Reader reviews of a kit featured on Starship Modeler.

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Your Two Cents: Apollo CSM

The following are reader's opinions of the Apollo CSM made by RealSpace Models.

Reviewer   Richard Lobinske
Date Reviewed   Nov 1, 2004
Overall Rating       Well worth getting.
Comments Certainly not a beginners kit, but well worth the $75.00 price. The kit represents a CSM in flight. Casting is high quality, with only a small number of pinholes present. While the small parts are cast against large pour plugs, they detach from them well. The photoetch fret is clean and parts separate easily.

The tolerances for the front bulhead of the SM and the rear of the CM are tight, test fit well before gluing. The photoetched radiator panels are shaped by rolling under a dowel to get a smooth curve and gluing in place. The kit includes a shaping die to form the four high gain antenna dishes into the proper shape. This works simply and easily. This antenna is the most fragile assembly and must be handled gently. The RCS quads have individual thruster bells.

The interior details are fixed to the rear bulkhead of the CM, allowing this section to be easily removed for inspection after assembly if the CM is not permenantly attached to the SM. I replaced the resin support rods for the seats with brass rod for added support. Window glazing is in the form of a small sheet of clear plastic that can be cut to shape with a hobby knife. Included in the instructions are how to lay down Bare Metal Foil strips on the CM to simulate the mylar strips used on the original. This takes a little patience, but produces an impressive result. The docking mechanism can be built in open or locked position. The decal sheet includes markings for all of the lunar missions.

I did not find the lack of escape tower a loss, because this would have also required the kit to include the boost protective cover over the entire facing of the CM.

As the only Block II CSM in 1/48 scale on the market, it is a nice addition to a space model collection


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