Geez, Bill, what are you doing all the way out in my barrio?

Funny you should mention that plastic. I rarely get out to Hal's Hobby as its on the other side of town but I was out there about a week ago, and I did spot that plastic. I also managed to pick up what is probably a re-release of the Revell 1/48 Gemini and Mercury kit for $15.

While I'm waiting for the paint to dry on Shenzhou, I noted that the new Soyuz 1 core is about to have its first flight from the Russian launch site at Plesetsk. The new core has an increase in diameter from 2 meters to 2.6 meters and has the old four-chamber RD-108 engine replaced with a developed, single chamber NK-33 from the failed N-1 moon rocket. The lower fairings for the vernier rockets are eliminated. Finally, the lower tapered section that mates to the launch pad is shortened (because of the increase in diameter of the core).

The initial flight tests are for the core only without the familiar four strap-on boosters. No word on when the strap-ons will be added or when/if the new rocket will be man-rated. I expect they're waiting to see how the test goes first.

Check out russianspaceweb.com for more info.

From a modeling point of view this is great news as a 1/64 Soyuz I (either Sandman's or the Alway plan) would now have a constant BT-60/Series 16 core.

__________________
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

Got a link??

Later! OL JR

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Wish granted.

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz1_lv.html

__________________
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

thanks, I appreciate it!

Cool... now they just need some upgraded boosters to go with it...

Later! OL JR

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Just passing through on the way to the left coast.




But it looks so plain without the boosters...


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...

Making progress . . . .

I've actually accomplished quite a bit. The picture shows the sustainer and the LRBs in white. Paint is Rustoleum Premium Gloss white over Duplicolor grey primer. After installing it I realized I had screwed up and had to rotate the launch lug one quadrant. I also removed my experiment with using dry wall patch to simulate details on the upper stage. The effect was too pronounced in this scale. A little sanding, a little primer and you can't tell at all.

I also worked with Gordy at Excelsior (known here on YORF as "Sandman") for decals. He was able to sort through what I was shooting for via my increasingly incoherent emails and I now have a great set of 1/64 Shenzhou decals ready to go.

The next step is to paint the various blue stripes on both sustainer and boosters. Paint will be Rustoleum Premium Sail Blue to more or less match the decals.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
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

Yahoo !!!

Booster's mostly done. Here's a picture with my old Alpha for scale. Like building a Russian R-7, there's a tremendous sense of accomplishment when you attach the LRBs. I ended up epoxying them on to plastic rails that I inset into the paper corregations. I mixed a small amount of epoxy and worked very slowly making sure the fin was pointed out. I'd let each booster set for a couple of hours before doing the next one.

What's next? Well, I need some small paper nozzles for the LRBs and I'll add the decals Gordy made for me. That will complete the booster. Then I'll tackle the aeroshroud and escape tower.

The end is in sight.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
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

DISASTER!

Or perhaps: When good Future goes bad.

Or: The Future is green.

In preparation for adding the fabulous decals Sandman made for me, I applied two coats of Future, one right after the other, only to those areas which were to receive decals. I usually let these dry overnight and when I woke up the next morning : the Future had dried with a distinctly greenish tint.

Oh, the humanity!

Now, its fairly well-documented that eventually, Future will do exactly this over time. When it's fresh, it's clear to bluish but when it gets old, it gets greenish. I've had this bottle since at least 2000 so I definitely got good use out of it. Also, looking back, I haven't built anything white in a while where it would have been apparent that the Future had gone green. It may have been greenish for months or even a year or two. So henceforth, this bottle of Future will be marked for tanks and missiles only.

I grieved for a day or two. This morning, I carefully masked off the blue stripes and resprayed Rustoleum gloss white over the Future tinted areas. The masking took forever. But all is well, the white came out fine. I'll let it dry a day or so before we revisit the decals.

Make sure to keep your Future fresh.

__________________
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

Ammonia dissolves Future... so Windex usually takes the stuff right off...

Did you give that a whirl??

Later and sorry for your problems... thanks for the heads up... I've got a bottle of Future I bought a few years ago for this purpose... sounds like I better actually use it on the floor... LOL

Thanks! OL JR

__________________
The X-87B Cruise Basselope-- THE Ultimate Weapon in the arsenal of Homeland Security and only $52 million per round!

Exclesior Fabulousity!

I had a morning of decals, first with my son, then on my own. Gordy of Excelsior Decals (known here as Sandman) made some custom decals for my son's Alway/BMS 1/4.6 Arcas model. This was his first decal project; an "ARCAS" on each side. I did the first one and he did the second one. They came out fine.

Gordy also made the custom Shenzhou decals and they fit perfectly. The only glitch was when I installed the Chinese letters upside down. I was able to get them back on the carrier paper and re-orient them. (no pun intended). The blue of the decals was a very close match to the Sail Blue Rustoleum. I did have to slit the checkerboard patterns for the LRBs so the decal would fit over the fins. Other than that, no problems.

I can't say enough good things about Gordy and Excelsior. He made the project doable. I highly recommend him.

I've started on the aeroshroud and escape tower. I'm thinking of using the tips of golf tees for the escape motors but we'll see . . . .

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
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