MODELING APOLLO 13 IN 1/48 SCALE
Fragile vessels on a perilous journey
BY GLENN JOHNSON
THE MOVIE “Apollo 13" kept theatergoers on the edge of their seats in
the summer of 1995.
But no screenplay could ever
match the drama and suspense of the abortive third lunar landing mission in
April 1970. The lives of the three-man crew hung in the balance when an
explosive malfunction threatened the moon-bound ship. On earth, hundreds
of technicians scrambled to devise ways to bring the crew back safely.
At my workbench 25 years later, I devised a way to
depict this unforgettable event in 1/48 scale. I started with Revell
Germany’s Apollo Spacecraft (kit No. 4808) and Monogram’s First Lunar Landing
kit (No. 5081).
STEP 1: UPDATED COMMAND MODULE |
Revell's command module (CM) is a replica of the
Block I prototype, the Apollo test bed before the lunar excursion module (LEM)
had been built. Details and surgery updated it to Block II, the version
that went to the moon.
I moved the half-round antennas and filled
their former mounting points. I also repositioned jets on the parachute shroud
side by side. (The half-round omni antennae go on the SM on the Block II
spacecraft).
The CM's two square windows should be
farther aft: I filled them with casting resin and cut out new ones.
Start by scraping off raised details around the windows, then
bevel the windows from the inside (A) to give the resin a bigger mating
surface. Cover the other side with tape and apply resin from the inside
(B). The resin adheres well to the plastic, but reinforce it with a
bead of super glue along the inside edges. After everything cures, remove
the tape and sand the area smooth.
I drew the new
windows (C), cut them out, and finished them with frames made from.010"
x.020" strip styrene (D).
STEP 2: NOSE, UMBILICAL, AND HATCH |
Remove the launch-escape-system attachment points on the
parachute shroud (A). I smoothed the area and placed new attachment
points more accurately.
The CM nose is too long. I
cut it down ½” (A). (All dimensions in this article should be
cut by 50% for the 1/96 scale ASTP kit). This not only corrects the
height of the capsule, but also the length of the docking tunnel to the LEM, and
allows the installation of a docking ring on the CM nose. I leveled off
the nose, using resin and tape as before (B).
The kit’s crew hatch, because it’s designed to open, is
too small. Also, it should have a raised frame. I glued it
shut, filled its edges with Model Magic acrylic filler compound, then rescribed
exterior details (C).
Photo (C) also
shows where I cut off the umbilical connection between the CM and the
service module (SM). I built a larger housing from clear acrylic and sheet
styrene, covered it with adhesive-backed Bare-Metal Foil, and put it in its
correct spot (D) (see below).
The porthole in the hatch needed work because the
outside hole is square but the one inside is round. I squared the outer hole to
1/4" glued .020" sheet (with a 3/8" round hole) on the inside. The 'glass" is
clear acetate.
The CM is surfaced with
Bare-Metal Foil. I cleaned the model surface beforehand with Polly S
Plastic Prep, making it less likely the foil would bubble or peel.
STEP 3: NAVIGATING AND DOCKING |
I built navigation ports (A) with sheet
styrene and a Waldron tool-and die set.
Starting with a
trapezoid of.020" sheet styrene, I made two holes with a No. 5 (.12") and No. 6
(.16") punch, respectively. The edges of this piece are beveled.
To complete the ports, I used the same-sized punches in
.010" sheet and cut the discs to the shapes in photo (A).
Attitude-control jets on the CM are surrounded by red
insulators - I used thin, red Mylar from an auto-club bumper sticker (B).
The same photo shows the docking collar I made from 3/4"
acrylic tube and bits of styrene. Later, this would attach to the
LEM. Also shown is one of the photoetched-brass grab handles I made with
an Auto-Etch home photoetching set.
STEP 4: ENGINE TUNE-UP |
To correct the shape of the SM engine bell, I cut off the two aft rings and sanded the third to about half its original height (A). Applying filler (B) and sanding it smooth (C) produced the desired shape.
(Photo (E) shows the finished aft section of the SM, including a scratch built SPS heat shield)
STEP 5: THAT PESKY SERVICE MODULE |
I replaced nearly all the molded detail on the outer surface of the SM,
cutting it off and sanding the surface smooth. Of course, I didn't modify
the panel missing after Apollo 13's mishap since it would be removed anyway
(A). (You will need to leave the panel on and modify it for the
ASTP)
The SM is surfaced with matte aluminum Bare-Metal Foil.
After foiling, I installed the reaction-control jets and made radiator panels
from .020" corrugated styrene.
The high-gain-antenna frame is photoetched
brass with stretched pantyhose for the mesh.
MEET GLENN JOHNSON Glenn is a professional photographer from Tallahassee, Florida, who
grew up in the heyday of the Apollo space program. "There were lots
of spacecraft models available then, and I built them all", he
recalls. "When the kits went away, I started scratchbuilding".
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