LJI nearly finished.

[jeffyjeep]

The Neubauer LJI in 1:30 scale is nearly finished. I have just one question before I attach the scaffold onto the capsule: did the LJ round 5B have a white band above the scaffold mounting ring. ROTW page 184 shows that the real one "might" have had white band, but page 186 shows it without.

I'd like to resolve this before I attach the scaffold to the capsule.

Thanks! Jeff

[brianc]

These NASA photos also shows the white band.

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/mercury/lj-5b/images/S61-01673.jpg

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/mirrors/images/images/pao/MERUNMAN/10073444.jpg

(Build to the data you have)

[jeffyjeep]

Thank you Brian.

[jeffyjeep]

Here's where it's at now. Booster and fins are painted, capsule is painted, LES is completed--including the nozzles. The scaffold is still removable so I can apply the white band. I'll do the orange details on the fins with adhesive film after the silver paint has completely hardened and degassed. It's taken over a year to build so far--I can wait a few more days!

[Bill]

I'll do the orange details on the fins with adhesive film after the silver paint has completely hardened and degassed. It's taken over a year to build so far--I can wait a few more days!


It may take over a year for the silver paint to completely cure. I have the worst luck with it.


Bill

[Gus]

Beautiful work, as always, Jeff.

[jeffyjeep]

Thank you.

[jharding58]

A nice looking finish on the model. I have one of his 2.6" diameter capsules waiting to build.

This site has a pretty good reference for the use of the Mercury Spacecraft in pretty much very guise. Capsule 14 which flew on LJ-5B appears to use the band around the base of the antennae fairing. I think it was common on any production capsule as opposed to boilerplate.

http://www.spaceinminiature.com/ref/merc/merc2.html

[jeffyjeep]

Thanks. Those are good photos. I wish I could get a color photo so I can get a handle on the correct shade of orange on the fins.

[jeffyjeep]

After a little math and two tries with my TOTALLY LAME circle cutter (I'm ordering an OLFA tomorrow!) I sliced out the white band for the LJI antenna cone from white Monokote adhesive film.

Ya' know, even though it looks like it's made by Fisher Price, this circle cutter is pretty darn sharp! Mary was able to stop the bleeding. TBC

[jeffyjeep]

Thanks. Those are good photos. I wish I could get a color photo so I can get a handle on the correct shade of orange on the fins.
I DO have a good color photo of the vehicle for mission LJ-1, so the orange of mission LJ-5B should be the same. The orange looks like international orange (as opposed to flourescent orange), therefore my day-glo orange trim film (like on the Pershing) won't be correct. Glory Halleluiah! I have a (valid) reason to go to the hobby store!

[dyaugo]

Nice job!! It looks great! :)

[jeffyjeep]

Thank you.

[jharding58]

Back in 98 Yitah Wu listed the colour as Fluorescent Orange. The Real Space model references Space in Miniature, as well as the Peter McQuillan drawings reference International Rescue Orange. I have always been a little confused by the contemprary use of International Orange as I always thought it was "International" as in the company, which it is not. According to the Federal Standard documents there is FS 12197 International Orange which is produced by Testors in the Model Master series.

http://www.colorserver.net/showcolor.asp?fs=12197

http://www.testors.com/search?q=12197

[jeffyjeep]

I used Testors MM International Orange on the fins of this Estes Arrow recently and it seems to match the orange of the color photo I have of mission LJ-1 (if the photo has true color). I was going to use adhesive film for the orange details of the fins, especially since one fins is ALL orange (IAW ROTW). If it has to be painted, it might be a bi*** getting International Orange enamel to go over the metallic aluminum spray the model has on it now. I'll need to do some compatibility testing.

[jharding58]

It is going to boil down to how happy you are with the result. Even within the LJ program I can pretty well guarantee that there was variation from fin to fin on a vehicle. If it were scale and a judge wanted to get ratty about it, I would have them produce a section of the original and counter the documentation on hand.

Also I think the bi*** might be in the mask not ripping paint.

