Subject: Re: "1/48 LINDBERG SNARK" by "John A Thomas"
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:30:20 -0700

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

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.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: [email-masked] 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 5:29 PM
  Subject: "1/48 LINDBERG SNARK" by "John A Thomas"

  Modeling 911 emergency calls does not happen to often, but last fall that is just what happen.
  I am an member of IPMS Space Coast in Melbourne Florida and one of our members came to
  the membership with an request. The Director of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Space and Missile Museum
  at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida asks if the club could help in restoring several of the Museum's display missiles and rockets. How can you not say no to that. So several members of our club were more than happy to help out. Each of us were able to chose the display to restore. these where vintage 30 
  year old plus plastic Revell, Lindberg and others model kit that were in need of repair.

  I chose the 1/48 scale Lindberg "Snark".

  Overall the kit was in good condition. A few missing and broken parts and the finish and decal were not 
  so good after 30 years. I was lucky in that the museum gave me a whole unbuilt kit to use to mend the original
  kit. To start with I gave the model a good bath and cleaning. Next I was able to remove most of the major
  parts for repair and painting. After cleaning I could not save the finish of the Snark, I have to strip it down to the bare plastic.
  I fixed a few seams with super glue and putty and wet sanded the whole kit down losing all of the raised detail.
  I had to replace the wing drop tanks and the two solid-rocket boosters, with the ones from the spare kit. 
  Also some small parts were replace from the launcher. I repainted the Snark with Model Master Acrylic Guard Red with the boosters in White with future as a gloss coat. The Launcher was in good shape and a good cleaning was needed.
  I repainted the launcher Chrome Yellow. After 30 years the kit vinyl tires were still good and I sanded the 
  tread area for a better look.

  The decal of the spare kit were very bad and most could not be used. So I used decal from my spares box
   I used White decal stripes on the wings and fuselage. the SAC badge came from an 1/48 B-58.
   Several light coats of semi-gloss clear to seal everything together. No weathering was done.

  The kit Engineering was very good for a 30 year old kit. The detail was nice. I wish that more of the old 
  rocket kits were still around.

  So after two months of hard work reviving this 911 call, it's now back in the Display Case at the Museum. Others missile restored for the Museum were the Mace, Bomarc, Matador and Navaho.
  In April of this year, the club members were given a special tour of the Museum. The Museum is Launch Complex 26 and LC 5 & 6 the concrete block house is were the Museum Display is. The site is were the  US launched it's first Satellite Explorer 1 in 1958. 
  Also the Launch site is were Nasa Launched the Mercury Redstone Rocket with Alan Shepard and 
  Gus Grissom. the Museum is on the Nasa Tour but not many go there. Our group was able to get inside the Museum Restoration Hanger that is off limits to the Public. In the Hanger we saw a full size restored Bomarc and Snark.

  The Snark was tested at the Cape in the 1950's. The Snark was the first Intercontinental Surface-to-Surface
  Cruise Missile for the US Air Force. It went in to service with the 556 Strategic Missile Squadron in 1957.
  And the 702nd Strategic Missile Wing in 1958. The Snark was only in service for a few years. It was 
  Nuclear tipped.

  I enjoyed these project and the history of the Museum. I have been lucky to have seen most of the 
  Man Space Launches over the pass 40 years now.

  God speed, you have cleared the tower

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