Airfix Space Shuttle Gift Set (A50200) 1:144

[Mike]

Space Shuttle Gift Set (A50200)

1:144 Airfix

 

 

The Space Shuttle is probably one of the most recognised air and space vehicles on this planet, operated by NASA from 1981 to 2011, after which it was retired from active service, with no visible replacement in sight from NASA themselves, and only Russia’s ancient Soyuz launch vehicles or more recently, SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon capsules able to take crews up to the International Space Station (ISS) that the Shuttle was an integral part of building and maintaining through most of its working career.  The Shuttle was largely reusable, which was intended to reduce the cost of individual launches, returning the Orbiter to earth as possibly the world’s heaviest glider once it had cleared the ionisation process that makes re-entry to the earth’s atmosphere a dangerous task.  Launched piggy-backed on a huge insulated fuel tank that had a pair of Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) to the sides, it was based at Kennedy Space Centre, and carried out 135 missions during its career, jettisoning its SRBs when they had spent their fuel, then releasing the fuel tank that fed the Orbiter’s three main engines once that too was empty.  While the SRBs were recovered from the sea by tugs after they carried out a soft splash-down under parachutes, the main tank was lost, tumbling into space as the Orbiter went on to achieve stable Earth Orbit.  Sadly for the continued exploration of the moon, the Shuttle could not break orbit and head back to the moon, but it was capable of launching all manner of satellites, custom parts, modules and supplies for the ISS, as well as the crews, which had been the main intent of the project.

 

Two Orbiters were lost during its career, the Challenger destroyed on launch by a combination of cold weather and delayed launch time leading to the failure of important O-rings that joined the sections of the SRBs together.  It blow-torched through the skin of the main tank and exploded, killing all on board less than two minutes into the flight.  Much was done to improve the Shuttle’s space-worthiness in light of this disaster, but several years later the Columbia was also lost, this time on its descent from space, which was caused by a suitcase-sized piece of insulating foam separating from the main tank at launch and punching a hole in the leading edge of one wing, which led to the Orbiter breaking up in the later stages of re-entry, again killing all on board.  Its retirement was announced the following year, but the remaining fleet were still needed for some crucial missions, soldiering on until the last mission in 2011 that was designated STS-135, staying in space for 11 days excluding launch and re-entry, landing safely early on the morning of July 21st 2011 and marking the end of an era.  The remaining Orbiters were distributed to museums around America, and there was no direct replacement within the auspices of NASA until the SLS Artemis programme reaches readiness, although the long-term future of this rocket is already in doubt.  The US military have an unmanned space ‘plane of their own called the X-37A that was originally engineered to be carried inside the Shuttle’s bay before it was transferred to the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), succeeded by the mission-capable X-37B, with a substantially larger X-37C planned that can be fitted with a crew module, although much of that Orbiter’s work is highly secret, launching into orbit on top of an Atlas V rocket in a streamlined cowling, then circling the planet for extended periods that wouldn’t be possible for a crewed vehicle.  Keep that to yourself though.

 

 

The Kit

Airfix’s Space Shuttle kit was tooled before the Orbiter went into space, first released in 1978, although it is still well regarded by those that know, having a good gross outline, with the potential for greater detail available in aftermarket extras if you feel the need to go that little bit further.  The kit arrives in a large end-opening box of the same size and style as the SLS Artemis and Saturn V kits that have also been released in the last few weeks, the reviews for which you can see by clicking the links above when you’re done here.  Inside this Gift Set boxing are ten thumb-pots of acrylic paint, two tubes of traditional modelling cement, and a pair of brushes that are sized 0 and 4, their bristles protected by clear covers to prevent damage inside the bag.  The main bag holds three large white sprues on late 70s angular runners, some of which are a little deformed, although the parts themselves are unaffected save for a little flash here and there.  Detail is good for the era, although a smooth main tank doesn’t really represent the later missions, which would be better represented by a stipple-coat of Mr Surfacer or similar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the fuselage of the Orbiter, inserting the nose gear bay, hatch porthole and roof lights around the cockpit, and the fictional cargo bay with Canadarm, a satellite and bulky camera mount, detail parts that can be omitted if you intend to leave the doors closed.  The cockpit area is painted black to hide the lack of detail in there, and here a coat of Black 4.0 would ensure that nothing is seen within.  The nose is completed by adding a Forward Control Thruster insert, and fitting the two-part windscreen, which has the joint hidden in the triangular centre frame.  The Orbital Manoeuvring System fairings are next to be built, adding a bulkhead to the rear, the larger engine bell, and the fairing that houses the Aft Control System thruster nozzles, which are a further two-part assembly.  They are handed, and glue in place on the flat areas either side of the rudder fin, while a larger bulkhead with moulded-in body flap is fixed in the rear of the fuselage, detail-painted, and then has the three main engine bells inserted in the raised fairings, each made from two halves.

