1/12 Apollo CM and SM

[Sakrison]

I just completed Ken West's 1/12 Apollo Command Module with Carl Hewlett's 1/32-scale service module scaled up to fit. The service module scaled up well with little loss of detail, though it took a lot of trial and error to scale it properly.

I scratch built the Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) used on Apollo 15-17 since Carl's kit has a 2-dimensional SIM Bay.

The CM interior is lit with LEDs but I need to swap them out for brighter ones.

The finished model is almost three feet long and about a foot in diameter. I actually don't know where I'm going to put it. I feel a bit like the guy who built a real airplane in his basement.

I worked on the model off and on for about two years, finishing it in a marathon push over the past two months. It will be on exhibit at the EAA Museum's annual "Family Flight Fest" on March 2, in Oshkosh, Wi.

If you're tackling Ken's CM kit and have questions, feel free to ask me. I'll help if I can. It's beautifully designed but it's a challenge.

--David

P.S. to Ken West: Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[dhanners]

VERY nice! Thanks for sharing....

[spacerunner]

This is a very demonstrative scale.

[umtutsut]

Amazing craftsmanship! Thanks for the build and pix. I'll get around to my CM sometime this century....

Les (The Voices of Authority)

[mk310149]

Very amazing! Looks a little bit like mine...

[Sakrison]

Originally Posted by mk310149

Very amazing! Looks a little bit like mine...

Very nicely done, Michael! Your work on the SM is very impressive!

[rifleman]

great build well done sir

[SAustin16]

Outstanding work. I think this model is proof that we are in the golden age of card modelling...

[MacSongLi]

Very impressive model. You did a great job.


Gary

[Sakrison]

I installed brighter LEDs in my Ken West CM. They really make a difference!

I'm spending today and tomorrow (Sat & Sun) at the EAA's Airventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, showing off the CSM and some of my other paper models at the annual "Family Flight Fest." As you can see from my photos, the view from where I sit is . . . not bad.

The modeler to my right brought an entire squadron of 1/48-scale B-17s (in plastic), every one different. Another modeler brought a row of P-51A's -- depicting every series ever produced.

It's a smaller group of modelers than usual because there's a big annual IPMS contest in Madison this weekend, and a smaller crowd of visitors, possibly because of the weather. But we're having a good time debating whether the weather is too good (25°F. and sunny) or too bad (25°F and sunny) to bring people to the museum.

I've handed out a few of my "How to Get Started in Paper Modeling" flyers and heard lots of nice comments about my models, including the ever-present, "I thought that was plastic!" And I might have lured at least one plastic modeler over to "the Dark Side." I keep trying.

Cheers,
--David