1/48 Revell Lunar Module (LEM)

[Karl]

Quite a bit more progress on the decent stage. I have attached the landing legs made from evergreen tube and utilising the kits original footpads. These were foiled in silver and gold, with the footpad being painted half black.

 

I have also painted some of the areas with Tamiya clear orange to simulate the golden-orange colour of the areas of aluminised Kapton foil used in certain areas of the spacecraft that required greater protection from heat. When I was doing this I had to be careful not to over do it as the colour looked so luscious I just wanted to carry on painting it on!

 

I used various information sources (other kit builds, old modelling articles and pictures of a LM although not necessarily LM5) when trying to define what areas were Gold, Kapton, Black and Silver, with some conflicting on what should be what. I would have expected to find more pictures on line of the 'real thing' for what is essentially the most important spacecraft in history, but there you go. I usually come up with the right answers after I've completed!

 

There are still some details to apply such as the landing radar, etc.

 

 

I have also given the assent stage a coat of primer. Again, there are still some details to add to this area.

 

 

Karl

Edited December 4, 2016 by Karl

[Eric Mc]

Great job on this one. I have an old "History Makers" rendition of this in my unbuilt stash. The kit was originally released back in 1967 so you can see why it wasn't quite like the actual Lunar Modules flown.

 

As far as I am aware, there was no specific "Block 1" or "Block 2" Lunar Modules (unlike the Command and Service Modules).

 

The design of the Lunar Module went through a number of permutations before a final basic design was set. If you look back at images from the period - starting in 1962 - you will see multiple variations on the LM design The actual final arrangement - including how the foil and black thermal insulation was to be applied, was not really settled until around early 1968.

 

Model companies of the day, such as Revell, Monogram, Airfix, Heller etc, all based their LM kits and various iterations of the LM design - all of them before Grumman and NASA had settled on the final configuration. They also based their painting guides on numerous artists impressions issued by Grumman and NASA throughout the 60s which tended to show black and white markings and certainly did not show black and foil panels..

 

Having said all that, every LM flown on Apollo was different to every other LM. Each mission had different objects and aims and as a result, the LM was configured differently for each flight. The most obvious external differences are in the pattern of the gold and black insulation panels. The final three LM (Apollos15,16 and 17) also had slightly larger descent engine bells as the motor was uprated to allow for the extra weight carried in those last three missions.

[Karl]

9 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

Great job on this one. I have an old "History Makers" rendition of this in my unbuilt stash. The kit was originally released back in 1967 so you can see why it wasn't quite like the actual Lunar Modules flown.

 

As far as I am aware, there was no specific "Block 1" or "Block 2" Lunar Modules (unlike the Command and Service Modules).

 

The design of the Lunar Module went through a number of permutations before a final basic design was set. If you look back at images from the period - starting in 1962 - you will see multiple variations on the LM design The actual final arrangement - including how the foil and black thermal insulation was to be applied, was not really settled until around early 1968.

 

Model companies of the day, such as Revell, Monogram, Airfix, Heller etc, all based their LM kits and various iterations of the LM design - all of them before Grumman and NASA had settled on the final configuration. They also based their painting guides on numerous artists impressions issued by Grumman and NASA throughout the 60s which tended to show black and white markings and certainly did not show black and foil panels..

 

Having said all that, every LM flown on Apollo was different to every other LM. Each mission had different objects and aims and as a result, the LM was configured differently for each flight. The most obvious external differences are in the pattern of the gold and black insulation panels. The final three LM (Apollos15,16 and 17) also had slightly larger descent engine bells as the motor was uprated to allow for the extra weight carried in those last three missions.

 

Thanks Eric,

 

I had read somewhere on the Internet (always suspect!) regarding Block numbers for the Lunar Modules; it could have been someone just using the term (incorrectly) to describe the various incarnations of the LM rather than specific block numbers for actual vehicles. Not sure on that one.

 

I didn't know about the increase in engine bell size for the descent stage on the later Apollo Missions at all.

