Help with a Tintin rocket!

[PR19_Kit]

How about slapping on the masking tape any old how, where it fits, and then using a marking block and pencil to go around the rocket at each level marking where to cut?

[strobez]

That's a good idea Kit, and somewhat the solution I settled upon in the end.  The main problem is that because my rocket is 100% scratchbuilt, the dimensions are not quite perfect all the way around. So even though I did the math... it didn't quite work. So in the end, I used the math to cut some curved tape and get approximate squares. Then I just used my eyeballs to make it look as balanced as possible (including cheating to hide some of the construction dimension flaws). In the end, it needs to look right, not necessarily BE right... right? 

Once I realized the biggest challenge was that it was not the 100% true shape that we are used to when dealing with kits created by machine, I made my peace with it. I actually don't think I could've done any better, and on-sight i think it looks okay, but the slight variations in shape make the careful calculations methods very frustrating.  After I turned to art and not science, it was a lot less frustrating... but I still had a grip on my ruler, just for comfort. 

[strobez]

Blast off!

[loupgarou]

The resut is very good, congratulations! 
Has your wife found a new name for it, now that's complete? 

[strobez]

I'm afraid to ask... 

[zenrat]

Lovely job.

[NARSES2]

Lovely job.

Indeed 

[Old Wombat]

I'm afraid to ask... 

Well, there's one obvious (& inappropriate) possibility, of which I shall say no more, or she can just admit you've built a fine model of a classic rocket!

[Old Wombat]

 

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Ooh that's nice, even with that added launch railing and all. Great job on the sanding as well. It isn't easy creating a rocket body from a pickle.
As been said earlier, the XFLR is about 98% similar to the V2/A4 launcher. It just needs other fins and the checkered pattern.

I know it is hard to come by a good manned version of the tintin rocket today, the one I built (in 1/96) was taken off the web after the creator got a cease and desist warning from the Hergé-estate. He wasn't even selling it, just sharing it for free.

And on a side note: it actually is easier to create this model from paper, I am sure! (-; Ralph Currell has a great 1/32 paper model of the V-2 for free!

[PR19_Kit]

I know it is hard to come by a good manned version of the tintin rocket today, the one I built (in 1/96) was taken off the web after the creator got a cease and desist warning from the Hergé-estate. He wasn't even selling it, just sharing it for free.

Can they actually do that if he's not profiting from it?

[Rick Lowe]

It'd probably come under the purview of the 'Intellectual Property' Beast... I guess they didn't like the thought of someone wanting to do an homage... *shrug*

That came out really well! 

Are you going to keep to 'The One True Scale' if you do the manned rocket, or do one that will fit on the shelf? 

[strobez]

Thanks guys!  I'm really quite pleased that Paper Kosmonaut gave it a thumbs up.  As I said earlier, his paper model was a bit part of the inspiration and even though his source for the paper template was no longer available, I was able to find something similar in the end.  I just had to rescale the drawings to make it fit the 1/72 project.

Herge's estate is pretty well known for not allowing any "derivative" works of any kind - including models.  I posted my work on a French-speaking Tintin fan site and even there I've had a few people disparage my efforts because "that's not what Herge wanted." They're basically the Tintin fan community's version of JMNs I guess.  Luckily there were plenty of others who were quite happy that I've shared my efforts with them.

I probably won't do a version of the actual moon rocket itself though... mainly because my compulsion to maintain the integrity of my 1/72 scale collection will prohibit me from considering it unless I do it in the "one true scale"... and I'll need a bigger work bench to accomplish that. Even my most recent project (the Land Rover from Tintin and the Picaros) took a lot of humming and hawing because it's actually 1/76.  I decided I could live with the few mm discrepancy, but only if I placed it at the back of the shelf.  Luckily Picaros is probably everyone's least favourite Tintin adventure.  

[Cobra]

You did a Top Notch Job! if You have Access to Photoship,Why not Consider doing a Back drop @ Night with Floodlights Highlighting Your Creation? Keep up the superb Work Dan

[strobez]

After my first foray into the wonderful world of electronics, I decided to up my game on and create a clock/base for the Tintin rocket.  Almost all the work in progress pics are the of the back of my head as I slam it down on my desk trying to figure out the correct current resistance for each LED... and then break a leg off the transistor in the process.

However, the final result can be seen in this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xLPtkSW7oo