Sneaky Snark, RSM-62 Snark, strategic reconnaissance missile.
1/48 Lindburg, a real "classic"
in late 1958 the SM-62 Snark missile was nearing operational service, but as with other systems of the era, operational service and obsolescence were often used in the same sentence. Its highly sophisticated guidance system with a state-of-the-art celestial navigation system which even allowed use in broad daylight, was very impressive...when it worked.....
The Snark got a new lease on life when the U.S. Air Force examined the Snark as a deep penetration reconnaissance platform. The program got another boost with the dowing of the U-2 spyplane in May 1960, and an un-manned system became more attractive for safety's sake, and to avoid the embarrassment and political fall out of a captured pilot being put on another show trial in Moscow.
The RSM-62 became quasi-operational in 1961 and is thought to have made several penetration missions deep into Soviet territory, but is perhaps best remembered for it's role in the Cuban Missle crisis....
Standing by for Snarky comments from my fellow whiffers!......Glad to be back for a GB!
-Dave
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ooo interesting!
They gave you your money's worth look at all the extras
Ah, those ancient times when you even got decent pilot figures with a model kit...
I had one of those as a kid, mind you I'm not sure it was Lindberg ? Did Revell do one ?
Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 04, 2021, 11:58:52 PM
Ah, those ancient times when you even got decent pilot figures with a model kit...
Yes quite the complement of ground crew and support equipment in this kit. I especially like the guy with the bottle fire extinguisher- nothing gets the adrenalin going like putting out a fire near a fully fueled missile with a several megaton warhead! :o
Quote from: NARSES2 on July 05, 2021, 06:33:50 AM
I had one of those as a kid, mind you I'm not sure it was Lindberg ? Did Revell do one ?
Yes, both Revell and Monogram released a Snark in 1/80 scale. Both Revell and Monogram were based on the same mold from 1957 and it also had the support tractor and launcher. The Lindberg 1/48 came later, with stalemates indicating a 1988 date for the first release.
There were a variety of other off brand releases. The Snark has enjoyed a much more successful career as a model than a missile!
https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION%5B%5D=All&q=Northrop+Snark+SM-62
Quote from: sandiego89 on July 05, 2021, 06:49:22 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on July 05, 2021, 06:33:50 AM
I had one of those as a kid, mind you I'm not sure it was Lindberg ? Did Revell do one ?
Yes, both Revell and Monogram released a Snark in 1/80 scale. Both Revell and Monogram were based on the same mold from 1957 and it also had the support tractor and launcher. The Lindberg 1/48 came later, with stalemates indicating a 1988 date for the first release.
There were a variety of other off brand releases. The Snark has enjoyed a much more successful career as a model than a missile!
https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION%5B%5D=All&q=Northrop+Snark+SM-62
Ahem...sorry, but Revell and Monogram were 2 different moulds. And only Monogram had the tractor and launch trailer. Revell had a fixed launch ramp.
I had built both when I was a kid, and a Revell one for this forum not too long ago. And have more unbuilt ones, both Revell and Monogram.
For those wishing to understand the etymology of the word SNARK, here is the Lewis Carroll original poem
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43909/the-hunting-of-the-snark (https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43909/the-hunting-of-the-snark)
The Gulf of Mexico test area was, obviously, known as "Snark Infested Waters"
Quote from: loupgarou on July 05, 2021, 10:58:15 AM
Ahem...sorry, but Revell and Monogram were 2 different moulds. And only Monogram had the tractor and launch trailer. Revell had a fixed launch ramp.
I had built both when I was a kid, and a Revell one for this forum not too long ago. And have more unbuilt ones, both Revell and Monogram.
I stand corrected, thank you, Assumed they had been a common mold as Monogram and Revell often had different boxings of the same mold, but I hadn't read the timeline deep enough. Those kids in 1957 had lots of neat stuff to choose from!
Quote from: sandiego89 on July 05, 2021, 12:30:05 PM
Quote from: loupgarou on July 05, 2021, 10:58:15 AM
Ahem...sorry, but Revell and Monogram were 2 different moulds. And only Monogram had the tractor and launch trailer. Revell had a fixed launch ramp.
I had built both when I was a kid, and a Revell one for this forum not too long ago. And have more unbuilt ones, both Revell and Monogram.
I stand corrected, thank you, Assumed they had been a common mold as Monogram and Revell often had different boxings of the same mold, but I hadn't read the timeline deep enough. Those kids in 1957 had lots of neat stuff to choose from!
