Hello, I’m new to post but a long time reader of this forum. I am finishing up on an old Revell Gemini Spacecraft and was wondering if it would be possible to include the prototype gold film covering on the rear of the equimpent bay section?
Has anyone ever tried this? What material would work best and how would I attach it?
Thanks…
Just a note, I went through some of the older posts on the Gemini, and found some ideas, including foil type looking paper on candy bars and also a note to check Hobby Lobby which I will do. More suggestions will help, especially on how to mold or shape it and attach it. I’d like to be able to remove it from time to time…Thanks
I believe the original film was gold coated mylar. I think that might also work on model. I know the indoor flying modelers cover their ultralight models in mylar sometimes. I wonder if a piece of mylar could be stretched out and painted with gold paint or Alclad, then applied to model. Question is could it stretch enough to go on model without cracking paint.
Real Space Models has the piece:
www.realspacemodels.com/…/geminipg.html
You could cover it in gold foil but I’ll bet it would like quite nice using hardware store shiny gold paint.
Chris
You are thinking of Monokote by Top Flite which stretches with heat and is used in RC planes as covering. They make it in gold color but the roll is $18. It would not be cost effective for just a small piece. I fly RC but don’t have that color, otherwise I would give him a piece to try out.
No, the indoor models use something else. Originally it was a film called microfilm made by pouring a few drops of dope on the surface of a tray of water. When those thin plastic films used for food wrapping came out, many folks took to using those for the indoor models. I am talking about rubber indoor models which weigh a few grams. Most of those food wraps were mylar.
This might work for you, it is a “space blanket”. In reality, a thin mylar sheet, reflective gold on one side and silver on the other. I used it decades ago on a lunar lander, and it worked pretty well.
Don
I’m into the larger RC aircraft 6 to 8 ft wingspan. I thought the indoor guys use dope over tissue.
Plasticjunkie,
I do indoor rubber and RC and, yes, dope over tissue is quite common. However, for true indoor indoor models like pennyplane, limited pennyplane, ministick etc mylar is a better, lighter material. It’s a replacement for the old microfilm and can be had in thicknesses down to at least 1/4 mil - some of these models weigh less than a gram. To get on topic though I’m not aware of a source for light weight gold reflective mylar though you can find gold plastic wrapping material in some card/gift shops.
Thanks Bick, never knew that about the smaller planes.
If it were me, I’d go with the aftermarket kit that WZ2 referred to above. It has other goodies included that would be nice additions to this model.
Personnally, for my Gemini 12 project, I will do the same as I did for my LM5 project. I will use Caramilk and or Rolo chocolate bars wrapping. Caramilk are using different wrapping gold colors so buy a couple of each and then you can compare them. It’s pleasure all the way, before the project (miam, miam) and after when the kit is built. It will look very nice.
Steph
you can try mylar balloons that have gold areas on them, also some mylar wrappings such as used to wrap presents or wine bottles are available. It can be attached with spray adhesive such as made by 3M.