By Jet Townsend - images & text © 2007

Scale: 1/48...the Redstone should be ~ 15"/ 381mm, the Titan 24"/ 610mm

Parts: Resin, vacuform, and styrene stock

Instructions: 15 page color and black and white. Nice photos of actual launch vehicles

Decals: Decals for both manned Mercury Redstone launches and decals for all manned Gemini launches. Nicely printed on clear film.

Molding Quality: 6 - Not a kit for your first time out with resin. Average amount of voids and pinholes. Lots o' flash.

Detail: 5- Not a lot of detail. Strangely, the roll pattern outlines are engraved. What is there is a little soft.

Accuracy:

MSRP: Varies - please see Attic Aircraft Models

Overall Rating: 7 - Hey, it's a large scale launch vehicle (for real space subjects anyway). And with a little spit and polish, can be built into a couple of nice models. The downside is that you will need the Monogram 1/48 Mercury/Gemini Combo and the Glencoe 1/48 Jupiter C to complete this kit.

It's a great time to be a real space modeler.

Image: Redstone parts

Image: Instructions

Image: Titan parts

Image: Titan booster detail

Image: Titan engines

Other than the mainstream kits out there from Monogram and Revell, one can find great kits from Realspace Models and New Ware. And there are some interesting kits that have recently been released by garage industry manufacturers. The first is the old Eagle Talon 1/48 Gemini Titan and Atlas recently resurrected by Don's Models. And now we have a large scale offering from Attic Models. I likes 'em big…that 1/144 scale just doesn't cut it, but how does the first impression stack up?

What You Get

I was greeted upon opening the box by several medium sized tubes that looked a lot like PVC pipe (it really is resin though). The parts were carefully packed…almost to a fault. It took me what seemed like half an hour to unwrap the bubble wrap off the parts. The instructions were quite nice. They are a hybrid of original drawings, real photos, and instruction steps purloined from both the Monogram 1/48 Mercury and Gemini kit and also the Glencoe Jupiter C kit. Speaking of the little parts, remember that Queen song, “Flash”? That was stuck in my head as I was inspecting the little buggers. Be prepared for some quality time with your sanding sticks and jewelers files. Most of the smaller parts make up the Titan first and second stage engines and some detail parts for the capsules (not included). Also you get stock styrene for various plumbing and conduits.

The Redstone

You get a part for the upper booster. The lower booster and rudders will have to come from the Glencoe Jupiter C. You also get a Mercury adapter and a shell for Alan Sheperd's ride (the porthole version). I can't really recommend using this part (at least my version anyway), since it was really badly warped. It wasn't an issue for me because I was planning on modeling Gus Grissom's Liberty Bell 7 which was the standard orbital Mercury capsule found in the Monogram kit. If you plan on doing Freedom 7, I'd go with RealSpace's Mercury capsule. The kit's parts weren't bad overall, but they look like they could use a little sanding and priming.

The Titan

You get all parts for a manned version of the Titan II (sorry, no ICBM warhead). For the most part, it's 3 tubes with a few lines scribed on them, and oddly enough, lines scribed around where the roll patterns go. The thickness of the missile is too wide, but I was able to grind mine down to a more appropriate scale thickness with a sanding drum on the end of rotary tool. You'll also want to drill out the holes at the top of the first stage. I test fitted all the different stages and there may be some alignment issues, but again…a little sanding here and there, and it should be okay. There is really not much surface detail but conduit tubes and a few scribed lines. The casual space modeler could still be happy though with a half way decent paint job. The super detailer will probably want to add some things (like rivet detail). You'll need to buy some various diameter wire in order to build the engine carriage that is not provided (templates are included on how to make the individual frames). A three quarter isometric drawing is provided on how to orient the frames correctly to the engine bells, but I have a feeling I'm going to need more pics in order to assemble it properly. You also get some detail parts for the Gemini capsule (not included), namely an entire nose section and some retro packs for the adapter section.

Conclusions

Is it worth it? There's no high tech, Hasegawa/Tamiya/Trumpeter kit in this scale. We have 2 choices(that I know of) for 1/48 scale Titan or Redstone launch vehicles for manned space flight. It's going to be an uphill battle, but I think it'll be fun. It's really up to the individual to answer that question. If you have basic scratch building skills (and by that, I mean can you scribe and make conduit tubes?), a few resin kits under your belt, and you are a steely eyed rocket man, this kit could very well be for you.