SPA Modeler

Apollo 13 / Digital Domain VFX

I am wondering if you chose a display method yet? For inspiration!

Thanks Bruce,

I think I will park it on the moon.... a classic and conservative approach... :-)



- Kari

Cool choice, Kari. Are you able to adjust the angle of the service module??? I don’t know if this is more accurate because the module would be further away, but it seems like a tilt would create a separation.

Great drawing Bruce, I like especially the two astronauts in it!

Nope, no adjustments possible at all, the angle is nevertheless ok.. Especially taking in consideration the entire setup is very much unrealistic...
But again, to add that realism, I would need to take the command/service module more than 1 away from our home...
Had really to google to see on which altitude the command module was flying...

- Kari

Hah! How about opening your roof and floating the service module at scale height?



Definitely not to scale!! Lol! The service module is almost 1:1 in the sketch!!

Again so nice drawings by you !

But argh, I see I had dropped off from my text "km".. Scale height would be around 1 km ... Actually little bit more even, 1145 meters


- Kari

This is good to discuss! I need to read more about Astronomical Units!! I was trying to find an analogue object that is about 1km in size, but failed... sadly. I was also looking at these great NASA illustrations...

Work continued yesterday evening with the build, primarly goal was to shoot one layer of primer on the service and commandmodul, sort of a milestone in this project (at least I like to believe so)

But first I had to add the 4 RCS rocket engine clusters in the service module, but before that they had to be cleaned up.... The kit really is flashed with flash!



After glueing the RCS on the service module, it was time to let the AB compressor sing a song and the paintbooths fan sing a long !
Using my trusted Ammo by Mig One Shot primer of course!




And then comes the first "I need to do something about this" challenge:



Revells kit does not have any parts for the docking mechanism, neither the instructions show this "small detail" or does the sprue have it. Which I find very odd, to be honest, especially if one wants to build option "23" , as I do.

Luckily there are more than enough reference pictures of such a docking mechanism, just need to scratch build one... To leave an open hole is just so wrong, we are in space for gods sake!

Let's see how to approach that!

- Kari