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Old 12-15-2017, 10:28 AM
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SAustin16 SAustin16 is offline
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Big Gemini and Gemini SSTO - 1:96 Scale

Hello to All,

As a kid in the 1960's with both parents highly involved in aviation and activities at Edwards AFB, I have always been fascinated with the Gemini Program. The Gemini Era was a very exciting time. Gemini was always considered a "Pilot's Spacecraft", where Apollo was the next step with its own certain design elegance.

Here are several 1:96 scale Gemini variants I've been working on. These are a tribute to Gus Grissom and all of the McDonnell Douglas engineers who never got to see these craft built and flying.

Two variants of Big Gemini, to re-supply the envisioned space stations, and the Gemini SSTO (Single Stage to Orbit). All of these are my "first builds" and of very rough craftsmanship. My eye sight isn't what it used to be, and it really shows on these 1:96 scale builds.

The RCS systems are always time-consuming and very fiddly. On the SSTO i used scrap wood and toothpick ends to model in 3D (Thank you David Hanners for this idea). They came out OK, but hours of work. On the Big Gemini I tried to model 2D RCS quadrants in MS Word, but they are only acceptable when looking straight on...they really lack realism when viewed at an angle.

More Gemini models to come.

Hope you enjoy...Good Day from Texas.
Attached Thumbnails
Big Gemini and Gemini SSTO - 1:96 Scale-gemini-trio.jpg   Big Gemini and Gemini SSTO - 1:96 Scale-gemini-trio2.jpg   Big Gemini and Gemini SSTO - 1:96 Scale-gemini-backends.jpg   Big Gemini and Gemini SSTO - 1:96 Scale-gemini-ssto.jpg  
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Old 12-15-2017, 11:09 AM
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dhanners dhanners is offline
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Cool builds! My hat is off to anyone who can design these things.

And yeah, in the '60s, the future was so bright we had to wear shades....
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Old 12-15-2017, 11:13 AM
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Wyvern Wyvern is offline
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Very cool stuff! And your design work is good; nothing to be ashamed of!

Wyvern
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Old 12-15-2017, 06:36 PM
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Well done!
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Old 12-15-2017, 06:49 PM
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Gemini SSTO was something I wasn't aware of. Even though it might be in one of the books over there it now seems likely the situation would have remained the same without your models being posted.

Playing in Google just now found this;
Quote:
The vehicle would perform a controlled reentry in the same manner as an Apollo capsule before retiring the engine to allow a short hover and final descent to a soft landing on extendable legs. The payload was to be either a Gemini capsule or a similar mass of cargo carried initially under an aerodynamic fairing. Proposed missions included service and potentially rescue flights in support of the proposed Apollo Application Program space stations.
https://thehighfrontier.blog/2016/03...rocket-part-1/
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Screw the rivets, I'm building for atmosphere, not detail.
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Old 12-16-2017, 06:31 AM
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dhanners dhanners is offline
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Not that you don't have your own plans for what you do next, but how about a Manned Orbiting Laboratory? There are a couple out there (i.e., the Delta 7 Studios one offered on their "Blue Gemini" CD) but they were all designed before new and more detailed plans were declassified a few years back. We now know more what MOL was supposed to look like, as well as what extensive military capabilities it was intended to have.

Also, check out these, if you haven't already:
https://youtu.be/O1sO8OKKFZg
https://youtu.be/zMLhmDQAsmc
https://youtu.be/XVncV1e_a7Y
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