Scale Scribblings...

Since DARS' next contest Megalaunch is just a couple of weeks away, I have been working on my sport scale bird. There are many things one must remember when building any scale model, not the least of which is documentation. To help me in this area, I usually use Peter Alway's Rockets of the World!

I purchased my copy at a NARAM many years ago, and I have used it like crazy since then. I actually bought it in the parking lot of the flying field, straight from Peter's car trunk. He was kind enough to sign it for me as an added bonus.

The book is laid out by country of origin of each prototype and features scientific vehicles only (no military, except where that vehicle was used in scientific research). Each prototype has a short write up about it, and then a scale line drawing, which includes details such as rivets and paint scheme. All illustrations are black and white.

I have to say, if I only had one rocket book in my collection, this would be it. It is still in print by ARA Press and can be ordered online at http://www.arapress.com/rotw.php

 

 

 


The hardback copy. Mine is spiral bound, which helps with copying.

Mine is signed....

An example of the excellent illustrations

Until next time fly em fast and high!

The Advantage of Being Cheap

I am cheap. I admit it. I'm actually rather proud of it. Some of it is that I live on a teacher's salary, but some of it is just being practical. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

That being said, it is little wonder that when my Paasche airbrush broke a few years ago, I didn't run out and buy a new one. I made due with rattle cans, all the while desperately holding my breath so as not to aggravate my allergies. I knew that I should be using an airbrush to spray on my wonderfully non itchy acrylics, but that cost too much, dadgumit!

Well, patience finally paid off about a year ago. My wonderful wife and I were at an estate sale in Dallas when I spotted this:

Yep, its the exact same airbrush that had broken. In fact. it was brand new. it had never been out of the box.

Now. 45.00 isn't a bad price, but I didn't pay that. You see, they had everything marked down at least half price! So, I actually paid less than twenty. Cheapness wins!!!

I used my airbrush for the first time a couple of days ago, and I love it. No itches! My rocket finishes should improve now that I don't have to hold my breath and run away after every little spray!

So the moral for today's post is; Don't be afraid to be cheap. It can pay off!

Until next time, fly 'em fast  and high!

A Trip to Spaceland!

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know that I love me some Ebay. I often just try wacky searches to see what treasures will turn up. Sometimes this exercise can uncover really cool items that I never even knew existed.

A case in point is this item:

This is a rather large (about two inches across) pin-back badge that celebrates Spaceland...or maybe it's Space Land...or something... The seller wasn't much help. They said that they had found it in a collection of 1950's sheriff badges, and they thought it was a souvenir, but that was about it.

Well, I loved it from the moment I saw it. I really liked the Von Braun inspired rocket, and the mystery surrounding it's origins. Was there really a Spaceland, or was it just a toy badge? Either way, it peeked my interest and the price was very low, so I went for it!

When it arrived, I found out that in addition to being pretty big, it is made of tin, with a large pin on the back.   Other than a few scrapes, it is in great condition. I promptly put it on my rocket cap (yes, I have a rocket cap, doesn't everybody?) and then started to research....

On all of the web, I found exactly one article on Spaceland, but it was a really good one! You can find it at: http://bill-yovino.hubpages.com/hub/Long-Island-Spaceland For those of you who may not want to read all of that, here is the nitty-gritty...

Spaceland was located in an old airplane hanger in Westbury, New York. It opened in June of 1958 when Al Hodge (better known as Captain Video) decided to go into the amusement park business to capitalize on his TV fame. Captain Video had been off the air since 1955 and he was having trouble getting acting roles because of his strong association with the character.

The park featured an 80 foot long silver rocket that promised a flight to Mars (it was a sort of early motion simulator ride.) It also had an attraction based on visiting Planet Vulcan, which was a large room that looked like an alien grotto lit with black lights. A guide would warn the kids to watch out for "Purple People Eaters" (which, of course, only eat purple people). The only way out was down a slide that went through a cave with walls "charged with a million volts of electricity!" Pretty serious stuff! The rest of the ten attractions were off the shelf kiddie rides. Unfortunately, repeat business was poor and the park closed in the early 60's. There is an unconfirmed rumor that the Purple People Eaters found work later as Oompa Loompas.

So, it seems that my Spaceland Ranger badge was actually cooler than I first thought! There must not be many of them since the park lasted such a short time, and the history makes it worth every penny I paid. So, the next time you are surfing Ebay, keep a sharp eye out. There are sci-fi treasures a-plenty!

And remember to fly 'em fast and high!

The Klingons Be a Hearty Folk....

At the DARS Classic this year there was a tragedy that sent chills through the souls of many a proud Klingon. You see, after yet another glorious mission establishing Klingon superiority in space, the reentry apparatus in the proud cruiser malfunctioned (quite probably through sabotage) and the fine vessel impacted on terra firma with a force that turned a single unit into seven parts.

However, the event was not mourned. Instead the Klingons did what they do best; they sprayed the guts and gore out of the craft and started rebuilding! Soon she was ready for her next glorious mission against the wimpy Federation! All hail the Klingon Empire!

Ok, maybe it wasn't exactly like that. The truth is that the nylon shock cord finally burned through (curse those extra hot Estes ejection charges!!!) and the model splatted into the field. The good news is that even though it broke into seven pieces, there was no actual structural damage since it broke apart all on glue joints! A quick session with the CA glue and there she was, as good as new! I didn't even have to touch up the paint!

So, the moral to the story is that even though something can look like a total disaster, it probably isn't as bad as you thought it was...unless it is...in which case, sorry about that. Here, look at some pictures and try not to think about it...




The fateful mission begins!


 

Parts is parts...

Reborn, ready to fight again!