In which I demonstrate some measure of self-control

[major_clanger]

On the way back from New Street Station I walked past the Ian Allen Book & Model Shop, and as I often door had a peer at what was in the window; IA stock a good range of aviation/militaria specialist books, and the odd interesting model kit.

And there was a Saturn V kit, but not one I'd seen before. It wasn't the good old Airfix 1:144 kit, recently re-released, nor was it the Revell 1:96 giant. I peered more closely, and noticed that the kit was by an outfit called Dragon, and that the box was big. Really big. Then I saw.

1:72

So, twice the size in every dimension of the Airfix Saturn V I used to have. The complete kit would be over 5' tall.

It was also £137.

I don't have time. I don't really have space (we have a big flat, but even so). And that's a lot of money.

Fortunately, my bout of it-must-be-mine! syndrome was dampened by this review, which notes that for a large-scale kit, where the point is surely additional detail and accuracy, the Dragon kit is actually not just poorly-detailed but flat-out wrong in several places. Oh well, I'll just have to get around to building the 1:48 TSR-2 kit I've had for about three years...

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Heh. Karen's late dad was a rocket scientist; after his funeral a few months back in Huntsville, Alabama, we went to the Space & Rocket Centre, because that's what she always did with him every time she visited.

They have an actual Saturn V. Horizontal, so you creep about beneath it and get a very good idea just how big that thing is.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

I've seen the Saturn V at Huntsville, as well as the one at Kennedy Space Center. If I ever get to Houston, I'll have the full set of survivors.

(The Huntsville S&RC has a second Saturn V, a replica displayed vertically. It is full scale and absolutely incredible to behold.)

[desperance.livejournal.com]

Yup. Karen may possibly have taken my photo standing in front of it. Might've done. It is faintly conceivable that that happened.

[alex-holden.livejournal.com]

When I was nine, we went on a family holiday to Florida (looking back, I'm not sure how my parents afforded it). The biggest highlight for me was probably standing under the Saturn V at Kennedy. I see from Wikipedia that they have since put it into a purpose-made building.

[brooksmoses]

Yup. The purpose-made building includes a full replication of the launch control room, with a viewing gallery and actual working countdown clocks and the central projection screen playing synchronized control-room footage from a launch and special effects to rattle the windows when it goes up. It's quite an experience.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

Ah, where would we be without bolt counters? :o)

With me, it's (English) civil war artillery!

[fjm.livejournal.com]

Bring a kit to Loncon 3. I will place it on a table and you and all the old model makers who miss building models can gather around and have fun :-)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Still not made a Laundryverse militarised Concorde?

[autopope.livejournal.com]

For added fun, look for a model of the [un-built] Tupolev 244? (Follow-on SST from the Tu-144; capacity for up to 300 passengers at Mach 2.5.)