The 3D parts are heavier than the original vacu-forms pieces.
The Centuri catalog says the weight is 3.4 oz. This build weighs 4.1 oz.
A B6-2 and C6-3 were the recommended motors. I'll launch mine with a C5-3 Super C.
That black turbine exhaust tube reminds me of the exhaust tube on the old Estes Thor Agena B.
The docking collars are larger and dish shaped. The catalog picture was probably a prototype. The prototype had docking collars that looked like two short lengths of launch lug.
This turned out very well! I’ve got an original nose cone. I may have to try this build. Where did you have the vacuform parts printed?
ReplyDeleteHi Dave,
DeleteI went through Etsy and found 3DPrintCustomz from Dallas, Texas. These were resin printed and smooth, no layering. Cost was $88.00.
The pod engines fit BT-20 tubes, the nose cone fit a BT-52.
Just be sure all parts are printed. I had to go back and have the second docking collar sent out. These will be heavier than vacu-form.
The build is Amazing. The 3D parts really look better than the original, to me. I may go back and redo my Skylab and do the solar panel like you did.
ReplyDeleteIt turned out very nice -- now I'm thinking of putting this into the list of potential retro-repro that I'll have to build.
ReplyDeletePerhaps interesting to note is this model sort of resembles one of the concepts for actual Skylab station. One of the ideas pitched was a "wet workshop" design based on a modified Saturn S-II stage (contrasted to the "dry workshop" based on a modified S-IVB on the one actually used).
The following page has an illustration of the "wet workshop" concept based on the Saturn S-II.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wet_workshop
The 1969 "Marooned" has a depiction of the Skylab station that's pretty close to the Skylab station (though differs in a number of ways). Also interesting is the shortened service module on the Apollo spacecraft in the movie. Although this was a result of a cost-saving measure for the production of the movie (cheaper to build, and wasn't originally supposed to be filmed at an angle where this was apparent), such a configuration might not be out of the realm of possibility (given that for orbital missions you didn't need the full capabilities of the service module, which was designed around lunar missions). There is a similar shortened service module on an Apollo-like spacecraft that came with the MPC Pilgrim Observer plastic model.