[billspad]

On a North American Rockwell handout on the Little Joe the color on the fins and the tower is labeled as international orange. The drawing is of the Little Joe 1 or 1B. I have several color photos of Little Joe 5 including a couple that came from slides I got from NASA. On those the fin color and the tower appear to be red. I remember discussing this with Peter McQuillan years ago and his conclusion was that the color on all of them was international orange. I believe that was based on pictures of the gantry on the pad that Explorer I was launched from that shows up as red in photos but pieces of it that they used to sell on the tour are clearly orange.

[jeffyjeep]

Thanks bill. On the color photo I have from Peter McQuillan the orange shade matches my Testors International Orange almost perfectly.

[jeffyjeep]

I think I'll take a break from agonizing over the orange parts of the booster (yes, I DO need to "get a life") and put some finishing touches on the capsule and LES. The white band is on the antenna cone, the red band is on the capsule skirt, the "UNITED STATES" is on the capsule and solvasetted(sp?), I have the LES scaffold rotated how I BELIEVE it should be IAW the "UNITED STATES" decal, but it's not glued on yet just in case it's wrong.

[jeffyjeep]

I can't seem to find a Liitle Joe I color photo that shows a fin that's ALL orange. Is one of the fins supposed to be completely orange and the rest just tipped in orange or are all fins supposed to be just tipped in orange?

I would hate to get this wrong!

[Initiator001]

Here's a picture of a Little Joe I that was on display at the Air Power Park in Virginia.

[jeffyjeep]

Thank you. Since the vehicle in this photo definitely has 4 orange tipped fins and no ALL orange fin, I'll go with tips only. :)

Besides, it's far easier to add more orange than to remove it.

[jharding58]

5b had a single orange fin and the tips painted. Real Space shows this marking pattern on the kit.

http://www.realspacemodels.com/html/72ljpg.html

In the thumbnails below you can see the color on an image purported to be of 5b on the rail, and the launch image attributed to 5b. Based upon the orientation of the fins even in the B/W image you can detect the strip at the tip of the fin on the left hand, while the fin to the right appears to be a solid painted fin. This would be consistent with the color image and ROTW. There is also some anecdotal information that the LE of each fin was booted with a black strip on the boilerplate launchers, but not sure if this was carried into the production capsule launches.

http://www.rocket.aero/littlejoemodel7.html

[jeffyjeep]

Perfect! Thanks! Plus, the color definitely appears to be what I would consider to be International Orange.

[billspad]

There is also some anecdotal information that the LE of each fin was booted with a black strip on the boilerplate launchers, but not sure if this was carried into the production capsule launches.

Take a look at the attached photo. It looks more like a different shade of aluminum.


For those of you who like modeling every little detail, there are some marks that look like they were made by a sander to the right of the orange rectangle that would present a real challenge.

[jeffyjeep]

Take a look at the attached photo. It looks more like a different shade of aluminum.


For those of you who like modeling every little detail, there are some marks that look like they were made by a sander to the right of the orange rectangle that would present a real challenge.
Maybe some Bozo had sprayed "CCCP" on it the night before. :D

[jeffyjeep]

[QUOTE=billspad]Take a look at the attached photo. It looks more like a different shade of aluminum.QUOTE]
This HAS to be mission LJ-1 (as opposed to LJ-1A), and that means I have color photos of both sides of the same vehicle. No all-orange fin on this vehicle.

[jharding58]

But you are still doing LJ-5B right? That mission was a reflight of capsule 14, not a boilerplate.

Is it a Little Joe 1? Is that the same as it was not referred to as World War 1 until there was a World War II

[jeffyjeep]

Yes, I'm doing LJ-5B. It will have one all-orange fin. I'm preparing to do a paint compatibilty test to see if Mary can paint Model Master Intl. Orange enamel over the metallic aluminum I shot the booster and fins with.

Metallic paint can be REALLY funny sometimes.

[jbuscaglia]

Yes, I'm doing LJ-5B. It will have one all-orange fin. I'm preparing to do a paint compatibilty test to see if Mary can paint Model Master Intl. Orange enamel over the metallic aluminum I shot the booster and fins with.

Metallic paint can be REALLY funny sometimes.

What about painting some white trim film with International Orange? Not sure how well that would work, but if it did, it'd be a whole lot easier than masking the metallic.

