Designed by Ted Nomura, and featured as Plan #73 in the Model Rocket News - Volume 11, Number 2. Ted Nomura still lives in Las Vegas and is a professional artist. He has drawn many comic book covers.
From JimZs, here are the instructions: CLICK HERE
This design was a game changer. It was probably the first design to incorporate a "solar panel" look on the fin sides. The Centuri Skylab used the solar panel fin idea a few years later.
The root edges of the fins were not glued directly to the body tube but were held in place with dowels. The dowels were slid into drilled holes and glued to the engine mount. This might be the first design to use a TTW (through the wall) fin attachment.
The M.R.N. instructions were printed in black and white. The catalog showed the model in color!
This is going to be a fun build.
Interesting to note the use of the Gemini capsule style nosecone -- perhaps this might be a relative to the MOL? ( http://www.astronautix.com/m/mol.html )
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Gemini... ever heard of Big Gemini? ( http://www.astronautix.com/b/biggemini.html )
Speaking of SkyLab.. the film Marooned was rather interesting
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064639/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Hi Naoto,
DeleteI remember the Gemini MOL being talked about in the 1960s. Some design elements might have been incorporated into this one -
I'll have to watch Marooned again. I haven't seen that one since the first release.