Beat Army! - a first rendez vous in space

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Even though my last model here is quite recent, I cannot sit still. :mrgreen:
Here's my take on the first rendez-vous of two spaceships, Gemini 7 and Gemini 6A.
I used the Delta 7 kit and did some scratchbuilding. I scaled it down to 50% so that makes this 1:48.
The build had a quick start, a good fit and the windows went in without a problem.

 

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Then there was an odd problem: When I cut out and glued the RCS part of the nose, it appeared to be too big. It sunk over the cone part and covered too much of the curved window parts. It was the same scale out of the same paper, though. I had to try and resize it. Finally I came out at 45%, and that fitted well enough. Consequently I also used the rest of the 45% nosecone. It looked good enough to me when I fitted it. Did anyone else have the same experience? The aft end was better sized and fitted right away. I forgot to open the doors for the experiments that Gemini 7 carried along when the adapter section still was flat. No sweat. I also used some washers and cardboard circles to stiffen the hull a bit in the nose section and behind the windows.

 

[Paper Kosmonaut]

The aft section had a pre-coloured concave ring to be placed in the backside of the model but I decided it looked better with a bit of chocolate wrapping over it. I made an antenna from a nail. Gemini 7 dragged along some weird looking loose wires at its tail, perhaps due to a faulty cut-off sequence when the craft separated from the Titan booster. Normally a little guillotine-like device neatly cut off the connecting wires but this apparently wasn't the case with Frank an Jim's Gemini. I recreated the wires from the same golden chocolate wrapping, but I carefully removed the metal from the paper to make it thinner.

 

[Paper Kosmonaut]

And this is where I am now: Gemini 7, with attached experiment boxes and loose wires on a copper rod on a base, awaiting the arrival of Wally and Tom.
the base is a picture of the big island of Hawaii. Just a nice photo and they must have passed it a couple of times at least, in those 14 days up there...

 

[Ridgeback]

Nice Gemini model! The gold foil is particularly effective - it is one of the first things that catches your eye in colour orbital photos of the real machine, so a darn good idea to use here!

 

[RocketmanTan]

Wow, it seems to be going along great! Let's hope the rendezvous goes without a hitch :mrgreen:

--Bryan

 

[peter taft]

Nice Gemini model! The gold foil is particularly effective - it is one of the first things that catches your eye in colour orbital photos of the real machine, so a darn good idea to use here!

Well said that man... totally agree - looking wonderful thus far :thumb:

 

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Gemini 6A

It is time for the other one. The Gusmobile of Wally and Tom.
This build was quite straightforward, no protruding bits or wavy garlands flying along. Just the spacecraft and Wally's prank for Jim and Frank.:mrgreen:

I had the same fitting problem with the RCS thruster section and again the printout at 45% did the trick. Washers and card circles provided some sturdyness to the fuselage and again some golden chocolate wrapper for the backside of the spacecraft.

 

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Time to bring Gemini 6A into orbit. There they are. Having fun, practising rendez-vous and just gnerally being four great astronauts in what most of them still consider the best manned spacecraft ever built. Mike Collins once described it as follows: "It flew almost like a fighter plane and gave the astronaut the best sense of being in control."
Here's the rendez-vous taking place.
Thanks for taking a look!

 

[SAustin16]

Kosmonaut,

Excellent models and execution of one of my favorite missions. Your little shadow box is simple, but very effective. Thank you for posting your pictures.

Question: In your plastic box, are those foam o-rings? They appear to be a very simple method for ensuring roundness versus cutting out paper circles.

 

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Thanks Steve. About the rings: the black ones are a kind of silicon rubbery stuff and the red ones are rigid with a bit of a rough surface. they're meant to go in plumbing like taps to prevent leaks. What the black ones are for, I don't know actually.. I also got white ones which are neither rigid nor rubbery. However, they're nice stuff. Got a big box of metal washers, too. All flea market stuff. They always come in handy during modelling. Also good weights for potential tailsitting planes.
By the way: What do you mean with shadow box? The picture frame?

 

[peter taft]

Very nice display and two nicely made models. Great work :thumb:

 

[Space Boy]

I like that!!! Very very good job!!! Gemini Project; milestone of the Apollo Project... Great job!!! Keep on going like that!!!