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#1
10-03-2013, 06:46 AM
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”It looks like an angry alligator out here rotating around.”
Gang,
A by-product of being furloughed from my job at the Friendly Airplane Asylum (FAA) is more modeling time. So I've managed to finish half of my Gemini IX-A combo: the ATDA or, as it was famously known, the "Angry Alligator." The ATDA (Augmented Target Docking Adapter) was a substitute for an Agena target vehicle that its Atlas launcher failed to put into orbit. The ATDA reached orbit perfectly, but the shroud didn't separate and the vehicle was slowly revolving. Gemini IX-A commander Tom Stafford called it ”an angry alligator out here rotating around.” The ATDA and the Gemini in the first shot are the 1/24 Delta 7 kits. I recolored the ATDA a bit to more closely resemble the real thing. The Gemini still needs some detailing and a flat clear coat. Hope to finish the Gemini by the weekend. Stay tooned!  Les (The Voice of Authority -- THE - Home)
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#3
10-03-2013, 10:34 AM
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Wow! Now that's a really good looking ATDAlligator, Les. I also really like how you posed the model. Great job!
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#5
10-05-2013, 01:04 PM
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Quote:
Meanwhile, I hope to finish all the Gemini parts tonight. Then it gets an overall flat coat via airbrush -- I use glossy photo paper for my builds -- and finally, I gotta put gold foil on the rear of the adapter. Stay tooned! Les
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#6
10-05-2013, 02:26 PM
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I had to look up the word 'furlough' but funnily, it is pronounced almost the same way in the Netherlands. "verlof", we say. Only we emphasize the second syllable.
I think it's a very silly situation but I hope you both use your forced furlough well by glueing paper! (-; Looking forward seeing the finished Gemini! The ATDA already looks very great.
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#7
10-07-2013, 04:32 PM
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Houston, we've had a problem....
So, there I was, proud of the job I'd done on the Gemini. Since I use glossy photo paper, I wanted to spray on a flat coat to make the model look more authentic. I tried airbrushing Model Master Clear Flat Lacquer on a scrap piece of paper. Hmmmm...the flat coat was really clouded. Must be that the paint is old -- as in at least 4-5 years. No problem. Off to the local A.C. Moore for a spray can of acrylic flat. Test spray on a scrap of paper looked OK. So I laid down a nice, smooth coat on my Gemini IX model -- and the pic shows the result.  What I failed to notice on the test piece was that it got cloudy when it dried. Dunno whether I didn't shake the can enough or if it, too, is past its shelf life. Any thoughts? So I've detached the spoiled reentry module parts and printed new ones. The rebuild shouldn't take too long. Stay tooned. Les (The Voice of Authority -- except, obviously, on clear flat sprays)
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#9
10-07-2013, 11:22 PM
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Quote:
Les (The Voice of Authority -- THE - Home)
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#10
10-10-2013, 08:28 AM
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Gemini IX-A finally meets the Angry Alligator!
The Gemini is Dan Shippey's 1/24 Delta 7 model. I added to the basic kit. I used RealSpace Models resin replacement parts for the top and bottom thrusters and side fairing. The large thruster resin parts were oversized, so I added plastic rod to the paper kit parts to simulate the 3D ridges. I also used a RealSpace resin part for the rendezvous radar on the nose but scratchbuilt the drogue parachute covers and wiring. At the rear end of the spacecraft, I added the bars that Gene Cernan used to position himself in the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit, which was hidden by a Mylar cover during the rendezvous with the ATDA. If you're building a specific Gemini mission, carefully study photos of the real spacecraft if you can. The Delta 7 model for Gemini IX-A lacked quite a few of the black squares used in lieu of stripes on the later missions. I printed a bunch of decal squares and applied as many as I could see. Overall a satisfying build. Comments welcome! Les (The Voice of Authority -- THE - Home)
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