Big Bang Theory - Howard Wolowitz Rockets

As for the Saturn V and the shuttle, they look to me like they are 1/200 desktop models (such as what one finds at NASA gift shops).

You might be right, the Saturn V could be a 1/200 model. It depends on the height of the bedside stand. It seems slightly shorter than the stand. Could be a short stand, like 24" or 25". Mine is a bit taller.

I've got a 1/144 Saturn sitting on display in my room and it is rather tall (about 25" tall). The Leia on display looks like the Sideshow Collectibles 1/4 Premium Leia figure, which is 16" tall. A 1/200 Saturn would be about 18" tall and from what I can see, the Saturn is only slightly taller than the Leia. If it was a 1/144 model, it should be 9 inches taller.

Hmm…well, when I do the cypherin’, the 363' height of the Saturn V scales out to 30 1/4" at 1/144, and 21.78" at 1/200. Even so, if it is a shorter bedside stand, then the 1/200 scale does seem to be the best fit. The more I think about it, the more I think the 3 rockets are probably wood because they are much more robust to handle than a built up kit model, which would be a consideration for a TV show. I remember one episode where Wolowitz was actually handling the Saturn V, and without any special care.

Mark
 
FWIW, Airfix has just re-released the 1:144 Vostok.
also realspacemodels.com has the 1:144 Soyuz...

Yes they have, and I’ve got an Airfix 1/144 version from years ago. For me, it is just too tiny. I wish someone would release, or re-release, a significantly larger scale model that is both accurate and affordable.

Mark
 
Yes they have, and I’ve got an Airfix 1/144 version from years ago. For me, it is just too tiny. I wish someone would release, or re-release, a significantly larger scale model that is both accurate and affordable.

Mark

Well, the 1/72 scale Mach 2 R-7 based kits are reasonably accurate for what you get. They just are not easy to build (and they still need to do a Soyuz variant or somebody needs to do a resin Soyuz upper stage). They are also a little overpriced for what you get (they were about $90 retail, I was able to get a Vostok for about $40 on eBay though) But, if you want a BIG Soviet rocket kit (as opposed to a pre-build), that is the one to get.

The Airfix kit suffers from some proportion issues due to the references used (photos of the rocket on display at the 1969 Paris Air Show). So the strap on boosters are a little too skinny. The more accurate 1/144 R-7s would be the ones from Apex (Maquette, Eastern Express and a couple other companies have done them since, but they are ALL the same core kit). The Apex kits are not bad, just a little tricky to build. The resin one from Cutting Edge was the best of the lot, but it is also nearly impossible to find these days since the company went belly up a few years ago.
 
Thanks, but I am aware of the price and rarity issues with the Mach 2. Also aware of the accuracy issues with Airfix, and though the Apex is more accurate, I don’t want it in 1/144. Anymore, I am leaning towards converting one of the 1/48 paper models into a sheet plastic version. Of course that will mean various changes will have to be made. I was just hoping to avoid the hassle. That’s the story of my life; if I want something, it is either too expensive, not made, or made badly, in the wrong size, etc., so I end up making it myself.

Mark
 
Well, you don't necessarily have to use styrene sheet entirely. If you soak cardstock with very thin CA glue (after a paper model part is assembled) it can soak into the part very well, turning it into a very strong material (almost like a fiberglass or phenolic tubing). I've done that for small assemblies on model rockets and it works great. If the paper is laminated, just lightly sand it to expose the fibers before doing this. That way you can build the paper parts, soak them in CA glue, then prepare the surface for painting almost like a plastic part (and fill surface defects).

Be aware though that the R-7 is a pretty tall rocket. It dwarfed the Mercury Redstone and Atlas boosters and I think was even taller than the Titan II Geminis. So a 1/48 R-7 is going to be a pretty large creation. Still, I might try that myself since I have a Dragon 1/48 CZ-2F in my stash and it would be nice to have something to stand next to it. I collected the parts to do a 1/48 Saturn 1B a few years back, but that project got pushed to the back burner a few times.
 
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I don’t really mind using styrene sheet, though it will be more trouble to roll the strap on boosters cone tips to a point. Of course I can always stop short of the actual point, and sculpt tiny solid cones from sprue, rod, or Aves to make up the difference. Never tried the CA glue paper soak trick. I may want to do an experiment to see how I like it.

