I got it as a birthday present when it was first issued, and it was as cool a figure model as I had ever seen – even having built all the Aurora monsters! Back then the visor was actually a deep amber-colored plastic, and at least the capsule base…maybe the whole thing…was molded in silver.
My main memory of it is that, once assembled…with that large, relatively heavy figure floating supported by that tiny little umbilical…even traffic passing by on the street outside the house would set it to bobbing and vibrating. A year or so on, the tube-glue assembled umbilical finally just cracked off from the capsule base and the whole shebang cartwheeled off the shelf, shattering into shrapnel when it hit the floor. (A few days later Neil and Buzz walked on the moon, so I didn’t take it too hard…but I was sorry to see that tribute to the late Ed White go in the bin!)
Ditto!! I remember putting this kit in a diorama for a ‘space day’ (I think) project in elementary school. One side of the cardbord box it was set into was the earth below, two other sides were the blackness of space.
You are doing this unique kit justice. I too built it as a kid in the early 70s and painted it with colors straight out of the Testors little bottles … so the face was veryyyyyyy “fleshy” looking. the umbilical was veryyyyyyyyyyy goldy-like … you get the idea.
I solved the problem of the frail umbilical hose by posing my finished model on its side - the astronaut’s feet were on the display shelf and the “bottom” edge of the Gemini capsule was also on its side, with the umbilical connecting them.
I know I’m the only one that didn’t build this kit when it came out. But in my defense I was working full time and had put my modeling tools away in the storage loft of Dads garage. So, watchin’ your build progress is a real treat. An’ your doin’ a bang up job of it too.
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