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what about the Manned Space Vehicle Kits by Strombecker

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cyberborg 4000 - 28 Mar 2006 17:33 GMT
Yes this would be the Manned Nuclear Interplanetary Vehicle. This is for
the old Strombecker Manned Space Kit #-D38.

Was this based on an actual Convair Plan for an actual Space Craft or
just a bunch of concept drawings. I have looked on the web and can't
find very much material on it. Was there really an Air Force Project in
the works for this Space Vehicle and if so can anyone find any of the
Blue Prints for time that it was tossed around at Convair.

I'm trying to find some Actual Dimensions for this Craft.  The
instructions do say that the 'shaft' between the crew compartment and
the fuel tanks is to be 100  feet long.  That would seem to be the only
indication of size there is on the instruction sheet.

Was the 'shaft' designed to be big enough for them to crawl through to
be able to get to the engine. Can anybody find and post up some of the
Drawings.  The Design is really pretty simple and straight forward
and I would like to try to build one up in about 1/72 or possibly even
in 1/48 scale.

This woud be a Good excuse to test what Modeling Skills that I think I
have .... :) :)

I hope you can help me here

 ...  Carl  ..........

,,

Rama-Lama-BIG-BORG; BORG TEMPLE N.Y. Central-Park-West ; Master Builder
of blessed temple KITS ; Keeper of Secret Temple Decoder Rings and
Bracelets
Fluent-in-1st--Degree--TALK-to-the-HAND--TEMPLE-ETTE--Guards--SIX-&-SEVEN-
The--WORLD--WIDE--WEB--is totally jam packed with thousands of people
who are Destined to be nothing more then a faded weatherbeaten
--CHALK-OUTLINE- along the-INFORMATION--SUPER--HIGHWAY-
The Old Man - 28 Mar 2006 21:47 GMT
Okay, here's what I've been able to piece together. Krafft Ehricke was
one of the German scientists that came to America via Operation
Paperclip in 1946. He worked for Convair during the 1950s and posited
an idea to build space ships and stations from parts of launch
vehicles. These never really got past the discussion stage, but a
number of drawings were put together to show how these ships would have
looked. Nothing scaled or especially detailed as far as I've ever heard
of, but I have seen copies of the drawings in a few books of the
period.
As far as finding detailed drawings, good luck! Convair was absorbed by
General Dynamics which in turn has been absorbed by others, LocMartBo,
I think.
I looked for drawings from Curtiss-Wright years ago (we're both from
Buffalo, NY) and was informed that everything that was of a military
nature went to the Air Force and all civilian drawings were discarded.
Maybe (Hopefully!) your quest will be more fruitful than mine was.
cyberborg 4000 - 29 Mar 2006 12:40 GMT
In something like three hours of looking this is about the best I was
able to come up with.  Well the only one that actually did have a
drawing anyway.

I don't really know enough about some of these sites , is he trying to
sell the images that are here.  I know that it just Can't be an add for
a KIT now could it.  

That would be just waaaaaaay too much to ask for now wouldn't it
.......  :( :( :(

 ...  Carl  ..........

,,

Rama-Lama-BIG-BORG ; BORG TEMPLE N.Y. Central-Park-West ; Master Builder
of blessed temple KITS ; Keeper of Secret Temple Decoder Rings &
Bracelets ; Fluent-in-1st--Degree--TALK-to-the-HAND
--TEMPLE-ETTE--Guards--SIX--&--SEVEN--

The----WORLD--WIDE--WEB----is totally jam packed with thousands of
people who are  Destined to be nothing more then a faded weatherbeaten
---CHALK--OUTLINE--- along the---INFORMATION--SUPER--HIGHWAY---

This is My Main Modeling Page and Web-Site
http://community.webtv.net/CYBER-BORG-4/ThemodelsIlikethe

And Introducing  "SPOT -the- CAT"
http://community.webtv.net/CYBER-BORG-4/MODELERSHELPERall

Yessss  ,  I'm the  -real-  "Bad Santa"
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http://community.webtv.net/CYBER-BORG-4/HeresSomeReallyBig
A quick LooK into My Life
http://community.webtv.net/CYBER-BORG-4/ABriefLookintothe
The Old Man - 30 Mar 2006 00:48 GMT
> In something like three hours of looking this is about the best I was
> able to come up with.  Well the only one that actually did have a
> drawing anyway.

You found more than I did - where is that drawing located?????
The Old Man - 30 Mar 2006 00:48 GMT
> In something like three hours of looking this is about the best I was
> able to come up with.  Well the only one that actually did have a
> drawing anyway.

