Plastic Model Conversion (PMC) Gallery

[Micromeister]

I have to talk about this particular kit as a Collection because Absolutely EVERYTHING in the Box except the spru's can be converted for Flight.....EVERYTHING!
At 1:200 scale this 5 model kit comes with a Mercury Redstone, Mercury Atlas, Gemini Titan, Saturn-1B and Mighty Saturn-V. Both Saturns come with a tiny 1:200 Lunar Excursion Module as well. that makes 7 convertable models in one kit! If you spot one on your Local Hobby shops shelf Snatch it up...it's a REAL DEAL.

My original intention was to make The Mercury Redstone, Mercury Atlas and both LEM's flyable on Micro Maxx motors. the Gemini-Titan was set up for Apogee's 10.5mm A2 and B2 motors. which i've now converted to a single MMX-II but it's right at the limit of lift for the little motor The Saturn-1b is set up for 13mm A10-3T, and the Saturn-V for a single D12 or C6 with adaptor.
To date I've Finished, painted and decaled all but the two Saturns which need paint at this point. I was just blown away by the fact I could get every model in the kit to convert for flight.
I've only taken photos of the first 4 but thought the entire kit should be discussed as a unit

Again if your looking to completely cover the manned space flight program it's possible to do it with this AMT kit, by adding a 1:200 Lindberg #42565 Shuttle stack model you can have the complete manned US fleet all in the same scale.

 

[Saluki]

There is good news for anyone who would like to do what Micromeister did with this kit Man In Space set. This set of historic NASA spacecraft will return with its original packaging art as well as the cardboard gantry that had been included in the first release of the kit. It is do out sometime in October.

 

[Micromeister]

There is good news for anyone who would like to do what Micromeister did with this kit Man In Space set. This set of historic NASA spacecraft will return with its original packaging art as well as the cardboard gantry that had been included in the first release of the kit. It is do out sometime in October.

With all the 50th Anniversaries coming up That's GREAT News Saluki!
I have one or two tucked away from the orignial run, but will be looking for the Re-Release in October. Was this an announcement from AMT or another source?

 

[Micromeister]

Another Great converting Plastic model for Micro flying is the Heller 1:130 X-15. It was almost Made for Converting with the help of a short section of T2+ (.281")dia Micro motor tubing and a shorter T2 (.246") tube as a nosecone shoulder. I thing the hardest part was cutting the center section out of the wing to allow the tube to pass. With just a small amount of work. the Panel lines can be engraved. I didn't press hard enough and lost most of them during painting. careful razor saw cutting of the nose pieces with a slight offset between the two halfs make a perfect self-aligning anti-rotating nosecone.
Flies very nicely on a single MMX-II Motor to about 30feet, recovery with a 3/4" x 9" white teflon streamer/permanent wadding brings it back for flight after flight.

 

[Saluki]

Micromeister here is where I read about the AMT Man in Space. Go down to the bottomof the page for the info.
https://www.collectormodel.com/category/amt/

Here is where I learned about the release date.
https://www.cybermodeler.com/special/2011_space_manuf.shtml

 

[Micromeister]

Micromeister here is where I read about the AMT Man in Space. Go down to the bottomof the page for the info.
https://www.collectormodel.com/category/amt/

Here is where I learned about the release date.
https://www.cybermodeler.com/special/2011_space_manuf.shtml

Good stuff! thanks for the links.

 

[Micromeister]

This is my Heaviest single motor micro powered PMC. it's only flown Once for that reason LOL!!!
Our club built a 14 model Centenial of Flight tribute to Manned space flight's 100ths anniversary in conjunction with the AIAA, displaying and flying these all approx. 1:70th scale models during that flying year.
Bell's X-1 was one of the models proposed and this little PMC provided a great way to present it. As a flying model It Turely SUCKS LOL!!! just barely clearing the 12" rod... OH MAN! Still it did it's job and remains on of my Man in Space displays at local shows and demos.
If I build another i'll spend more time removing excess plastic from the inside areas of this model. There were many area I could have easily removed several grams of waste without altering the model at all.
As it is she tips the scales at 18.65grams giving an all but impossible Micro lift LOWt of 19.9g.