Yes, I am aware of the height of an R-7A Vostok at 1/48 scale…comes in at about 31.17" tall. And it is in fact bigger than Gemini Titan II, which is about 26.9" at 1/48 scale. Actually, I have this grand plan to make many of the historical rockets in 1/48 scale, from V-2 to Saturn V, which will be the tallest. I already have 1/48 scale V-2, Mercury and Gemini capsules, Hawk & Glencoe Jupiter Cs, Apollo command and service modules, LEM, and I know a 1/48 scale Saturn V will be 90.75" tall, which will comfortably fit into a room with an 8 foot ceiling. Of course I must be judicious about the base/stand height. Truth be told, if I had the room to go 1/24, I would.

Mark
 
Well, if the one at Leonard and Sheldon's place is the same ole Shuttle that has been around since season 1, that one I believe is just a built Revell 1/72 kit (gear up with the flight deck section missing). I admittedly don't watch the show faithfully (only an episode here or there, although I did watch Howard "Fruit Loops" Wolowitz take his Soyuz ride), so I haven't seen what is in Raj's office.

Display models of about 1/200 or 1/144 scale (1/100 scale shuttle orbiter is the largest I've seen for sale, nothing bigger than that UNLESS it might be possible to place a special order) usually can be found at the NASA giftshops. They are not cheap though. Some of the better aerospace museums also carry them. Anything above those sizes IF they are display models from NASA was likely donated since one typically does not see them for sale. But sometimes if you scour the auction sites or can check around towns that have NASA centers (or the places where companies like Lockheed and Boeing build space hardware), sometimes you can get lucky if there is an estate sale or somebody is cleaning out their garage.

The NASA centers like JSC, Marshall and Kennedy have their own dedicated model shops to produce replicas for display purposes, in offices and stuff (wood shuttles with opening payload bay doors for instance). In one case, the Marshall SFC model shop sent Niel deGrasse Tyson a BIG Saturn V model as a thank you gift. But they do NOT do that sort of thing for the general public. Contractor companies also have model shops to make stuff like this as well, but the same things apply (i.e. not for sale, internal use only).

One excellent resource on the web to check out is collectSPACE.com as there are a few space collectors over there that watch "Big Bang" from time to time and they might have an idea where to find some of the rocket models.

Of course, if one has modeling skills, big display models of shuttles can be done with available commercial kits (such as the Monogram 1/72 shuttle stack). Although they may lack the pedigree of a real "Big Bang" prop ;) :

shuttlepair5s.jpg


shuttlefleet1.jpg

Many thanks for the info and suggestions of where to look..I really appreciate it. Those models look amazing btw!!!!!!

Chris
 
The only thing bigger I've seen is from Sheri's Hot Rockets. :love She has a number of 1:48 scale "kits." I think most of these are made to be flown but one could easliy turn it into a static display piece - index

I don't think they have any former Soviet launch vehicles tho...
 
I’ve drooled over Sheri’s Hot Rockets for a long time now. Actually, she only has the Saturn 1B and Saturn V in 1/48. And tempted though I am, I will have to wait on those two unless I come into a windfall by some freak accident. No, I knew she didn’t have have USSR rockets. Thanks anyway.

Mark
 
I know this is an old thread, but it's the same subject. And we seem to have some people here familiar with model rocket trivia :)

A coupla years ago, Howard added a new model to his collection of rockets. It looks like it might be just a capsule with its escape tower attached. But, I've never seen a closeup good enough to read the logo on it. Does anyone know what it is? On the left of this picture:

HowardsModelRocket.jpg

I can take a better picture, if it's necessary. But, I was thinking that someone probably already knows what it is just from the general shape.

Thanks,
Drake Christensen
 
I know this is an old thread, but it's the same subject. And we seem to have some people here familiar with model rocket trivia :)

A coupla years ago, Howard added a new model to his collection of rockets. It looks like it might be just a capsule with its escape tower attached. But, I've never seen a closeup good enough to read the logo on it. Does anyone know what it is? On the left of this picture:

View attachment 795717

I can take a better picture, if it's necessary. But, I was thinking that someone probably already knows what it is just from the general shape.

Thanks,
Drake Christensen
I believe it's the top of the NASA SLS.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
 
Thank you. I think you're probably correct. I searched around a little, but couldn't find any pictures of the model itself. Nor, any really good pictures of the capsule. But, this picture makes it look like the one at the top of this Extreme Tech page is probably the same.

sls_block_1_expanded_view_orion.jpg

Appreciate it.
 

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