Orion 3 model

www.planet3earth.co.uk

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Here are some photos of my hand made 'original' (painted Grey pics.1,2,&3) , and the first castings out of the moulds(4,5,6,7,& 8)(9 seats) ....10,11,12,13....Rear flight deck detail, 14 Decals .................and the last row of pictures show a finished painted model

stargazer (2004)

This is of course the Orion 3 spaceplane From the movie 2001:A Space Odyssey. As you will see I have included a 'moulded in' interior, (passenger cabin and flight deck).....The interior is the crux of the matter of the scale of this Orion, as I have modelled the cabin and flight deck in 1/144 scale......This scale for the interiors is absolutely correct !! however the interiors will not fit into the Orion at the size that both Airfix and Aurora have made their Orion kits...... these kits are also both meant to be 1/144 th scale.*

I have made my Orion larger than this by the minimum amount possible that will allow the correct scale 1/144th interiors to fit inside. Because of this and other things, my Orion model is I feel the REAL 1/144 scale and I would like to market it as such. (At 1/144 real scale © , My Orion is 17.5 inches long and works out to be 213 ft long if real **..) at 17.5 inches this model (by coincidence) is also very near half the 3 foot (36inch) studio model size

I have gone to a great deal of trouble to ensure that the body panel lines, and detail are Accurate,...(this is not the case with either the Airfix or Aurora kits) I have not referred to any other persons drawings, rather I did my own panel lines and detailing by referring directly to the movie or original stills, then drawing lines directly onto my hand made original .

For more details on my reasoning for the scale of my Orion please click here or see my site on www.planet3earth.co.uk (under the 2001 section.) This model is moulded in resin with hollow areas (which might facilitate batteries and lighting/circuits for the interiors, wing tip lights etc..)

I will include Decals In the kits. They are done by a friend Mike Middleton, who is most excellent at this sort of stuff.

Also included will be a reference C.D. with pictures of the original studio model, and 'close up's' of the Orion .

I would recommend purchasing MGM's 2001: A Space Odyssey on DVD, not only for reference but because it is still today a darn good movie.

As is usual with resin kits, some effort is required to make the most of the model... the use of tools etc., and so this kit might not be suitable for 'beginners' in modelling

Please Mail me for Availability Etc.

Contact me via E-mail for a PAYPAL request for payment, Or any other mutually agreed means of payment.

E- Mail me..... stargazer(at)planet3earth.co.uk

(substitute @ for 'at'...(because I get over 100 spams per day from the no good #!$£##%# 's)

Stargazer March 2004

( * both at 13.5 inches long and so would work out to be 165 ft in length .)

( ** 19 inches overall by Including the 'twin tail aerial's')

The cargo bay is the same size as the bay on the shuttle.........is this coincidence ???

So I have put a space lab from the 1/144 th revell shuttle kit in for effect....this means that any payload that will fit into the shuttle will fit into the 'alternate 2001 universe's' shuttle, the Orion. The finished kit though, will include a 2001 related payload.

stargazer July 2004

From the book 2001: a Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke.

As the plane banked Dr Floyd could see a dead-straight scar across the flat Florida landscape - the multiple rails of a giant launching track. At its end ,surrounded by vehicles and gantries a spaceplane lay gleaming in a pool of light. Then tiny figures on the ground brought home to him the real size of the spacecraft. It must have been two hundred feet across the narrow V of its wings..........................

The launching track began to sling its thousand ton payload out over the Atlantic. It was hard to tell when they lifted from the track, but when the roar of the rockets doubled in fury Floyd knew that the first stage engines had taken over....

...the noise abruptly slackened and captain Tynes announced "Preparing to separate from lower stage"

The spacecraft was flying now beyond all the dreams of da Vinci....and its exhausted companion was winging back to earth, in a thousand mile arc....the empty lower stage would glide down through the atmosphere and in a few hours, serviced and refuelled it would be ready again to lift another companion towards the stars.

Floyd shielded his eyes... out there the swept back wing of the Orion was blazing like white hot metal in the reflected sunlight

My sketch of an Orion 1 booster, with 200ft wingspan (here carrying an orion III)

Crew on 'special flight 3' (Floyds flight.)

Miss Simmons (Stewardess)

Captain Tynes. (Pilot)

First officer Ballard (co-pilot)

Flight data.

55 mins. transit time.

weightless for 30 mins.

max 2 g

The 2001 'alternate' universe

*The Orion III is the passenger version of the original Orion orbiter, the Orion II. ( Orion 1 being the larger 'booster' stage of the two stage Boeing Orion combination ) the Orion II cargo fleet, are the workhorse of the 2001 (what might have been) world. Used to deliver and retrieve satellites, and also used in the construction of the giant Orbital Stations, and later to ferry components of the Discovery spacecraft, notably the 'linkable spine' units and antenna module components, for final assembly in Earth orbit. The Orions II's are used exclusively by NASA and the USAF.

The later Orion III passenger versions carry 36 passengers, and are operated both by PAN American, and BOAC Airlines to the orbiting Space Stations.

* By Stargazer.