 

[Micromeister]

A bit earlier we talked about PMC conversion of any of the 1:144th Apollo Saturn-V kits mine was the older Revell Apollo Saturn-V but most any of these kits "generally" include some sort of little rendition of the Lunar modeule (LM). or as it was called for the early missions the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM).
Must to a lot of folks surprise these tiny secondary assemblies can be converted for Micro-Maxx motor flying as well.
There really isn't much room for extras but a very small 1/2" x 6" Teflon Wadding/Streamer can be fitted along with about 24" of 70-90lb kevlar shock line and a 5/16" hardwood down fashioned into a top Hatch/nosecone.
I discovered these little models fly like single disc spools with a clear .030" Polycarbonate drag fin disc. This arrangement allows the LEM to attain very nice low and slow fights that seem to generate good attention

I gold leafed the lower stage of the 1:200 LEM for effect but just painted to 144th verison being a bit lazy

 

[Micromeister]

This has to be my favorite flying Micro PMC. Like it's larger 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 scale brothers it's a great little conversion and fine flying model.
I've built several of these little 1/144th F-104's for fun flying. some with wheels up others wheels down with as many missiles and stores as I can fine in this scale.
Wheels Up they do a great little roll on the way up. By spending a bit of time with a dremel drum sanding wheels on the inside excess plastic and flying it wheels UP, it's possible to get the Ewt under 8grams which does wonder for the overall flights.
Wheels down and all decked out as my Orange Drone Squadron model it tips the scales just at 12grams LOwt of 13.1grams gets 25 to 30 feet with 0 to 5mph winds.
Drat! thought I had a construction pic of two of the wheels up model but apparently they were not saved.
If you watch the on-line Plastic model sites you can sometimes get these little Airfix it's for $2.00 making them a real PMC value as well.

 

[Micromeister]

This PMC was completely done while on Vacation at the Beach. Evenings out on the screened in porch made a relaxing why to spend the lateday hours after some time in the sun on the sand

Taking "stuff" to do while away at our beach trailer has given a whole new way for me to Unwind LOL!!!
This little Heller kit was a bit of a challange as it is on the heavy side. I decided to build it wheels down and use all the stores. While away I really didn't have a portable spray booth so elected to brush paint the entire paint scheme in military flats. Flats hide a lot of the Brush marks and if thinned properly will eliminate them completely. Building the base model only took a few hours, painting and finishing another 4 or 5. I seem to recall using 3 shades of grey, white, black, Olive Drab, yellow, blue and a bit of red with fine grey squirrel and red sable brushes in sizes for 10-0's, to #6.
She is on the heavy size Ewt of 12.5g gives a LOWT of 13.6g. so flights with NO wind are to about 15-20feet. recovers on either a small 4" 1/4mil mylar chute protected by a blue foam ejection plug or 1/2" x 12" white teflon plumbers tape streamer.
An interesting model if your looking for a challange to get everything to in but a fun build.

 

[Micromeister]

Yes! This one was done on a dare: Not the best reason to attempt a Plastic model conversion I'll admit but when someone says" Hey John! I know Ya can't Micro fly This one". Well ya at least have to give it a try.

Lindbergs XB-70 Valkyrie at 1:180 scale was almost MADE to be a 6 motor Micro Maxx in-line cluster. I mean the vehicles 6 engine exhaust cones neatly fit minimum diameter Micro Motor tubing almost perfectly. Yes a bit of filing was required to get them to set but I didn't loose a single detail to this work. Coming up with a motor manifold to focus the ejection charge without adding to awful much mass was the biggest problem. I thinned out a bit of heavy wall plastic here and there but for the most part left the models interior alone. I did want to make the wheels retractable so the model could be displayed wheels down, but flown wheels up. this added a small amount of extra styrene sheeting to allow them to swing up and the exterior wheel well doors to close. I also had to come up with a way to vent the motor exhaust up into the crew cabin area on another level and make the area to the rear of the canard fins part of the nose cone. The entire build has a detailed thread in the low power section from back in 2005. Below are a few of the building photos I though might spark an interest in trying to build
somewhat heavier Clustered Micro PMC's.

 

[Micromeister]

just a few 1st flight Photos. Really not that hot a flying model but a very exciting set-up and cluster launch.
This is to date the largest, heaviest successfully flown Micro Maxx cluster in my fleet. with 10" 1/4mil mylar chute the model has an empty weight of 95.4grams. Add 6 MMX-II motors we have a liftoff mass of 102grams (3.59ozs).

While we only got 10-12 total feet of altitude she did pop the chute and it opened before landing with minimal damage. one wing tip fin broken at the seam line, Which was field repaired with a little MC. I almost had it ready for a second flight but ran out of launch day.

 

[Micromeister]

Those of you who like Futuristic outer space rocket ships this Glenco Model makes an almost effortless PMC conversion.
It's size and configuration make it a challange only in deciding how to work the stablizing clear fins in and how to seperate the model for recovery.

I Chose a different approach for recovery deployment deciding early on I did not want to saw away the crew cabin to create a nosecone and obvious extra seam. I've had exceptional luck with 13mm motor mount rear ejection pods so wanted to try and 18mm motor mount pod. With the taper of the model body is was fairly easy to open the rear to a 19mm internal body with epoxy clad balsa nose block shockcord mount and easy sliding 18mm motor retainer tube with hook. To the hood is attached the Nomex tube clad Kevlar shockline and drag out 15" thin mylar chute.
Fins are .030 clear polycarbonate fitted neatly under and between the landing gear housings and the rocket body. It was hard to see them even knowing they were there.
What a great flying PMC on C6-3s it got several hundred feet, just about stopped at apogee when ejection occured. flipped over and decended Nose down under the 15" chute.