That was much later, when Monogram had been bought. In the good old days, Revell and Monogram were rivals.
box opened for initial impressions and evaluation
It's going to be a big one! I very rarely build in 1/48.
1/72 scale F-104 for size reference
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/zZBc8F.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/923/og39v5.jpg)
Our heroic ground crew ready to put out any fire on our fully fueled, 3.8 Megaton missile!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/eoH9Xj.jpg)
Quote from: sandiego89 on July 05, 2021, 12:30:05 PM
Those kids in 1957 had lots of neat stuff to choose from!
That would have been me then. ;D ;) :thumbsup:
Quote from: PR19_Kit on July 05, 2021, 01:28:20 PM
Quote from: sandiego89 on July 05, 2021, 12:30:05 PM
Those kids in 1957 had lots of neat stuff to choose from!
That would have been me then. ;D ;) :thumbsup:
Me too! ;D
Quote from: sandiego89 on July 05, 2021, 12:47:17 PM
<...> Our heroic ground crew ready to put out any fire on our fully fueled, 3.8 Megaton missile!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/eoH9Xj.jpg)
Poor sod. You can almost hear him: "
They want me to extinguish a fire on THAT ? ? ? With THIS? ? ?" :blink:
Right, mine must have been the Monogram one as it had the trailer etc and it was no where near as big as yours ;D Would have been early 60's when I was 9 or 10 ?
Quote from: NARSES2 on July 06, 2021, 06:28:14 AM
Right, mine must have been the Monogram one as it had the trailer etc and it was no where near as big as yours ;D Would have been early 60's when I was 9 or 10 ?
Yes, quite likely.
Monogram is quite rare now, as it has never been reissued, while the Revell one has been repopped at least in the nineties,maybe even later.
Monogram PD-27 Snark:
(https://i.postimg.cc/BQmwS4V6/Monogram-PD27-Snark.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
:thumbsup:
Quote from: loupgarou on July 05, 2021, 12:32:49 PM
That was much later, when Monogram had been bought. In the good old days, Revell and Monogram were rivals.
Omni bought both Monogram and Revell in the mid-'80s and Revell operations
were shutdown and absorbed into Monogram. Revell as it was ceased to exist.
The Revell name was chosen as the prime name for the new company for marketing
purposes because of better international name recognition.
Finally started.
Primer on the Snark, and color on the tractor.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/924/kC5Wll.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/O3FEa2.jpg)
Whew, tons of small fiddly parts for the launcher and tractor. These gimmick kits take a lot of work.
Love kits that have real rubber tires (tyres for my UK friends)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/5mabm4.jpg)
scratching up the recce bay
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/923/cyTihb.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/JTdkWp.jpg)
Are we allowed to make "Snarky" remarks? :rolleyes: ;D
Gondor
Quote from: Gondor on August 15, 2021, 09:16:50 AM
Are we allowed to make "Snarky" remarks? :rolleyes: ;D
Gondor
Only if you sneak them in
Quote from: Gondor on August 15, 2021, 09:16:50 AM
Are we allowed to make "Snarky" remarks? :rolleyes: ;D
Gondor
Snarky comments are a must! and welcome
Seems you just have to have a chin fairing for any recce fit
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/923/025PQh.jpg)
Really working up well. RF type nose is looking really good
RSM-62 Snark
1/48 scale
Strategic Reconnaissance version of the Snark missile. Testing at White Sands, New Mexico late 1960. Believed to have made several flights deep into Soviet airspace after the dowing of the U-2 piloted by Gary Powers, but perhaps best remembered for overflights over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis, with four known launches, with two deemed successful upon recovery at the skid strip at Cape Canaveral, one returned with no useful photos, and one was last seen headed south but was never seen again.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/924/Ad9pFp.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/923/j7DtZw.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/imqb49.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/oCToHi.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/922/YNGXxu.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/924/auIlNK.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/924/ilftVd.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/924/var6zA.jpg)
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/800x600q90/923/Mz6B8x.jpg)
A SUPERB job Dave. :thumbsup:
Really good! :thumbsup:
MOST impressive!
Beautiful!
Maybe the lost Snark is the one that was found MUCH later in the brazilian jungle?
Cool, that's looking very good. And huge! :thumbsup:
+1 to both the above! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Wow.
:thumbsup:
That looks really good :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
yup nice! :thumbsup: