Subject: Re: submission to arc-4
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Douglas Conrady" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:47:57 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
ARC Air - Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.arcair.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Douglas Conrady 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 1:18 PM
  Subject: submission to arc-4

  "1/144 Titan II ICBM" 
  by "Douglas Conrady"
  --------------------
        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

  Here for your viewing pleasure is a 1/144 Real Space Models Titan II ICBM.  The Titan series of ICBM's began in the late 50's as a backup for the Atlas missiles.  The Titan II came about in the early 60's.  It had a range of over 6300 miles.  This is the same missile that launched the Gemini series of manned space missions.  This rocket is still in use today, albeit in a totally different configuration.

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

  This ICBM is part of a larger project. I decided I wanted to do a tribute to the SAC sash ('cause it looks so cool). I researched the time frame for bombers and decided that the early 60's would give me many options. This is the first of the 4 models in my series. The other 3 are a B-47E, a B-58, and a B-52H, all 1/144. I have a new, unmessed with civil defense fallout shelter sign that will be the base for my series to sit on.

  This is a resin kit from Real Space Models out of Florida.  They have a complete line of mostly space vehicles, but in this case where a manned vehicle was also an ICBM, a ICBM option exists too.  Since it is resin, it is finely cast with no flaws.  There were 4 main pieces, the war package, 2nd stage, 1st stage, and the engines.  Also in the box is a wire, this is used for the interstage connectors and for 2 lines on the engines.  Construction....... there wan't much to construct.  I super glued the engines in the bottom, glued the warhead to the 2nd stage, and I was half done.  The next part was a bit tricky, but no issues.  To get the inter-stage pipes in, I drilled out the holes for the wire in the top of the 1st stage and inserted the wires and trimmed to fit.  After I painted the top of the fuel bladder of the 1st stage, I glued the 2nd stage to the first, and I had an ICBM.  The stand came from my spare parts box.  Its is the stand from a Ticonderoga cruiser, modified to hold an ICBM.  Painting was my biggest obsticale on this one.  For a different finish than the SAC aircraft, I used an old rattle can of silver.  Well, that was a mistake, the paint barely sputtered/dribbled out, and it was tacky for days.  However, after I thought about stripping the paint and trying again, I let the paint dry fully, and discovered it didn't come out quite as bad as I had thought.  So I left it.  Disaster almost struck while giving the ICBM a future coat.  It slipped off my holder and fell, nose first onto the concrete floor of the garage.  Fortunately, all that happened was chipped paint on the nose.  Thats it....  whew!!  Part of my painting delima was the actual color and markings.  Other than test firings, I couldn't find any pics of a line bird.  I researched, guessed and by gollied and I think I have something close to what a line bird looked like.  If not, oh well.....  

  That seems to be about it. Please email me if you've got any questions or comments.
   
  Click on images below to see larger images
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 05.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg  

  Thanks for looking and don't throw rotten tomatoes!
   
  Photos and text © by "Douglas Conrady"