Everything IS GO!(Well Sort of) Atlas Launch Pad with Gantry

[LorenSharp]

Ok something I haven't built since the mid 60's

Revell's (Now Atlantis) Everything is Go! Atlas launch vehicle and pad. The only difference with this build is I'm backdating it to the original 1959 release with the war head instead of the Mercury capsule and I'll scratch build the fall away gantry and hoses.

As per usual, all comments , suggestions, questions and general ribaldry, not to be confused with @general melchett is always welcomed ad encouraged. Soo 5....4...3...2...1  Launch!

[LorenSharp]

First thing we do, no we're not killing all the lawyers, thats Hamlets job, give a lot of parts a base coat of white.

Probably painted too many parts white but thats ok. I remember when I originally did this subject, I went through bottles and bottles of 10cent Pactra yellow and red to paint all the plumbing and what not.

I know I just dated myself with THAT one. But this time the paint ain't that cheap but I definitely am and I don't have that much yellow

[dnl42]

Nice! Another kit I was considering. 

 

My first intro to the kit, lo those many years ago, was in current configuration. I'll be quite interested in your backdating. Thinking on that, the kit's features do make more sense. 

Good you have the Atlantis version as it has new decals. For anybody with an older boxing, AM decals are available from Dekls

[LorenSharp]

Actually it's not the Atlantis version, Still a real Revell. Got it about 10-12 years ago. but kept the decals separated and sealed in a plastic bag.   

[stevej60]

Now this kind of kit is what Revell did best,looking forward to seeing it coming together.

[LorenSharp]

Thanks Steve, I almost went with the build you started, "one small step". Another one I built when it first came out. I remember in the original release of that kit the moon "Base" had the shadows pre-painted. You'll have fun with that one. The gold foil gave me more fits than anything else. Plastic cement didn't work too ell on the foil as I remember.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

This is another build of this kit, should have some good detail info in it. 
 

 

[LorenSharp]

Thanks Dennis, There are a LOT of ideas in that build.

[bianfuxia]

Cool - I'll watch along ...and choose something else for my entry in this GB! 

[general melchett]

Great stuff old fella, just my kind of thang. I keep toying with the idea of getting hold of one and doing pretty much the same thing with it, as its a sound basis for a great diorama/vignette with a lot of scratch building potential. Finding the time is another matter. Looking forward to progress.

[LorenSharp]

Lets see if I can do a decent update here. After taking stock of the overall condition of the plastic I think just about EVERY piece had either flash, ejector pin marks, or cavernous sink holes. Sometimes all three. You can tell this a really old mold. I tried to get as much cleaned and sorted out as much as possible. But I know I missed a lot.

Case in point the sink marks on the top deck. Along both sides and laterally across in some spots. Filler to the rescue!

Letting that dry overnight sanded down, re-applied , sanded again to regain the level surface. Then painted dark gray and added to railing.

 

 

 

[LorenSharp]

Next the on ramp got the same treatment though no sink marks but lots of flash.

Installed the blast vent ,water system and girders to the underside of the top deck.

 

[LorenSharp]

The main building got all its plumbing and railing after more cleaning. the flash between the pipes was especially aggravating. the spaces between some of the pipes were so close together it was hard to tell what was flash and what was piping.

A few of the locating holes needed to be cleaned out , and in more than one occasion filled moved slightly to line up properly. I didn't remember some of the parts not being co-operative when I first built this but I was 9-10 at the time  and more interested in finishing as fast a possible so I could play with it. Of course the moulds were maybe 10 years old at that time.

 

[LorenSharp]

While letting that dry for a  bit I set about constructing the Launch rig

One section of the hydraulic catches that hold the rocket in place were unusable so I cut some brass tubing so the piston could travel in and out properly

 

[LorenSharp]

Attaching the top deck then the small garage. Something that I though was unusual when I first built this. The main part had a nice thick base that it ate thing to attaches to. the garage side doesn't. and causes the whole to rock. I I had some thick card and cut a new base for the garage. Things are much more stable now.

