Author Topic: Commercial Crew Model Kits  (Read 6363 times)

Offline Bubbinski

Commercial Crew Model Kits
« on: 09/16/2014 08:53 pm »
Now that the commercial crew winners have been announced, I'm hoping someone (Estes, Revell-Monogram or Germany, etc.) will have kits of the Dragon v2 and CST-100 coming out (as well as DreamChaser), or at the very least some paper or 3D printed kits available. 

Any word of kits out there?  (I'm guessing no but I want to be pleasantly surprised).
I'll even excitedly look forward to "flags and footprints" and suborbital missions. Just fly...somewhere.

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #1 on: 09/17/2014 02:17 am »
Realspace Models has a Dreamchaser  that I already built.  The Dragon V1 can be bulit from a Shapeways 3d Print.  No V2 yet....

But yes, I am hoping for them, but I am not sure how it would work.  Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Shuttle and Orion are NASA vehicles, but these are commercial, so I would imagine that a license fee would have to be paid.  Sort of what is done with airliners and NASCAR kits.  It will make them a bit more costly. 

Offline Star One

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #2 on: 09/17/2014 08:22 am »
Wonder if any diecast models for them will emerge.

Offline okan170

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #3 on: 10/21/2014 04:36 am »
Realspace Models has a Dreamchaser  that I already built.  The Dragon V1 can be bulit from a Shapeways 3d Print.  No V2 yet....

But yes, I am hoping for them, but I am not sure how it would work.  Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Shuttle and Orion are NASA vehicles, but these are commercial, so I would imagine that a license fee would have to be paid.  Sort of what is done with airliners and NASCAR kits.  It will make them a bit more costly.

It just occurred to me that the Shuttle, being the visual image of space exploration for over 30 years has lent its image to more toys and models than anyone could ever count.  (Of course, if the future of exploration gets popular enough, playsets always thrive on modular toys…)

I am hoping to see some of these newer vehicles get some love from the traditional model kit manufacturers.  It seems like at the very least the NASA vehicles should get a pass.  I get the impression they all kind of gave up on the ISS model after the umpteenth revision.

Offline tea monster

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #4 on: 01/06/2015 04:14 pm »
If you look at the design history of the LEM and the shuttle, what is released as concept art can bear little resemblance to the finished article.  I imagine the model makers are waiting for actual flying hardware to be displayed before they start making moulds.
« Last Edit: 01/06/2015 04:15 pm by tea monster »

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #5 on: 01/06/2015 09:31 pm »
Even Revell's Gemini was a prototype.  It even had landing gear in the 1/48th scale kit.  If they are not accurate, it is alright with me.  I enjoy buying after market updates to make a better model. 

Realspace has just released an Atlas V with CST-100.

Offline mrkmrsk

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #6 on: 01/06/2015 09:43 pm »
Based on my own experience working in the plastic model kit & model rocketry industry, I can pretty much guarantee that neither Estes nor Revellogram will cut steel for producing Commercial Crew kits (sadly). Tooling costs are prohibitive for the low demand that these kits would generate. RealSpace or some other cottage industry producer will be your best bet. And btw, those old Revell Gemini's with the skids were the cat's @ss!

MRK

Offline Donosauro

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #7 on: 01/06/2015 10:05 pm »
If you look at the design history of the LEM and the shuttle, what is released as concept art can bear little resemblance to the finished article.  I imagine the model makers are waiting for actual flying hardware to be displayed before they start making moulds.

Let's hope so. A plastic model "Atlas" that I built back in the '50s had four stages, and bore NO resemblance to the actual, soon-to-be-revealed, vehicle!

http://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?detail=8093&manu=Hawk

Offline mike robel

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #8 on: 01/07/2015 12:13 am »
Real Space has also released a CST-100 and is working on an Orion.  I'm not sure about a Dragon.

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #9 on: 01/07/2015 01:02 am »
And yet back in the 80s Revell had all kinds of NASA models, Shuttles, Space Operations Centers, Launch Pads, Laser Battle Stations, Astronaut with MMU and Solar Power Satellites.  Those were the days!  And now we can't even get a 1/48th scale Dragon 2.  But, Dragon is not a NASA vehicle, and Orion isn't NASA's yet.  Companies don't have to pay royalties to NASA.

 I think we all need to buy 3D printers.

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #10 on: 01/07/2015 01:03 am »
And btw, those old Revell Gemini's with the skids were the cat's @ss!

MRK

I agree!  Always wanted to build one with a para-sail.

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #11 on: 01/07/2015 01:04 am »
If you look at the design history of the LEM and the shuttle, what is released as concept art can bear little resemblance to the finished article.  I imagine the model makers are waiting for actual flying hardware to be displayed before they start making moulds.

Let's hope so. A plastic model "Atlas" that I built back in the '50s had four stages, and bore NO resemblance to the actual, soon-to-be-revealed, vehicle!

http://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?detail=8093&manu=Hawk

It looks like they based that on a V-2 rocket.

Offline tea monster

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #12 on: 01/07/2015 06:03 am »
I love the ramped hatch in the base straight out of Sci fi film of the time.

Offline okan170

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #13 on: 01/17/2015 04:19 am »
Based on my own experience working in the plastic model kit & model rocketry industry, I can pretty much guarantee that neither Estes nor Revellogram will cut steel for producing Commercial Crew kits (sadly). Tooling costs are prohibitive for the low demand that these kits would generate. RealSpace or some other cottage industry producer will be your best bet. And btw, those old Revell Gemini's with the skids were the cat's @ss!

MRK

Would they make an SLS or Orion kit if/when those come around to a more complete state?

Offline tea monster

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #14 on: 01/19/2015 08:52 pm »
I'm thinking that once humans start going into orbit on Orion, and more especially, when they leave orbit in Orion, then a "mainstream" kit will emerge. By mainstream, I am talking about a mainly injection moulded, mass-produced styrene kit.

I'm also pretty sure that once Elon starts doing interesting things with the Dragon, that a 'big name' kit will follow soon after. After all, there were plenty of kits of the Ariane and other unmanned boosters issued in the past.

Saying that, a lot of the really interesting kits are small garage outfits that can kick out more interesting stuff for niche markets. They require a bit more skill in building and (due to scale of production and materials) they tend to be much more expensive. They often can have impressive detail though with etched brass parts.

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: Commercial Crew Model Kits
« Reply #15 on: 01/20/2015 12:54 am »
Revell did do Spaceship Two, so we should see a Dragon from them.

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