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| Little Joe |
| This is a 1/34 scale version of the booster used to test the Mercury capsule escape tower system. The model uses the capsule and tower from the original Estes Mercury Redstone kit. This simplifies building to having only to make the booster section. The booster uses a core ST-20 body tube that mates the capsule. The real booster body then widens at a transition section. On the model this larger body is a BT-70 body tube. The transition is a paper wrap made using VCP. The motor mount uses a single 18mm motor. Fins are made from tapered T.E. stock used on my R/C planes. This particular model represents test vehicle LJ5 which tested the first flight of a production Mercury Capsule (made by the McDonnel Aircraft Company) and the tri-nozzled escape motor. Unfortunately the capsule and tower failed to seperate from the booster and the entire vehicle impacted in the ocean. Fortunately the model performs much better. Usual flights are on C6-3 or C5-3 motors. The booster comes down under its own 18" 'chute and the capsule returns via a single 12" 'chute. Altitude is right around 350'. Model specs: length 24", dia. 2.217" wt. 3oz |
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