Score: Friendship 7 Revell kit

[Lord Rory Gin]

I went down to my local hobby store to get some spray paint today. The owner pointed out a collection of plastic models that he had on a nearby shelf. It turns out a widow was trying to get rid of her husband's model collection. There were a few plastic rockets in the pile but the one that caught my eye was an open box Friendship 7 Mercury Atlas rocket (1:110 scale) c/w launch stand ramp and accessory vehicles (H-1833:250). Practically a diorama. I purchased it for $30 CDN and later noticed that the same model on EBAY for $49-70 US. I think all the parts are there; it does have 5 sheets of moulded parts. A cursory look makes me think it might be missing on wheel on the fueling truck. But the decals appear to be in good shape. I'm guessing the model went out of production in the '90s because the model appears to be that old. I will have to take a deeper look at it to see if I can make a flying version from the kit.

 

[Tom Howe]

That was a nice kit. Great score! I remeber as a kid in the 60's building a number of the Revell Mercury and Gemini double kits. Also I remember the Science kits that when you signed up you got the Apollo-service modulel kit for 10cents. It vwas the Revell offering... Oh boy! Didn't Estes offer a Mercury Atlas kit in the 80's?

-T

 

[Ez2cDave]

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=%22revell%22+%22everything+is+go%22&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_sop=15

Dave F.

 

[aerostadt]

I had original kit in about the 1961 time-frame. I remember building the launch pad, which was way more complicated than the Atlas-Mercury itself. (The original or first release may not have had the mercury capsule. It was a long time ago and I cannot remember for sure.)

 

[aerostadt]

http://www.ninfinger.org/models/kitplans/revellh1822.htmlAs shown above courtesy of Ninfinger. The first Revell version was the Atlas ICBM (instructions say copyright 1959). The missile carrying trailer could be connected to the launch pad so that the missile could be hoisted to the vertical position.

 

[Lord Rory Gin]

http://www.ninfinger.org/models/kitplans/revellh1822.htmlAs shown above courtesy of Ninfinger. The first Revell version was the Atlas ICBM (instructions say copyright 1959). The missile carrying trailer could be connected to the launch pad so that the missile could be hoisted to the vertical position.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. I just checked the date on the printed instructions - 1998 and it refers to John Glenn's space shuttle flight STS-95 (29 October 1998) in the text. So its possible that Revell re-released this model at the time knowing that Glenn's popularity would sell it.

 

[Mugs914]

Yeah, as I recall Revell reissued the John Glenn kit shortly after his shuttle flight. I've got one in the stash that I picked up back then, looks like the same box art.

Pretty neat kit! Sure does bring back modelling memories from when I was but a pup!