****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I had looked at this model for years, and have not found anything better (other than plastic models). So I finally pulled the trigger, ordered it and it arrived within 3 days well packaged and boxed. I am happy that I finally bought this model because is displays well and is a great table model. I do not think I could have assembled a plastic kit as good as this model. Overall, this model does what it is intended to do...present a clean detailed complete model of the Apollo launch and landing system from a quick outside view.Caution: Be extremely careful when opening and removing the model parts from their foam mountings in the box. Parts of the model have some very small, fine detailed features that are prone to break off easily if not handled with care. There are small engine nozzles, thin plastic antenna struts, dish antennas with very thin plastic struts, protruding thin strut structures, and surface features on the lunar lander that can get caught in the foam and snap off easily as you remove them. So when the box is opened, look carefully to see how the parts are settled in the foam and then plan your removal strategy!As a wood and wire model, it is has good but limited details of the Command Module and Capsule. Everything is surface detailed... there is nothing inside, no viewable interior details, and can be considered as a well painted, carved lump of wood. There e are no opening doors, although doors and windows are carved into the wood to represent their location existence. The model is heavy, and easily separates into its four major components for easy display of each part:(1) The base LEM landing pad,(2) the LEM lunar lander" both #1 and #2 can sit upright on each other aligned with a two short metal post inserts that aligns but does not fasten them together, and stay together at a 45 degree tilt)(3) The Command Capsule module...the heat shield does not detach and blends into the upper command capsule)(4) The Service Module: You have to mount a very fragile bottom insert of a four quadrant dish antenna array.When joined together in "display "flight mode" on the wooden base, these are all held together on the stand with a very simple but strong center rod that joins all four components to to the wood base to display them joined together as they would appear in space flight. That feature allows you to rotate the entire model or individual sections of it to view it from all sides without directly handling it.The Command Capsule module can be displayed by itself resting on its heat shield with the insertion of the docking "probe" at the top of the capsule. The model is mostly made of wood, with wire struts attached to form landing legs, thruster mounts, and antennas. The details such as windows and doors are etched into the surface to "represent" their existence. For example, there is no structure showing the heat shield as a separate from the bottom of the Command Capsule... just a ridge carved between it and the command capsule, around the bottom of the command capsule, that blends it together. The Command Capsule and heat shield separate from the Service Module as one piece. Decals were of minimal display quality, and do not appear realistically as on the actual spacecraft.I am very satisfied with the quality of the model and recommend It. It is painted well, and displays as a well detailed "hand made" quality look. However, there were some minor errors in the model's details, but nothing serious. For example, one of the thruster modules on the LEM was not aligned with its thruster shield, and some of the thruster nozzles are just lumps of plastic or wood painted and glued onto the LEN... and with careless handling, can snap off easily. I had to make some minor repairs... re-mounting a few thruster nozzles and antenna struts, and some paint touch-up. The only major repair I had to make was that the back LEM dish antenna assembly had broken off when I removed it from the foam in the box. I had to glue this back together in three parts using model glue. It was painstaking small detailed work, needing some tweezers and clamps to hold the parts together while the glue dried. But it worked and dried with minimal glue exposure. The LEM landing pads had some splashes of black paint on the inside.Overall, I highly recommend this model. I think it is a bit over-priced... a $200 price tag would be more appropriate for what it is. For $250, I expected it to have just a bit more key features designed into the model. As I said... I have not found anything else better than this model. Anyone who is trying to complete a historical model collection of the US Space Program will be very happy by adding this model to their collection.
