Launch Umbilical Tower LUT Craft Model for Monogram,Airfix 144 Saturn V PLS.READ

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Assembling this intricate piece might seem daunting.   To quote HAL 9000 in 2001: a space odyssey ...  "I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over..."  It's really only a matter of going step by step through the Procedures Plan.   Individual builder's may exclude many of the details for a much speedier build and still have a piece worthy of their Saturn V display.

The printing on the parts sheets is quite rugged, but if you need replacements, they will be made available at little or no cost.  If a mistake occurs... Anticipate full project support and simply email.   Our motto?  "Houston, we've not a problem..."

No painting required, at all.  All the intricate graphics detailing is already done.  Just coloring of exposed white paper surfaces and edges with your water based color marking pens (not included). 

The strength of the paper is more than adequate, especially in load bearing parts, which are folded and glue-laminated, creating a type of "ply-paper" strength.  The engineering design of the actual L.U.T. also comes into play.  Larger parts will have a cardboard, (or builder's descretion) sub-support.  It ends up being sturdy.  Included is a 'desk wedge/bar" type display sign depicting actual lunar anorthosite as if made of Genesis moon rock meteorite thin slice. 

This paper model kit comes professionally color laser printed on 18, 11"x 17" paper (32 lbs. test) sheets.  The 87 page instruction manual is patterned after the official Apollo program Flight Plan (just for fun) and is on a CD (included).  A trip to Kinko's will provide you with a hard copy... black and white or color.

The parts graphics capture a lovely, weathered, flight used LUT, which is how it looked for the majority of its service.  It is as complete and accurate as the medium will allow for and lends itself to the individual builder's added detail.  It is quite more accurate than the one seen in Tom Hank's Apollo 13 movie, excellent dvd as it is.

Are you GO or no-GO?

There is one word you will hear as your friends enter the room and see the impressive piece you're building.  And that word is, "wow."  The paper idea lends itself nicely to actual LUT construction, since the real one was essentially made from flat stock.   The printed graphics lend much higher detail.  This gives it a level of artistic expertise in its texture not commonly available, creating a fine faux effect to many of the surfaces.

It will take some doing, sometimes arduous.... and a bit of overall "MacGyver-ing" to craft this stately addition to your den or party room's decor.  (Think of the more painstaking phases as being a sort of astronaut  psychological training test as in the movie The Right Stuff... ).  Having said that...  It is designed to allow for a bit more of a simplified construction, if fewer parts are used at the builder's discretion, still capturing a sense of being a worthy platform.  The builder may omit many of the more intricate assemblies and still have an impressive piece.

I liken the construction of the Apollo Launch Umbilical Tower Model Kit, to that of building larger sea vessel models such as The Constitution Sail Ship or Academy 350 Titanic with rigging and brass-etched add-ons.

Suggestions for other kit ideas are always welcomed and may be emailed.

This kit is priced at minimum, mostly due to printing costs...  (Kinko's takes $3.50 per 11x17  32lbs. wt. color sheet) 

SIDE NOTES

Sadly... the actual, original Apollo program's Launch Towers were only recently destroyed because of lead paint environmental concerns. There was a most illuminated and concerted effort to save LUT #1 and use it to erect a monument to human kind's singular successful venture to another satellite, but, though a superbly gallant effort was made to save it, unbelievably, this unique piece of space flight history is now gone forever.  Can you imagine if the USS Arizona BB39 wreck or mighty Memphis Belle B-17 had been scrapped?  Or the Mayflower had been saved?  Other than the capsule itself, the LUT represented the only other piece of actual, direct, flight used hardware which survived.   Although, parts of the Apollo launch complex were incorporated into the Space Shuttle's... a large tower section and Mobile Launcher Platform will be used at pads 39A/B for the rest of the STS program. 

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