Right, after a 'few' days staring at all of three images of the tube (two screencaps and an In Progress shot, thanks to Dale over at ByYourCommand) I'm hoping that some folks here are wanting to get into building a SS launch tube for their Vipers.
I've been able to come up with a few things, but have a specific need for info. I'm working on a project to digitally recreate the launch sequence. Now, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in building an actual tube, so I'm dropping this thread in here instead of OT. The digital one is where I'm going to prove out any theories and just happen to have a kick-ass mesh when I'm done.
So, to make matters worse, I hadn't expected to need anything up here during my relocation, so a LOT is still sitting in Houston. i.e. if I didn't shoot photos or scan some things myself or if it's not on studioscale... (I've got a bit on SS.com of my own), I simply don't have it with me. If anyone's interested in jumping in , please let me know. Like I said, I've got two reasons for wanting to do this, and hell, it looks quite simple. (HA) If you happen to be in northern CA and are interested, there's a good chance of getting together and going over things as well.
Before anyone jumps in, yes, I could BS a lot of it, but what fun is that? Greebles (now nurnies thanks to a friend, RonT) are greebles, right? Um, no. I really want to nail this. I put a lot of time into the Vipers I built, so now...
Second, I already know I'm going to have to do a good deal of BSing even with best guesses, sitting and sussing out perspective and thereby form, any known bits or angles and measurements I've made and now must stick with. Unless I meet someone who's got kits, my calipers won't do me a damn bit of good.
Anyway, the best of what I've worked out, the tube is 10" across and looks to be 6' long. A bit of reading, I came on the suggestion that a sonotube was used (think I read that at RI). Read up about them and though things may have changed over 30 years sure enough, at least currently, one is available at 10/6.
Got the 10 when I spotted a part from the 8RAD (A10), and a good bit of it's sprue, as detail in two shots:
First, as the Vipers launch, you switch to a rear shot and on the right hand side, you see that the bit is there. Second, in the In Progress pic, that detail is in the very first segment, the only one you can clearly make out.
There is much more detail in there as well, and my thought on that is this: no lighting or heavy detail were left in that area, so as not to blow out or crowd or muss up the photography/scale. Remember stories of Joe Johnston and 'The Editor'? I imagine the tube met a similar fate when the shot was lined up.
I had thought this beast would be Leopold and MK bits all over, but I'm having a hell of a time picking them out. So, it's off to the usual suspects.
For my purposes, as you can't see all the way down the tube in either launch shot, I'm going to take three segments and build as seen from the front, and the other three as from the back.
Best info I have managed to ask for and read on suggests, heavily, that the original tube was destroyed. There's a shot of an explosion in the launch tube as the Viper heads towards camera, but as with all of that stuff it's optical composites of stock explosions. My assumption is that this was a matter of 'striking the set' as it were. Sunuva-------
Right, that's about it. Going to cross-post this to RI and see if anyone else is interested.
Should you happen to have any thoughts or have picked up a bit or two on the tube details or (especially?) the sled that the V sits on, I'd love to hear.
Gotta get back to it, deadlines and all that. Thanks for reading this far.
I've been able to come up with a few things, but have a specific need for info. I'm working on a project to digitally recreate the launch sequence. Now, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in building an actual tube, so I'm dropping this thread in here instead of OT. The digital one is where I'm going to prove out any theories and just happen to have a kick-ass mesh when I'm done.
So, to make matters worse, I hadn't expected to need anything up here during my relocation, so a LOT is still sitting in Houston. i.e. if I didn't shoot photos or scan some things myself or if it's not on studioscale... (I've got a bit on SS.com of my own), I simply don't have it with me. If anyone's interested in jumping in , please let me know. Like I said, I've got two reasons for wanting to do this, and hell, it looks quite simple. (HA) If you happen to be in northern CA and are interested, there's a good chance of getting together and going over things as well.
Before anyone jumps in, yes, I could BS a lot of it, but what fun is that? Greebles (now nurnies thanks to a friend, RonT) are greebles, right? Um, no. I really want to nail this. I put a lot of time into the Vipers I built, so now...
Second, I already know I'm going to have to do a good deal of BSing even with best guesses, sitting and sussing out perspective and thereby form, any known bits or angles and measurements I've made and now must stick with. Unless I meet someone who's got kits, my calipers won't do me a damn bit of good.
Anyway, the best of what I've worked out, the tube is 10" across and looks to be 6' long. A bit of reading, I came on the suggestion that a sonotube was used (think I read that at RI). Read up about them and though things may have changed over 30 years sure enough, at least currently, one is available at 10/6.
Got the 10 when I spotted a part from the 8RAD (A10), and a good bit of it's sprue, as detail in two shots:
First, as the Vipers launch, you switch to a rear shot and on the right hand side, you see that the bit is there. Second, in the In Progress pic, that detail is in the very first segment, the only one you can clearly make out.
There is much more detail in there as well, and my thought on that is this: no lighting or heavy detail were left in that area, so as not to blow out or crowd or muss up the photography/scale. Remember stories of Joe Johnston and 'The Editor'? I imagine the tube met a similar fate when the shot was lined up.
I had thought this beast would be Leopold and MK bits all over, but I'm having a hell of a time picking them out. So, it's off to the usual suspects.
For my purposes, as you can't see all the way down the tube in either launch shot, I'm going to take three segments and build as seen from the front, and the other three as from the back.
Best info I have managed to ask for and read on suggests, heavily, that the original tube was destroyed. There's a shot of an explosion in the launch tube as the Viper heads towards camera, but as with all of that stuff it's optical composites of stock explosions. My assumption is that this was a matter of 'striking the set' as it were. Sunuva-------
Right, that's about it. Going to cross-post this to RI and see if anyone else is interested.
Should you happen to have any thoughts or have picked up a bit or two on the tube details or (especially?) the sled that the V sits on, I'd love to hear.
Gotta get back to it, deadlines and all that. Thanks for reading this far.
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lol