The only real trick to this type "drag out" recovery system is you have to take your time packing and placing the chute/protective wadding and carefully coiling the shock line below the chute to ensure very little drag force needed to get the chute out of the tube. I got more 7 great flights out of this model before I got sloppy with the backing which resulted in a ballastic re-entry the more then re-kitted the model
I have another waiting to be built. But as I've been so preoccupied with Micros it's just sitting there waiting.

The kit does had one negative that would be the water slide decals, They are simply AWFUL! if you purchase this kit, Scan and reprint your own decals.

 

[Micromeister]

A few posts back we talked about 1:144 & 1:200 conversions of the Lunar modules that were intended to pack inside their Launch vehicles (Saturn-1B & Saturn-V).
The next two models on my conversion list are Larger scale Stand alone models. The first is AirFix 1:72 version. To be honest it was the LAST size LEM I've converted.
As with my very first 1/48th scale Lunar Excursion Module it is fitted with clear .030" polycarbonate drag fins placed in the landing gear support structure. Accent stage it painted Silver. Lower stage is Painted Gold then real 22ct. gold leafed.
To get as much chute storage area as possible a section of 14mm tubing was used with a 13mm motor spacer tube installed. I used the hatch the came with the kit, altered as little as possible and used a second very short section of 13mm tubing as the shoulder & noseweight storage
This model was used with the Centennial of Flight -AIAA exhibit during the 2003 celibration year.

 

[Micromeister]

The last LEM in the Fleet is the same as the first one I ever converted 1:48 scale.
This kit which was missed in the box art Photo session is a Monogram Lunar module kit #5081 from 1994. I've seen this kit re-released as kit#6060 in several stores over the last couple years.
While a bit larger then the 1:72 kit the interior and areas availble for motor mounts make it difficult to get anything larger then a 13mm motor with a slightly larger 14mm internal tube to work.
I've flown both on A10-3Ts, to my way of thinking the 1/48th seems a little more reailisticly slow on liftoff but needs a tab more noseweight as it tends to spin at burnout before ejection. Still I like the slower takeoff
Building is nearly Identical to the 1:72 model so I didn't bother with a bunch of build photos. I did take one after applying the Gold leaf "Thermal insulation" to the lower stage.
For general ease of construction and flying I'd still suggest the 1:72 scale kit but the 1:48th makes a very nice model as well.

 

[Micromeister]

Looking for a pretty straight forward, nice converting, fun flying Plastic Model?
then take a look at the Glenco 1:48th Jupiter-C. with just a little extra work it's possible to turn this model into a very respectable contest flying PMC.
Easy enough for A & B divisioners' but can be enhanced with detailing good with the best C & Teams.

Flys wonderfully on B & C motors, returning on 18" to 20" chutes without damage. Turely a great flying scale PMC.

 

[Micromeister]

One of the first dual outset motor PMC's I tried was a fairly inexpensive 1/32 Scale F15-E Revell model in 1995. I was able to pick up one for about 28 bucks. A deal by todays 1/32 model standards.

Conversion was really fun; Since I wanted to ducted both D12 motors into a core BT-55 to have plenty of room for a big nylon chute I needed to come up with a manifold arrangement. Sorry the only construction pics I have are Polariod but that was all I had at the time. Keeping the thrustline centered on the direction of travel proved to be a little more tricky then first thought.
After several looping flights I finally figured out I was pressing the D12 motor tubes down a little when installing the upper deck. Made for some very interesting "test flights" lol!

Edit: Add some box-art photos I missed yesterday.

 

[Micromeister]

Purchased this model in the hopes I could convert not only the Tiny 1/48th Missile but also incorporate the launcher battery into a working launch system.
Just one of the 4 missiles will be launchable but the entire set up would be really COOL if I can make it work. LONG story short, I purchased the rather expensive kit (about 45.00 back then) in 2003. I'm still trying to get the undersized fin Model To fly correctly after 9 semi-successful flights. All seem to end with the model Tail wiggling or spinning just before apogee and ejection.

I'm at the point now that I'm going to increase the fin area and span as wide as possible while still sliding inside the cardstock & stainless foil lines Storage/launch box.

