I know everyone is going to call me a crack pot, but I’ve got to post this.
When I was a little kid I built a 1/48 space shuttle complete with SRB’s and tank. Thing was enormous. I can’t remember the make of the kit but I know I’m not dreaming this up. If I really dig I may even find a piece or two of this thing somewhere. The damn SRB’s were like 3 feet long.
I remember it, I built it and I played with it for quite a while. This was probably 15 years ago or so. Does anyone else remember this thing? I have searched the web high and low for any evidence but find no hint of it ever existing. I know it did. No doubt in my mind.
Anyone have any clue about this or if there are any left out there?
Here’s Revell’s 1/72 scale Orbiter: 1/72 Orbiter
I believe it’s the biggest Shuttle model on the market now, there are 1/100 and 1/288 scale examples though.
I think I had this same dilema a few years ago.I remembered building a huge shuttle stack (huge to my 9 yr old brain at the time). I even won a first place with it at our county fair. Spent weeks trying to find that kit again after 25 yrs. Thought it was 1/48 myself, but found out it was indeed the 1/72.
I bought two when I was at Space Camp back in the 80’s. One was the combo with the orbiter, SRBs and the liquid fuel tank - I think it was 1/72, it was only about 14" tall and sat on a replica of the launch pad. The second one however was considerably larger and was most likely 1/48 but it was just the orbiter. I think it was around 20" long just by itself. I remember not liking it because it was too big to play with. I doubt I melted this one so it’s probably still over at the folks place. I’ll try to get over there this weekend and dig it out and send you a pic.
Now I’m curious as to whether I’VE misjudged it’s size too![:0]
Found it! Well the scale might be wrong but I got the size right. It’s 19.5" long with a 13" wingspan. The cargo bay will hold a full sized can of spray paint! If you had a kit with the SRBs and liquid fuel tank for this scale, it would have been around 3 feet tall. -Now that’s a big honkin model!
After comparing it to a 1/48 scale F-14 Tomcat I believe it must be in 1/72 scale. The cat was 5 inches shorter and a few inches shy of the shuttle’s wingspan. If someone knows the actual length of the Shuttle you should be able to calculate the scale with this info.
The shuttle ORBITER is about 122 feet in length. Converted to 1/48 scale, this would mean that the shuttle orbiter model itself is 30" in length.
The Lox/LH2 tank is 154 feet long, so in 1/48 scale, the model’s tank would 38.5" long.
I have two kits on the shelf that are 1/72 scale complete with orbiter, LOX tank and boosters, made by Revell, and are the largest production shuttle kits made.
The as described above WITH the launch tower is 1/144 scale.
If you find a similar kit in 1/48, please let me know where it is available – I will purchase it immediately!
If you look in Mat Irvine’s book “Creating Space” you will see that there are no 1:48 scale shuttles. Looking for one is a bit like looking for W.M.D. - you’ve heard about it, so has some one else and there might be a bit of plastic from some kit that may or not be it, but in reality …!
Would you be willing to part with either of those 1/72 Shuttle stacks that you mentioned? I have a few extra kits I’d be willing to swap, or just pay you outright.
If anybody built a 1/48 kit of the Shuttle I’m in for having one but I think the Wife would have a few words about that purchase or place to display it but if you want to have on there is always scratch building one it’ll take some time and require a slight purchase of stocks in Evergreen or Woodland Scenes corps but you’ll have a very intersting display
Just curious, but some years ago, Tamiya released a model of the space shuttle. What scale was it, and how does (did) it build up? Is it worth getting hold of?
Tamiya Shuttle? fits perfectly…well I got the kit and its one of the best kits in the market!
I had also built all shuttles available from every Manufacturers…except I never heard of one in 1/48 scale. my recent completed 1/72 scale is big enough for me.
I have just finished building the Tamiya 1/100 scale shuttle. It is ~34cm long and has a wingspan of ~25 cm. The cargo bay holds the ESA spacelab module (which can be removed), and an articulated Canadarm. The cargo bay doors open and close, and the air brakeflap protecting the rocket engines is also moveable.
I like this kit! The only downside is you can’t really see inside the cockpit, yet you get all the decals to put in there - a bit pointless if you can’t see them! It would have been nice if they included the booster rockets too! You can have it made up as the Columbia or Enterprise
What I want to build next is the 1/144 Revell kit of the space shuttle and the launch tower, but I don’t know if they make it anymore [:(] Does anyone know who sells it??
Norite, I have one to sell, but it’s expensive. Mine has not
been started and is still in the bags. If you don’t mind that it
has been started, you should bid on that eBay one. It’s at
a really low price now. Don’t know if there is a reserve price
or not but there may be.
