Author Topic: Marooned Movie Models (Read 30674 times)

Ronpur50 · « **on:** 07/01/2015 04:09 am »

I have a new project, from the 1969 movie "Marooned". It is a 1/72 scale kit of the XRV produced by Fantastic Plastic. This movie has always been a favorite of mine. Seeing the location filming at Cape Canaveral, the fantastic set, costumes and model work was awesome. And the outstanding cast with Gregory Peck, Richard Crenna, David Jansen, Gene Hackman and James Fransciscus. I hopt to build a model of Ironman One and the Vostok as well. A Titan III would be great too.

But first, the experimental lifting body, the XRV.

We first see the XRV being delivered to Pad 41 at the Cape under a USAF helicopter. I love this sequence, as it not only shows off the orange XRV, but the Cape location as well.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #1 on:** 07/01/2015 04:12 am »

When it arrives at Pad 41, it is lowered to a truck. In the background, the Titan appears to be nothing more than a painted cutout. The actually lift the XRV up but do not show the launch vehicle as they do.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #2 on:** 07/01/2015 04:15 am »

Later, on the night of the rescue launch, we see the XRV partially enclosed by it's launch shroud, as astronaut Ted Dougherty is helped aboard. Then, the launch shroud is lowered over the XRV.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #3 on:** 07/01/2015 04:19 am »

The Titan IIIC is shown on the pad at Complex 41, and we assume the XRV is beneath that nosecone! This is obviously stock footage, as is the launch. I haven't tried to identify the launch used yet, but I bet someone here already knows it. I have ordered a 1/100th scale MPC Titan III to try to build the launch vehicle next.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #4 on:** 07/01/2015 04:20 am »

Next we see the XRV in orbit, thrusters firing, as Dougherty flies to the rescue of the stranded Apollo astronauts.

QuantumG · « **Reply #5 on:** 07/01/2015 04:27 am »

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marooned_%28film%29

Now I have to watch it.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #6 on:** 07/01/2015 04:32 am »

The model is resin, but as with all of Fantastic Plastic's release, the highest quality of modeling is used. You end up with parts that look as if they were from a regular kit. The main body is two parts, and hollow, which allows for a cockpit. Detail there is sparse, and the chair kind of resembles the captain's chair from Star Trek. No pilot figure is included, but I have plenty of 1/72 scale astronauts from the Airfix Lunar Module kit. I chose a seated one and had to remove his legs so he would fit inside. I glued the parts together with super glue, and puttied and sanded the ship.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #7 on:** 07/01/2015 04:34 am »

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #8 on:** 07/01/2015 04:37 am »

Quote from: QuantumG on 07/01/2015 04:27 am

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marooned_%28film%29

Now I have to watch it.

Yes, you should! It is one of my favorite movies from the 60s about space, the other being Countdown.

I just finished painting the base coat on the model, and tomorrow, when that dries, I will take some pictures of that.

And I totally forgot to mention that the movie is based on a book by the great Martin Caidin! In his version from 1964, it was a stranded Mercury astronaut, rescued by a Gemini prototype. The movie was updated to an Apollo and XRV, and he updated his own novel to match the movie. So there are two versions of the novel out there.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #9 on:** 07/01/2015 12:17 pm »

After waking up this morning, the model's orange paint has dried. I gave the engines their first coat of gray and touched up the little astronaut. I still have to wonder where they intended to put the Ironman One astronauts in this thing when they rescued them. Maybe there was room behind the seat. In the same place they had the MMU.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #10 on:** 07/01/2015 12:39 pm »

Here are a few more screen caps from the film, showing the S-IVB Lab and Ironman One. And yes, I want to do models of them as well.

JasonAW3 · « **Reply #11 on:** 07/01/2015 12:56 pm »

Hey, you know, if they want to make a remake of this movie, all they would need is an SLS upper stage, (Modified as a space station) a CST-100 capsule and support module, and a Dream Chaser with its support module!

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #12 on:** 07/01/2015 03:04 pm »

I found an old thread regarding the Titan IIIC launch used. Apparently, it was only narrowed down to three possible launches back then.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=30271.0

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #13 on:** 07/02/2015 01:10 pm »

A couple of more picture of yesterday's work. I only had time to glue the pilot down. I had to remove him and trim him to fit the seat a bit. After I removed him, the paint came off his helmet. So I had to repaint that. I also painted the side thruster pods, but forgot to take a picture of them. And a picture of the rear of the XRV.

Elvis in Space · « **Reply #14 on:** 07/02/2015 01:23 pm »

Nice job. I"ve enjoyed the movie since I was a kid. The original XRV model used in the production was hanging unremarked in the Space and Rocket center museum, Huntsville.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #15 on:** 07/02/2015 04:28 pm »

Thanks. It has always been a favorite of mine as well. I have seen photos of the XRV there. Is it gone now?

I found images of the patch from the movie and decided to make a version of it that I can get put on a decal or mug. I created it in MS Paint and tweaked it in GIMP.

Below that is a Google image of the patch I found.

tea monster · « **Reply #16 on:** 07/02/2015 11:24 pm »

I always loved that thing as well. My parents took me to see this one at the cinema when it came out.

It struck me as being similar to the 'Dove' from Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, which came out the same year.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #17 on:** 07/03/2015 12:58 pm »

I remember the Dove, good old Gerry Anderson!

Painting is done. I glued the thrusters on and placed the hatch and forward window in place. I wish I hadn't even bother painting the astronaut with such detail, he is barely visible inside!

Decals are next!

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #18 on:** 07/03/2015 10:58 pm »

I started with the decals this morning, with the black stripes first. The slowly, adding them until I finally got them all on. I just launched it into orbit through an eye of a hurricane.

It is a great model, and I love that I finally have it in my collection. Marooned and Countdown are two of my favorite space them movies from the 1960s. I now have a model from each of them.

Ronpur50 · « **Reply #19 on:** 07/03/2015 11:01 pm »

A few more pictures.