saturn V using my parts but I doubt I will have the time or energy. |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 11-27-2017 04:03 PM
As noted earlier, I'm in the midst of a move, and getting ready to wrap things up here, which includes de-stacking and packing up the 1/48 Saturn V.I'm at a good stopping point though - here's a progress photo as of this morning. To give you an idea of how far it's come, I'm also attaching a photo from June 2014 as I was starting to apply the individual stringers. From ten feet away, the model looks to be complete but there are still a lot of details, odds and ends, and permanent markings that remain to be finished. That will have to wait until it gets unpacked in its new location.  
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Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
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posted 11-27-2017 06:55 PM
Beautiful!! |
dsenechal
Member Posts: 539
From:
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 02-28-2018 04:32 PM
It's been a while since my last picture(s), but here's a photo of the entire line up. There are still some details to be taken care of, but for the purposes of taking a picture, everything is pretty much done.I personally built all of these models, from the Redstone to the shuttle, all scratch-built in varying degrees. As Ringo said, "I get by with a little help from my friends," and Michael Key with his 3D designing wizardry was of great assistance in some of the details, especially with the Saturn V. I first started on this little project with the Shuttle model back in 1994. As I was working on that, I thought it might be cool to have the whole line-up, just like Wernher von Braun. Not sure if I succeeded, but I think it looks pretty good. Hadn't imagined it would take 24 years... When the SLS finally gets off the ground, my intent is to add to the line-up.  |
kosmo
Member Posts: 388
From:
Registered: Sep 2001
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posted 02-28-2018 05:56 PM
WOW!! Gorgeous, I'm envious. 24 years well spent! |
Jurg Bolli
Member Posts: 977
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 02-28-2018 06:09 PM
Fabulous! |
p51
Member Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 02-28-2018 06:29 PM
Amazing work! As a model railroader in O scale (though, narrow gauge), I primarily see the start of a layout taking place at KSC, as you have the tough stuff to model already done! This book even has a track plan for a KSC model railroad layout, though in O scale it would be awfully big! |
Larry McGlynn
Member Posts: 1255
From: Boston, MA
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 02-28-2018 08:23 PM
Dave, those are spectacular! All those models and you write too. You are a Renaissance Man! |
Greggy_D
Member Posts: 977
From: Michigan
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 02-28-2018 09:25 PM
Beautiful. Just beautiful. |
GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2474
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 03-01-2018 04:51 AM
Amazing!! |
Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
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posted 03-01-2018 08:21 AM
Fantastic! Beautiful!! Mere words can't say how awesome these are! Well done! |
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