[billspad]

Take a look at the attached photo. It looks more like a different shade of aluminum.
This HAS to be mission LJ-1 (as opposed to LJ-1A), and that means I have color photos of both sides of the same vehicle. No all-orange fin on this vehicle.


http://www.spacemodeling.org/PeterMcQuillan/chart.html is the easiest way to tell which LJ is which. It's fairly easy to identify the ones with the prototype and boilerplate capsules (the only boilerplate was 1A). The flights with the production capsules are more difficult.

[jeffyjeep]

The paint test.
I painted a scrap piece of BT80 with the same primers and same metallic aluminum topcoat I used on the LJ booster and fins and then did a test section with the Model Master International Orange enamel. I'll let it dry and de-gas for a day, but I think it's compatible. I think the shade of orange is correct, also.

I'll probably NOT use adhesive trim film for the orange. TBC

[billspad]

I'll probably NOT use adhesive trim film for the orange. TBC


Because I'm not really that good at masking and painting, when I was building a BT-50 LJ I did the rectangles on the side of the booster by painting decal paper with International Orange paint. It's much thinner than trim film and you can't tell it isn't painted directly on the model.

[jetlag]

Yes, I'm doing LJ-5B. It will have one all-orange fin. I'm preparing to do a paint compatibilty test to see if Mary can paint Model Master Intl. Orange enamel over the metallic aluminum I shot the booster and fins with.

Metallic paint can be REALLY funny sometimes.

Jeff,
If you use 'Alclad' paint brand silvers, it works much better. It is a lacquer-based paint.
Dries very fast, but you need to airbrush it on. You most likely know this already, I bet!

Allen

http://www.alclad2.com/index.html

[jeffyjeep]

Alrightythen....

I took a deep breath and made a short prayer to "Tino Pinto" the pagan god of hack rocket painters (actually, I just now made that up. I don't know how I do it--just gifted I guess.)
...and painted the first coat of Model Master International orange onto the fin of the LJI.

I think it will be OK.

[jetlag]

Any bad words when you peel that tape off that silver paint? I've been through the entire bad word dictionary then. :rolleyes:

[jeffyjeep]

I have at least one more coat to lay on the fin, then I'll remove the tape.

...and then the bad words.

[jeffyjeep]

I laid the 3rd coat and removed the tape. The tape came off clean. Thank you, Tinto Pinto!

Now for tips of the remaining fins.....

[jetlag]

I laid the 3rd coat and removed the tape. The tape came off clean. Thank you, Tinto Pinto!

Now for tips of the remaining fins.....

Yes, it looks great!
What silver did you use and how long was it on the model? I like the Alclad, but I'd love an alternative.
Allen

[jeffyjeep]

The silver paint is a can of "old formula" Krylon 1404 Chrome Aluminum. I've always liked it. It's also the end of it. I need to see if Ace Hardware has any old stock left. The tips are all painted now and the tape came off clean again. I've also painted the bottom cavity a neutral flat black.

The model is almost done now. I hope the vertical "UNITED STATES" dry-transfer decals for the booster that came with the kit are still viable. I'll know today.

[jeffyjeep]

OK, now for the "UNITED STATES" dry transfer decals. I'll use a strip of safety tape for the guide so I won't have another pencil mark to erase from the finicky silver.

Removed the backing, laid the strip down, rubbed it, held my breath, removed the paper.....

....and VOILA!

The other side went on just as well. And now the LJ is almost done. I know, I keep saying that---this time I MEAN it.

Now I just have to permanently mount the LES to the capsule and decide on which clear coat to use. I already have Future on the LES scaffold, motor, and nozzles. I also have to decide if I'm putting a chrome stip on the leading edges of the fins. I don't want to have it more detailed in some areas than in others or it may appear unfinished. TBC

[jeffyjeep]

It's been a year-long build (off and on), but it's finally done. After a test on the Krylon silver on a scrap body tube, I opted to use the Future floor finish for a clear coat. It went onto the silver nicely without any streaking or darkening.

I want to thank everybody for their help and advice!

[Bill]

It's been a year-long build (off and on), but it's finally done. After a test on the Krylon silver on a scrap body tube, I opted to use the Future floor finish for a clear coat. It went onto the silver nicely without any streaking or darkening.

I want to thank everybody for their help and advice!


Looks great. Time to change the thread title to "LJI finally finished."


Bill