1/200
Scale Click on any of the pictures for a larger version....
Here is my little desktop Apollo diorama. It's based on the AMT 1/200 scale model from the early 70's.
| I put the LM and CSM together on an aluminum rod (painted black) and mounted inside a frame made of wood. A paper background painted black with a photo of the moon is the backdrop. It is about 6.5"x4" from the front. |  |
My goal was a tiny yet reasonably detailed model to put on my desk at work. I live in Saudi Arabia and am always answering questions about the US space program. My Saudi colleagues see pictures of Saturn Vs or airplanes on my office wall and say "What's that?". I wanted something that would be better then a picture. I also intend to expand my collection with a 1/200 Saturn V and a lunar landing diorama too. I also considered a recovery diorama just to graphically show how little actually came back. Most space neophytes have Buck Rogers notions of space flight - with the whole rocket taking off and landing right side up on the ground.
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Here is the kit with a 'work in progress' sitting on top of it. As you can see the kit is typical of the early 70's kits in that they depict early versions of the Apollo spacecraft and not always too accurately. |
I used a combination of traditional plastic modeling along with some new computer techniques. The most unique was a material called Zweckform. It is a bright chrome silver plastic 'paper' that you can print on with an inkjet printer. For the CSM I created graphics with Corel Draw along with the help of David Weeks drawings. I also created decals myself from Corel Draw and printed them on decal paper from thedecalpaperstore.com. The decals have a white backing and that is how the radiators, flags, etc are done. For the SM I sprayed a dullcote over the shiny chrome to get the natural aluminum effect. The CM was left shiny.
| Here is my desktop. Well not really - for lighting purposes I put it outdoors to give an idea of scale. The diorama is not a desktop hog. |  |
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Another shot from the side. You can see a little more of the wood frame. |
This is a really small kit. Most of the pictures I have here are actually bigger then the real model.
| This gives you an idea about how small the model really is. The pencil is probably about full scale on your monitor now. |  |
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This is as close as I will allow you guys to zoom in on this model. If you get any closer it starts degrading badly. Have you ever seen a razor blade edge from an electron microscope? You would never shave again ----- |
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