FANTASY SCALE - Pan Am Space Clipper Orion

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Micromeister

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Actually if you look closely at the photos you'll see the Orion does have vertical,horizontal & dorsal fins. they are all clear .063" Polycarbonate (Lexan).
If you look up the January 1971 Model Rocketeer Mag there is an article about converting the old Revell 1/144th Orion plastic kit including full size fin patterns. later in 1983 USAirFix released a 1/144th Orion then In 2003 Airfix re-released another Orion 2001 spacedcraft 1/144th kit either of which can be used with the same MR patterns. These clear fins are Epoxy rivet attached with minimal clear 30minute epoxy fillets. Trust me when a confirm this attachment method keeps these fins in place well. Over time the epoxy has yellowed a bit but is still holding as well as the day it was applied.
In both cases the model uses an offset 18mm motor that requires a bit of careful alignment and tube cutting but other then that is a pretty straight forward conversion. If your Cardstock model is about the same scale I'd bet it should convert will as also. Just be sure to get the centerline of thurst aligned well other wise the bird does not so lazy circles in the sky:)

Below are pic's of those Airfix box art and my current fleet Orion Pan Am Space clipper conversion that used the same fin and conversion patterns from the Old Model Rocketeer mag article.

PS: NO flying Metal thanks...gotta be Plastic...I may have to find a small metal Ford or Dodge Van to make a casting mold from...might be an option;)

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Orion-a-sm_2001SpaceClipper USAirFix 70060 144th(96dpi)_83.jpg

Orion-b_2001 SpaceClipper AirFix 06171 144th (128dpi)_03.jpg

189a_PanAm SpaceClipper Orion PMC_07-07-96.jpg
 
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A year or so later another plan in Model Rocketeer mag..had me out scrounging the hobby shops for 2001 Pan Am Space Clipper Orion. I had to make it work and it sure did!

I'm looking forward to seeing all the nifty and odd Plastic Model Conversions flying out there:)

Post copied and edited with permission

Pan Am Space Clipper Orion-1-sm_1st Flt 144PMC b&w_01-06-72.jpg

Pan Am Space clipper-sm_ Orion PMC 1st Flt_01-08-72.jpg
 
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