Hello All,
Now that Estes is offering the new 1:200 scale Apollo-Saturn V (and the 1:100 scale Eagle Lunar Module model that is included with the 50th Anniversary 1:100 scale Saturn V kit), I dare them—a friendly dare, of course—to release another scale model launch vehicle with “matching scale” spacecraft:
An appropriately-scaled model of the Mariner 5 Venus flyby spacecraft, like *this*
www.youtube.com/watch?v=udfGEP06kAg “gravity-powered” model (it can be seen here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPM9q4tvI6g in color, although not moving), would go perfectly with a scale kit of its Atlas-Agena D launch vehicle (see:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEOK1vFUELI ), whose Atlas D first stage could use the same parts that were used in the Estes Mercury-Atlas scale model. Also:
Mariner 5’s Atlas-Agena D was very similar to the one that launched Mariner 4 past Mars; Mariner 5 was actually a leftover Mariner 3/4 backup spacecraft, which was modified to travel sunward, past Venus. The most obvious change was to its four solar panels, which were turned around to face backwards and were “half-panels,” since at Venus’ distance from the Sun less solar cell area was needed, while the solar panel tip-mounted cold gas attitude thrusters were retained.