My version of Surfduke’s Mercury Atlas.

[PEB]

Hi all,

Here is my go at Surfduke's Mercury Atlas. It is my 3rd build in the papermodelworld, and without instructions it proved to be a tough one.

I planned to build the Atlas as it was without any changes, except I wanted to use the escape tower from Michael Urbans Mercury Redstone. I like the design and believe it better show the similarities between the capsules on my Mercury rockets.

As the build progressed I did however make a number of changes to the Atlas. E.g. I had to add stringers to cover my glue fingerprints :o, and I had trouble building the bends in the tubes, so I created my own. The exhaust pipe at the bottom of the rocket has been shortened so that the model can stand on its own, and I added further details to the Vernier engines, unfortunately the engines turned out to be a little bit too big.

Overall I am very pleased with the way the rocket turned out. It was a difficult model for my experience level but that just makes the final result even more satisfying. Build time? More than 6 months. :eek:

Peter

[the hermit]

that is a really beautiful build

i allways admire a well build clean model

kudos to you :D

[londonbluemisty]

Fantastic Build:D

[APA-168]

Gorgeous build of a gorgeous rocket! Where can this kit be found? I'd like to build one.

[Darwin]

Very nicely done....I doff my hat to you.

[BARX2]

You can be very proud of that model. You did a superb job building it!

[Retired_for_now]

Beautiful job - very nice detailing!

Yogi

Avery - Niels has a link through the wayback machine Nielspapermodels - links (http://www.nielspapermodels.com/links.htm) .

Surfduke is here, so you might also ask him. It's also on his other projects under Mercury - instructions as well. http://www.mos95b.com/

Yogi

[dhanners]

Very clean and nice build! Thanks for sharing the photos....

[PEB]

Thank you guys for the comments! :D And thank you Sufduke for creating this kit!

I started the build using the instructions Yogi mention, but unfortunately they are not complete and end just as the rocket body is completed. It is a good way of getting started though, but be careful with the engine cutouts in step 27 & 28 . The gaps became too large on my model leaving gaping holes on either side of the booster fairings.

Here is some links I found useful in building the model:

www.siloworld.com (http://www.siloworld.com) - Hidden around in this site is tons of pictures and info about the Atlas Misile.

www.spacearchive.net (http://www.spacearchive.net) - I can spend days just looking at these pictures.

www.http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal6/5301-5400/gal5372_Atlas_Weeks/00.shtm (http://www.http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal6/5301-5400/gal5372_Atlas_Weeks/00.shtm) - Sorry I know it's a plastic model, but it really shows of some nice details difficult to find in other pictures.

Peter

[Gideon]

One word... WOW!

That is an incredibly clean build! Display it in a place of great prominence!

[peter taft]

You have made an A1 job of this my friend - Very clean - Very straight, lovely build. Be proud... be VERY proud ;)

[Matthew From Florida]

Absolutely fantastic!! Very clean build!

[PEB]

Thank you once again! It is really wonderful to get this sort of response from you guys that I admire and look up to!

I will have to figure out a way to display the rocket. During the summer there has been enough wind through the windows to knock down my Mercury Redstone - twice! The second fall took out the escape tower completely. For the time being my Atlas is on display in a horizontal position until I come up with an idea.

My next build will most likely be the Gemini Titan by Ton Noteboom – the information gathering process has started. A process I enjoy just as much as building the model. It is history with a technical side to it that satisfy the little engineer hidden inside me! :D

[Gideon]

Good choice! Several here have built Ton's Gemini. It's a pleasure to build. You'll find several threads about it. In fact, mine is here:

http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/pasa-paper-aeronautical-space-administration/4064-tons-gemini-titan-1-96-finally-finished.html

Do you plan to do the 1:96 version or the 1:48 version? I chose the 1:96 to match my Mercury Redstone but I found that the graphics for the 1:96 kit were somewhat lacking. I printed the 1:48 at 50% and it looks beautiful (also gives you the recessed hatches which the 1:96 version doesn't have).

[peter taft]

I've made a few of TONS amaizing models, and the Titan - Gemini is a really nice one to build, my thread to it is here somewhere as is Saturn V. Enjoy your build my friend, and please post pictures along the way - we love build pictures ;)

[gpw]

PEB,

Fantastic build, very detailed.:)

Gerd

[PEB]

I'm planning to build the 1:48 version to match the scale of my Mercury rockets. I want to be able to compare the sizes of the rockets, and look very much forward to the "waaauw!" the day I get my hands on the Saturn V! :D
You guys have made some really beautiful models! They will be good references for my build. I love build pictures as well! I shall see what I can do. ;)

Peter

[peter taft]

I'm planning to build the 1:48 version to match the scale of my Mercury rockets. I want to be able to compare the sizes of the rockets, and look very much forward to the "waaauw!" the day I get my hands on the Saturn V! :D
You guys have made some really beautiful models! They will be good references for my build. I love build pictures as well! I shall see what I can do. ;)

Peter

The Saturn V will have you smiling from ear to ear my friend - not only do you get to build this beauty, you get to ADMIRE your work FOREVER. I look forward to seeing everything you build, and remember... a TONS model is SATISFACTION GUARANTEED ;)