 

Karl

[Karl]

I've added the landing radar unit. this was made from small squares of sheet plastic arranged appropriately, with a brass rod for the mounting to give it strength.

 

I've also added the landing radar shield, made from thin styrene sheet and rod. Not to sure about this part as some references show it in place and others not. I've also installed the kit engine bell.

 

 

Using the kit parts, I have upgraded the entrance platform with some strip styrene and moved the hand rails outwards. I have also modified the kit ladder by bending it slightly inward at the third rung from the top and cutting a notch in to the top rung to fit around the landing strut. I have also added the flag carrier to the left side of the ladder.

 

 

Karl

[Caerbannog]

One day... I will pull myself together and start to build mine. Great work angain.

René

[Nomore Shelfspace]

This is really good. I built one in 1978 and it's still up here on the shelf. Although you are a bit far along the road here, Space in Miniature (spaceinminiature.com) did a complete book on modelling the LM, amongst other books on spacecraft, I believe it's still available from them, but as I said, you are a bit far along the road here...!

[Karl]

Happy new year everyone!! - this is my first update of 2017, and some more progress on the LM

 

I've been working on the antennas, mainly the rendezvous radar and the S-Band antenna. The kit parts don't really represent the real parts very well.

 

The rendezvous radar in the kit looked like this (please excuse the picture from the box as I didn't take a 'before' picture

 

 

After removing the solid three pronged thing in the middle, I recreated the secondary reflector and support struts from thin plastic struts.

 

 

The S-Band antenna in the kit is too small so I had to increase the diameter of the dish with a plastic strip glued to the circumference of the dish then shapes and filled it to match the profile. I also scratch built the antenna mount and the 'box' at the end of the arm.

 

 

And the result after painting and foiling:

 

 

I have also commenced installing the RCS engine bells on the the assent module. The individual bells have been drilled out and shaped to make them look functional.

 

 

 

Karl

 

 

Edited January 5, 2017 by Karl

[Karl]

The LM5 build so far. I've been working on all of the various aerials and antenna's for the assent stage and I'm just about ready to start painting.

 

 

Left to right in the picture below show the parts I've been working on, ready to install when the painting is done.

 

Docking cone

S-Band Steerable Antenna

Rendezvous Antenna

VHF Antenna x2

Docking Target

EVA Antenna

Assent Stage engine bell

 

 

Last thing is the base, the Astronauts(s) and flag. Not sure what I'm doing with these. I'd like to put two Astronauts on the surface but they both have different suits and both are incorrect.

 

Karl

[Karl]

The Lunar Module is complete - but more of that later....

 

 

I need to look at the Moon base and the Astronauts. The space suits are not that accurate, particularly the figure that was supposed to be cemented in to the cockpit of the LM; he doesn't even have the PLSS backpack or proper helmet.

 

 

I'm not going to go mad worrying about the accuracy here, so I've re-scribed some of the suit and carved out the visor to match the other figure and I've scratch built a PLSS backpack. I have added some hoses made from fuse wire to both figures and added a stub antenna on the backpack.

 

 

Bizarrely, these astronauts appear to have found a propeller belonging to a Lockheed Ventura on the moon - call the papers!

 

 

Karl

[Caerbannog]

I might be mistaken but this prop is not accurate for a Ventura.

;-)

 

Nice work.

René

[MarkSH]

Really interesting and well executed build. Very enjoyable. Would like to get a little of the extra detail you've incorporated into the Airfix 1/72 version I've got in the stash.

[Karl]

 

"....I thought you'd locked the hatch!!"

 

 

Time to hunt down the LEM....

Edited January 30, 2017 by Karl

[Mickd]

"We're gonna be in s** t for this"

[Karl]

 

Fortunately, our guys have found the LEM, just as I was putting on the final touches.

 

So I let them have it back!

 

Revell 1/48 Lunar Module - Ready for inspection

 

Karl

 

 

Edited January 31, 2017 by Karl