You found more than I did - where is that drawing located?????
Peter Baxter - 30 Mar 2006 05:08 GMT
Couldn't find much either.

Just 1 page in Ron Miller's "The Dream Machines"

This suggests an overall length of 300 feet.

The following book is also referenced:

"Exploring the Planets" by Ehricke and Miller. (Little Brown, 1969)

If you can find a good library it could be worth investigating...
cyberborg 4000 - 30 Mar 2006 16:07 GMT
(Peter Baxter) wrote:
''  Couldn't find much either.
Just 1 page in Ron Miller's "The Dream Machines"  This suggests an
overall length of 300 feet. . . .  ''

Could you let me know just what the information on that page is.  That
is if you've already got this wonderful book.  That would be just great
if you could.

300 feet seems really big.  That would make it around 4 ft in 1/72 scale
I think.

Could that length possibly be for that really Huge ''Nuclear Powered
Space Station''  they thought of.  This drawing had a big set fuel tanks
at either end of the craft.  The ''Interplanetary Vehicle'' had tanks
only at one end of it.  That is the only reason i'm asking the question.

Because the instruction sheet says that the connecting shaft between the
Fuel Tanks and was Crew Cabin was to be about 100 feet.  I'm guessing
about 36 feet for the Fuel Tanks -&- about 50 feet for the Engine -&-
Bell Housing and then like another 20 feet for the Crew Cabin.  
That would make a possible length of around 170 feet or so just a rough
aprox

This is all going be the small drawing on the instruction sheet for the
Model Kit.

I really do want to build one of these and display it.  I will have to
do a lot of guess work when it comes to the Crew Cabin as well as all
the exterior detail on the Fuel Tanks and stuff like that.  But that's
one of the parts that will be the most fun I think.
Trying to think what it really would have looked like back in the 50's ,
trying to get ''inside the designers head''  as it were to see what he
might have been thinking.and what he might have drawn given what the
limited references were at the time.

It would be all very Basic , while being so Striking and very Dramatic
at the same time to be sure.  Mans Quest for the Stars the most Intense
Journey of our Lifetime IMHO anyway........ !!!

 ...  Carl  ..........

,,
Peter Baxter - 31 Mar 2006 02:37 GMT
> (Peter Baxter) wrote:
>  ''  Couldn't find much either.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> is if you've already got this wonderful book.  That would be just
> great if you could.

I do indeed have it. As I said the information is somewhat sparse.
Just a few paragraphs about his rockets and modular designs from '58 and
outline drawings of the ships in the Strombecker kit.

> 300 feet seems really big.  That would make it around 4 ft in 1/72
> scale I think.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> tanks only at one end of it.  That is the only reason i'm asking the
> question.

It doesn't mention that - just the interplanetary vehicle.
It suggests the connecting tupe to be 250 feet. - that would give the
300 overall.

I'll try to take a photo and email it. But don't expect a lot...
Jack Bohn - 31 Mar 2006 15:34 GMT
>> (Peter Baxter) wrote:
>>  ''  Couldn't find much either.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>It suggests the connecting tupe to be 250 feet. - that would give the
>300 overall.

I think the space station is where he mentions: "At either end of
a 400-foot long tube will be a cluster of four parallel
cylinders;" rotating on the short axis for gravity.
Unfortunately for comparing to the Station and the Reconnaissance
Rocket, he writes: "Its fuel tanks are several times larger than
those of the previous ship."

Signature

-Jack

The Old Man - 30 Mar 2006 13:53 GMT
Going to Fantastic Plastic's site
(http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/concept_spacecraft.htm) I found that
the Ehricke Space Station is 1:200 and the Lunar Reconnaissance is
1:100. I did a quick check and the figures in the Nuclear ship appear
to be the same figures as those in the Lunar Reconnaissance craft, so
1:100 may not be too far out of line, although, I'd figure it to be a
little smaller, maybe 1:144.
Anyway, I'm going through a similar concept. I put together parts for a
Lunar Reconnaissance craft in a larger scale (I'm thinking 1:72, based
on the Strombecker being closer to 1:144). A good source of fuel tanks
are the scale propane tank models that I got from a shop that deals
exclusively in model railroad stuff (and a great place to buy diorama
equipment!). I found two different lengths with similar diameters, so
there's my second-biggest problem solved. The main fuselage is from a
PVC pipe and all I have to do is come up with a crew cabin and I'm good
to go.
The biggest problem, you ask?
Getting off my fat a.s and getting to work on the furshlinger thing!
8-P
Regards,
 
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