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Sputnik 1 - 60th Anniversary 4 October 2017


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Although I posted some pictures in the Real Space Discussion area, I should really have posted pictures of the finished item here. Following a suggestion by another Brirtmodeller, I purchased some AFV aerial wire from Accurate Armour and it certainly looks a lot better than the original stretched sprue aerials.

 

The body of the satellite is a humble ping pong ball dressed up with some plastic card and Avery label material.

 

FE0i3kvP.jpg

 

 

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Very nice.

 

We often get mesmerized by Sci FI/Fantasy projects because of imagination used in designing and building them but building real-world spacecraft takes as much ingenuity and skill to make a realistic replica. 

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I have to say I am far more interested in genuine space hardware rather than what some imaginative folk have dreamed up for a Hollywood space opera (with the odd exception). Sputnik 1 was about as basic as a satellite could possibly be without being a completely inert piece of metal. It carried no specific scientific experimental equipment of any sort, apart from a basic radio transmitter from which some scientific analysis could be made using the radio signal coming from the transmitter. It's main job was to achieve  a successful and stable orbit and to announce that fact to the world - using the radio.

 

Sputnik 1 was actually  a back up satellite for a more sophisticated design that had been slated for the first launch. However, because this was a much more complicated device, it was decided to build a much simpler alternative as a back up and, in the end, it was decided to launch this one first. The more complicated satellite was eventually launched successfully in 1958 and designated Sputnik 3. It contained a number of radiation and magnetic field detectors to help understand the near space environment.

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  • 1 month later...

That's fantastic, and I agree with Hans above, a very effective display.

 

On 10/2/2017 at 2:22 AM, Eric Mc said:

I have to say I am far more interested in genuine space hardware rather than what some imaginative folk have dreamed up for a Hollywood space opera (with the odd exception).

 

I wonder if "real space" should have a section separate to sci-fi – I'm sure some people that aren't so interested in sci-fi would enjoy a dedicated RFI and WIP. That said, I haven't (yet) done any space models...

 

Regards,

David

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  • 2 weeks later...

I would prefer real space to be separate to Sci-Fi and Fantasy but I do recognise it is a fairly quiet corner of the scale model world and therefore it tends to get lumped in with all "spacey" type model building.

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Eric - my sister in law drove all the way from Marlow to Telford (SMW) last month - I saw her again last Sunday and totally out of the blue, she announced that of all the models on our display, the one that really caught her fancy was your little ping pong ball of a Sputnik

 

She'd already had a long chat with you over on your SIG bench, not knowing at the time that you also had this little gem on display at the Farnborough table. She's a complete space girl and is keen to catch up with you for a another chat at ModelFest next year.

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On ‎08‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 16:55, Gimme Shelter said:

Eric - my sister in law drove all the way from Marlow to Telford (SMW) last month - I saw her again last Sunday and totally out of the blue, she announced that of all the models on our display, the one that really caught her fancy was your little ping pong ball of a Sputnik

 

She'd already had a long chat with you over on your SIG bench, not knowing at the time that you also had this little gem on display at the Farnborough table. She's a complete space girl and is keen to catch up with you for a another chat at ModelFest next year.

I chatted to so many people over the weekend that I pretty much lost my voice by Monday. I think I remember chatting to a charming lady when I was on the NASA SIG stand so that must have been your sister in law.  I'm so glad she liked my little Sputnik. It made it back home all in one piece and now sits on my "space shelf".

As 2018 will be the 60th anniversary of the US's first earth orbiting satellite, Explorer 1, the Glencoe model of the Explorer is on my "to do" list for 2018.

 

I fully intend to be at Telford in November 2018. I'm pretty sure the NASA SIG stand will be a bit special in 2018 as it will also be the 60th anniversary of the formation of NASA

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4 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

.

As 2018 will be the 60th anniversary of the US's first earth orbiting satellite, Explorer 1, the Glencoe model of the Explorer is on my "to do" list for 2018.

 

 

That is an incredibly nice kit and with a bit of work can be turned into a stunner. I love the base and the crank handle, when turned clicks out the morse code that Explorer broadcast to the World.

 

Thomo.

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I didn't know about the handle (the box I have is still sealed underneath its cellophane wrapper). Makes it sound even more of an intriguing kit. Because of work pressures I can never work on models between the beginning of November and the end of January (and no, I'm not one of Santa Claus' elves). But the Explorer might have just moved up the priority list.

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1 minute ago, Eric Mc said:

I didn't know about the handle (the box I have is still sealed underneath its cellophane wrapper). Makes it sound even more of an intriguing kit. Because of work pressures I can never work on models between the beginning of November and the end of January (and no, I'm not one of Santa Claus' elves).

The finished model pirouettes as the handle is turned too and can be  exposed to show off a fully detailed interior.

 

A cracking model!

 

Thomo.

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