 

The lower wing is full span, and incorporates the lower fuselage, mating with the fuselage on raised guides moulded into the interior of the wing lower.  The upper wings finish the main part of the Orbiter, with a choice of open or closed bay doors as you prefer.  You have a further choice of displaying the shuttle landed and separate to the launch system, making main gear legs from two parts with two wheels per unit, and bay doors hinging down along the outer edge of the bays, all the interior painted black to hide the relatively blank interior.  The nose gear is identical in parts count, save for the twin bay doors either side of the bay.  For an Orbiter-mounted or airborne shuttle, the same door parts are used to close the bays, being careful to secure them flush with the skin of the underside.

 

The bulk of the main fuel tank is moulded as two halves with a rounded rear, and the feed lines for the fuel as a separate part that mounts on curved crutches next to moulded-in details.  A triangular mount for the stand is glued to the underside in preparation for display, but should be left off and the holes filled if you intend to hang it from the ceiling, for example.  The tapered nose cone is made from two halves, plus a pointed tip that mates with the main tank, fitting a short wider cylindrical section between it and the longer lower end, applying decals to represent the ridged surfaces after painting.  Three small hose ends are fixed to the aft of the tank for connection to the Orbiter, adding an additional hose from the rounded bottom of the tank, plus the trapezoid main mount, with braces heading forward on an additional raised area that fits via two lugs on each side of the mount.  The forward mount is a rather insubstantial bipod that similarly fits on two pegs that marry with holes in the tank further forward.

 

Each SRB is built in mirror image to the other, consisting of two halves with a moulded-in nose cone and aft skirt, which is fitted with a toroidal bulkhead and the exhaust bell that passes through into the interior, plus five small thrusters fitted to the skirt, two small detail parts, and a two-part lower mount that slots into the collar near the skirt, which leaves assembly of the four component parts to be done after building the stand from an arrowhead base and two-part riser.  The SRBs fit on the sides of the main tank by a peg at the front, and the twin mounts at the rear, then once the glue has thoroughly cured, the Orbiter can be fixed in place on the tripod mount on top of the main tank.  The completed model is then slotted onto the stand if you have remembered to install the triangular adapter, and a NASA logo is included to be applied to the base of the stand.

 

 

Markings

The new decal sheet contains markings for the fleet of shuttles at different stages of their careers, giving twelve options in total, with shuttle names included on the sheet for them all.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

• Enterprise 1976 – 1983
• Enterprise 1983 onwards
• Columbia 1981 – 1986
• Columbia 1986 – 1999
• Columbia 1999 – 2003
• Challenger 1983 – 1996
• Discovery 1984 – 1998
• Discovery 1998 – 2011
• Atlantis 1985 – 1998
• Atlantis 1998 – 2011
• Endeavour 1992 – 1998
• Endeavour 1998 – 2011

 

 

 

Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

 

 

Conclusion

Whilst this isn’t a new kit, it offers good general detail and outline of this famous conveyor of astronauts, plus modern decals that are an improvement on the originals, and if you’re a new modeller, the inclusion of paint, glue and brushes will be a boost to your budding armoury.  Those more detail-hungry can use the kit as a canvas and avail themselves of the upgrade sets that are widely available.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of