Then added the last of the piping and stairs/railing.

[LorenSharp]

This will dry and then I'll finish adding the the detail to the top deck. Then it will be on to the Atlas and the drop away gantry. Here is where I'll be doing the most of my modifications. The new upper portion (warhead) , new engine nozzles and of course the fall away gantry. I would like to do the big wrap around gantry but I don't have enough space for it and the rest of the model. All the while trying to survive the 4th of July. Speaking of which Happy 4th Yank expats here, or as I like to 'splain to the younger generation, This is the anniversary of when we "un-friended" Good King George III.

So until next time Stay Safe and Stay healthy where ever you are.

[JeroenS]

Good progress! Looks pretty cool with all these pipes and everything. 

[LorenSharp]

Thanks Jeroen. The fun part is now correcting the booster and making a small umbilical gantry. Hopefully I'll have pictures in a day or so.

[Davek72]

Loving the work so far.  Keep it up. 
 

Dave

[LorenSharp]

Well after a few (A FEW?) setbacks with trying to print out a decent(in other words intact) smaller gantry I can now bring everyone up to date with my little build and it's conclusion.

First up some of the ancillary equipment...

The SM-65's trailer/loading gantry

A cute little truck that I had to add  headlights to. I mean how were you supposed to drive this around in the dark? stick a couple of airmen on the hood with flashlights? Anyways I digress...

The tanker section Which you would need many, many more to fill this bird up.

An even more diminutive Nitrogen tank

And what s to be the strangest testing gear ever

[LorenSharp]

As to the launch pad itself, I  installed all the bits and bobs that came with the kit.

launch pad in the first place.

On the whole rather large for something so diminutive but still rather thin and sparse detail wise don't you think?.... me too. But that will be dealt with momentarily. But first the reason for this 

launch pad in the first place.

[LorenSharp]

Namely the  Convair SM-65 Launch Vehicle Namely the Atlas. When we last left it it looked like this, a little plain jane.

Time to kick it up a notch.

First, painted the lower section light gray, then after it dried , I masked that off and added some Alclad II Dark Silver to a few sections. As it turned out This part ended up be unnecessary as I begain to cover the upper portion in Bare Metal Foil.

Printed out the test vehicle warhead. Different Marks used a variety of shapes, some flat, some conical , But this type is the one I most remember as a kid when my father worked on the program. So that's what I went with.

Of course being the doddering old git that I am with a mind like a steel trap that's rusted shut, I forgot to photograph the progress of adding the foil. DOH! But I will sty that I cut out small sections at different angles and applied to give a variation to the grain and enhanced it with some fine steel wool. We'll see the final product to that in a minute.

[LorenSharp]

But before that The reason for taking so long on this update, among other things.... the drop- away gantry.

It took several iterations to get right because of print failure( operator induced) the final I painted up in the obligatory red and white for high visual and safety effect.

To this I also added more umbilical detail with some electronic wire from the stash.

[LorenSharp]

That overcome, time to deal with the absolute lack of "Busyness" to the launch pad. PIpes..... that the ticket.... we need MORE PIPES!

Wheres the Black Watch when I need them

But the lack of piping was most notable when I placed the launch vehicle on the pad. so With way too much time on my hands I used some electronic wire, some electrical wire (very thick) some thick and thin solder wire, plus a little bit of Christmas packaging ribbon (knew I would need this eventually) and this is the final product. Oh and you now can finally see the finished SM-65. At no additional charge

I did add smaller steering rockets to the Atlas as well in addition to new main engines as the kits set were to be polite... crap.

These I painted burnt metal and stuck on which of course now you cant even see. because of all the cabling. Such is life. Oh well( Didn't he write a book?

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Great work on this one, Im planning on foiling my next bare metal project as I have done one in years. To be honest its slow and tedious but worth it in the end.