I've also considered just building a T2+ model out of standard micro model parts and flying it out of the launcher/box just for fun. One way or another I intend to finish this PMC launcher build even if it only flys standard semi-scale micro Patriot models

 

[Micromeister]

While not a normal "kit" these Huge models make some Awsome PMC's. I chose to power mine with a 3 -D12 cluster, Save the Landing gear, so it can sit of the runway or display wheels down but fly wheels up. I've also been investigating a way to launch two of my four custom micro Sidewinders just after the model leaves the launcher. This may or may not happen but the machanics have all but been worked out
I dumped a bunch of unnecessary internal plastic mass and scraped out a good bit of dead weight allowing most of the good features to be retained.
still working on adding Wing tip Sidewinder Launch rails greatly reducing the weight over the supplied wingtip drop tanks. Can hardly wait to get it in the air.

 

[Micromeister]

Well that's the extent of my Built Plastic Model Conversions. I have plenty more waiting to be finished, or started coming down the road.

Recently I have seen..and just had to buy a couple new kits that I'll share though I haven't even opened the boxes yet

Some look to be pretty easy coversions a couple very complicated but the skys only limited by our imagination and the kits on the hobby shop shelves

 

[kjohnson]

This was a fairly easy conversion, using 13mm A10-3 motors and a small mylar chute.
The kit is from Special Hobby.

 

[Micromeister]

This was a fairly easy conversion, using 13mm A10-3 motors and a small mylar chute.
The kit is from Special Hobby.

Great looking A4-b Kevin!
I've got one still sitting in the box waiting. Do you recall about how much extra nose weight was needed with those forward wings?

 

[kjohnson]

Not off hand. It did take quite a bit, though.

kj

 

[kjohnson]

One of the first dual outset motor PMC's I tried was a fairly inexpensive 1/32 Scale F15-E Revell model in 1995. I was able to pick up one for about 28 bucks. A deal by todays 1/32 model standards.

Revell currently has a 1/32 F-15 out for around $32. Still a deal for a 1/32 scale jet.

kj

 

[Micromeister]

Revell currently has a 1/32 F-15 out for around $32. Still a deal for a 1/32 scale jet.

kj

Oh Man! Kevin Where did you see them I'd LOVE to get my hands on one or two.... could be the Nose cone might fit my existing F-15 and It could fly again

I'm gonna have to take a quick trip to REVELL.com to check it out
Thanks for the tip.

Edit: Found them during lunch break...have 2 on the way. Thanks again for the heads up! Tooo KEWL...

 

[garmtn]

I just got this yesterday and started looking around. Found "Erockets", who said," straight forward conversion into a 5 motor, 13mm cluster or single 18mm, which is more difficult. Wrote to "Erockets" on the hope they have plans 4 sale to PMC. Looking @ it more closely, the only way I see to do it is cut it in half, forming two stages and make a "rearward" deploying chute in middle. Technically no fins on this but, the external motor struts should act like fins. Any thoughts? So far I've only converted 1 PM and had a C.A.T.O. on the pad.

 

[kjohnson]

There were a few of the Apollo 27 entered in PMC at NARAM.

Here are a couple of photos from naramlive.com :

You don't have to make it a stage or rear eject or anything. Just put a motor mount and a stuffer tube in the center, cut the nose cone off and add a shoulder, and enough noseweight to make it stable.

how much? who knows. But you should read the tech tip on PMC from either the NARHAMS.org website, or George Gassaway's site.

kj

 

[Rocket_Man]

My Special Hobbies 1:32 X-15:

BUILD VIDEO!!!

[YOUTUBE]Z27FtW2DANE[/YOUTUBE]

 

[JRobinsonUSAF]

I've been wanting to do a Vostok, but I've been put off by the thoughts of rolling all the paper shrouds necessary for a decent model. The it hit me. I have a 1/72 Mach 2 R-7 in the stash (Mach 2 kits are molded badly at twice the speed of sound), so I pulled it out, and found out that a BT-50 fits inside the main core tube perfectly. I weighed all the plastic, it came out to 5.8 oz. I figure I can grind an ounce or so off the interior walls - they're built like bank vaults. I can cobble together the upper stage easy enough, replace the booster bases with foam core, and I figure I will use D engines in it because of the weight. I imagine I'm going to have to stuff a lot of nose weight in it to get it to balance properly. I know MPC had a Vostok model you could fly, but it was considerably lighter and smaller.

Does this sound feasible? Has anyone else pulled this off before?

 

[Disaster_Guy]

I can't offer any advice but did want to say thanks for bringing this thread back up. I saw it just before going out to the hobby shop this evening and sitting there in front of me was a Revell 1:40 Corporal Missile with Transporter kit. Obviously I couldn't resist.

After opening the box and taking a look at the instructions the actual missile construction is very simple but the rest not so much. It looks like it should take a 13mm motor nicely and separate at the center for ejection of a 6 or 8" chute. Ultimately I plan to try to get this thing to launch from the model mobile launcher. I haven't built a plastic model in about 20 years (and I was about 11 or 12 then) so this could get interesting.