Category: Review

Accura Space Models NK-33, a review

I rarely post reviews, but this is something of a special case. I spotted the model of the Soviet NK-33 rocket engine, and decided to treat myself to one. As I am very clumsy, I ordered the built version. I was offered a nice discount if I reviewed it on Social Media, but you will be able to judge the quality for yourself, as I will show lots of details, and you can see exactly what you get.

NK-33 engine kit
NK-33 Engine kit

Historical Background

The NK-33 was developed for the Soviet N1 Moon rocket, by the Kuznetsov engineering bureau after the Soviet Union’s foremost Engine designer, Valentin Glushko point blank refused to develop the engines.

Kuznetsov with an NK-33 engine

if you want more information on the history of the engines, there’s an excellent “Equinox” documentary on YouTube, with a LOT more information:

Ordering the kit.

Ordering was straightforward, and once the model was assembled and painted, Evangelos Agas got in touch to discuss the best way of getting it to me.  I went for DHL, as I wanted to be sure it would arrive safely. In practice, it as exceptionally well packed, and I think special treatment is not required.

During the long build process, Evangelos kept me in touch with progress, showing me how it was coming along:

NK-33 Engine model, not yet completed.
NK-33 Engine model, not yet completed.

Here’s the box, partly unpacked:

NK-33 model in the box
NK-33 model in the inner box

The separate layers of foam made for great protection, and the layers had numbers cut into them, to make it easy to reassemble if you need to. The box shown was inside another larger box with a lot more foam packing for even more protection. You can also see the authenticity card, and the nice shiny base stand. The authenticity card is the same size as a bank card, to help you understand the scale.

I managed to knock off one small part while getting it out, but Evangelos responding in minutes with a clear illustration of where it went, and a couple of dabs of superglue soon had it restored as good as new.

As you can see, there are some delicate parts here, (required for accuracy and detail), so you will need to be fairly careful when handling it. But it fits snugly onto the stand, so display won’t be a problem. Continue reading “Accura Space Models NK-33, a review”

The National Space Centre, Leicester

I visited the UK’s National Space Centre, partly to get better references for a CGI “Skylark” rocket, and thought it was worth a blog entry. I’ll be publishing reference photos, for the benefit of other modellers, in a separate post.

It’s located on the outskirts of Leicester, and a bit of a pain to get to if you are not familiar with the local public transport system. Easy to spot by it’s distinctive shape, dominated by the Rocket Tower.

NSC Sign

The National Space Centre Web Site Continue reading “The National Space Centre, Leicester”

History of Manned Spaceflight, The Essential Books.

There are a huge number of books out there covering space exploration, but in my opinion, very few that manage to combine definitive coverage with an exciting read. So, here is my shortlist for books you should read if you want to enjoy finding out more about the history of manned space exploration.

I’ve included Amazon links, (I get nothing from these). Continue reading “History of Manned Spaceflight, The Essential Books.”

Affinity Photo – first impressions review

I have been growing more and more frustrated with my current image editor, Photoshop Elements. Not least because of it’s incessant update demands – and I have yet to notice a single benefit, despite the exclamation marks on every announcement.

I built my first web site with Serif WebPlus, and was interested when I heard they were going to try and take on the full fat Photoshop, and no nasty support rental charges.

Well, it was on offer, and I have a Christmas break coming up, (with a chance to spend time learning it), so the timing seemed good. Incidentally, apart from taking them up on the £10 off deal, open to everyone, no money changed hands for this review.

I’m also aware that other members of the International Association of Astronomical Artists are more than a bit resentul of the rental approach too…

IAAA small banner Continue reading “Affinity Photo – first impressions review”

Cosmonauts exhibition at the London Science Museum

Various photos…

Here’s a selection of photos from the “Cosmonauts” exhibition at the London Science Museum.

Laika

laika

This shows the arrangement used for for the ‘space dog’ Laika. Laika (meaning “little woofer”), was a stray found on the streets of Moscow. The scientists later said that what they learned was not worth the life of a dog.

Spacesuits

spacesuits

On the left is the suit proposed for exploring Mars, and on the right the “Orlan” EVA space suit. Continue reading “Cosmonauts exhibition at the London Science Museum”

Review – 2001 Files, Christopher Frayling

IMG_3473Today I received my pre-ordered copy of The 2001 File, the Harry Lange design archive. This is a review of it.

Initial impressions are good, the book is heavy, with lots of pages. I was a bit surprised at the lack of a slip cover though.

But the meat of it is, of course, the illustrations. It is VERY heavily illustrated, and the vast majority of the pictures are new to me. The pictures main focus on the design history of all the major elements in the film, with many, many alternate designs that never made it into the finished film.

In many cases there are quite literally dozens and dozens of alternate designs, and it it genuinely fascinating to see how some fairly crude early attempts evolved into the iconic finished versions.

The illustrations are mainly line drawings or plans – there are some colour photographs, but these are not at all well presented, being more than a bit blurry in most cases.

The plans and diagrams make this an essential purchase for someone like me, and astronomical artist. I;m less show about the value to a more general audience, but if you love the design of the film, you will likely find it very satisfying.

I’ve not yet had a chance to read the text properly, but I did notice one mistake – an Ion Spaceship design by Erst Stuhlinger is described as a “Cruciform Space Station”. But speaking for myself, I am very happy to have it, and I am already twitching to turn some of the deigns into fully realised CGI!