Just some shots showing what little detail there is on the Smithsonian's example for those building Semroc's new kit. I'll try and get a better shot of the JPL decal next week. Curious lights on the two white fins.

__________________
Retro-grouch

I picked up the ASP 24mm kit of it (on the cheap, due to a bent body tube and cracked fin stock) and I was wondering what those 'lights' were on the fins as well when I saw this one at the Smithsonian. It didn't look like there were any lamps in them.

Anyone know more about them? Are they lamps, or some sort of aerodynamic compensation for the thick conduit over the fin that *doesn't* have one of the little 'lamps'?

__________________
BAR after a 29 year absence. Using my plastic, resin & vinyl kit building skills (and my paycheck)
to build what I could only dream of as an 11 year old...

My Rocketreviews.com Gallery

They are for tracking flares. There were also similar antenna housings.

Note that the NASM WAC differs from the WAC in the Semroc kit. The Semroc kit portrays Round 5 from the first batch of WACs. The NASM WAC is probably from the later run (referred to as WAC B) and its conduit is longer at both the nose and tail end. This extension shows up well in your second picture. Rockets of the World by Pete Alway has a drawing of Round 5.

I'm guessing that the yellow and black paint job was similar to those applied to the original V-2s and changed over when the yellow paint didn't show up as well at higher altitudes.

I did a scratch-build of both kinds of WAC using Semroc parts before Carl came out with the kits. At this size (1/10th scale), they are both excellent flyers.

__________________
NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

If you don't mind, could I ask how those 'tracking flairs' work in flight? Do they light-up? Or shed magnesium flairs?

I'd like to add them to my ASP kit, and if they do light up I'd like to simulate that with color.

__________________
BAR after a 29 year absence. Using my plastic, resin & vinyl kit building skills (and my paycheck)
to build what I could only dream of as an 11 year old...

My Rocketreviews.com Gallery

I'm not sure.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that magnesium was involved but, as always, the devil is in the details.

__________________
NAR 79743
NARTrek Silver
I miss being SAM 062

Awaiting First Launch: Too numerous to count
Finishing: Zooch Saturn V; Alway/Nau BioArcas; Estes Expedition; TLP Standard
Repair/Rescue: Cherokee-D (2); Centuri Nike-Smoke; MX-774
On the Bench: 2650;
Dream Stage: 1/39.37 R-7

That rocket with the serious acne problem has to be a V-2...


Bill

__________________
It is well past time to Drill, Baby, Drill!

If your June, July, August and September was like this, you might just hate summer too...

Please unload your question before you ask it unless you have a concealed harry permit.

: countdown begin cr dup . 1- ?dup 0= until cr ." Launch!" cr ;

Give a man a rocket and he will fly for a day; teach him to build and he will spend the rest of his days sanding...

I would think a strobe would make the most sense - speed can be calculated from a time-lapse photograph.


Bill

__________________
It is well past time to Drill, Baby, Drill!

If your June, July, August and September was like this, you might just hate summer too...

Please unload your question before you ask it unless you have a concealed harry permit.

: countdown begin cr dup . 1- ?dup 0= until cr ." Launch!" cr ;

Give a man a rocket and he will fly for a day; teach him to build and he will spend the rest of his days sanding...

I organized and posted the photos I took of the WAC Corporal at the Smithsonian A&SM to my Photobucket account. I've got views of it from all sides, closeups, a shot of the JPL logo on the side, and the information card. They're all in an album here:

http://photobucket.com/AcroRayWACCorporal

I've got a little video of it as well posted at YouTube:

http://youtu.be/-3JEc_8ji90

I may replace the video, though, because it didn't come out as cleanly as I'd like.

I'll be building the ASP kit at some point, and tweaking it to look like this one.

__________________
BAR after a 29 year absence. Using my plastic, resin & vinyl kit building skills (and my paycheck)
to build what I could only dream of as an 11 year old...

My Rocketreviews.com Gallery

Thanks Arco Ray, but the link isn't working.

__________________
Retro-grouch

Humn... They're both working for me. I posted from my work computer, and just checked the link from my home computer and they're working. I don't know what's up.

__________________
BAR after a 29 year absence. Using my plastic, resin & vinyl kit building skills (and my paycheck)
to build what I could only dream of as an 11 year old...

My Rocketreviews.com Gallery