Gemini capsule window coves
 

I thought I had seen a post on YORF describing the cut-outs on the Gemini capsule for the windows. But it's not turning up in my searches now.

I have a lovely 1/35 scale capsule from Gordy. And lots of cork borers here in the lab at work. I was going to use one to help cut those coves.

Any advice on size?

Well, I can tell you don't use either of the Revell models as guidance as they have the mock-up, pre-production, size and shape. The actual ones were smaller. Best idea is to get the David Weeks drawings from RealSpace Models and have at it.

I jumped in, using the 1/48 paper model (scaled) as a guide.

By eyeball, the biggest borer I had (0.6") looked pretty good. Lined up with the paper great.



I cut out the back face with an exacto. Carefully.

It don't get no perfecter than that!

Looks good, but they're not flat bottomed... The windows actually tilt forward at the bottom some, like a car windshield...

They're actually pretty small... Don't have the actual measurements but they're only about maybe a foot wide and maybe 6 inches or so tall at the widest, and shaped like a fat lemon wedge...

Later and good luck! OL J R

Alas, I can't uncut them.

It won't be the only thing that's off-scale about this build. What I want to do for the nozzles will make them a bit big.

The attached figures came from the Project Gemini familiarization manual I found a few years ago from sourceforge.net it is a 28MB download but pretty interesting. The windows aren't directly dimensioned, but you may be able to scale them...as Luke points out they do tilt out at the bottom...

I went looking for this when I was trying to figure out the "equipment package" that attaches to the side of the capsule.

Thanks David. I think I had one of them already. I also have diagrams from the inside that I tried to estimate from. Using the 1/48 paper model as a template was workable, if not precise.

I did cut the windows with a pitch on the 1/100 scale. In basswood. Also from Sandman.

just found this loft drawing of a display capsule, not sure about it's accuracy

Yeah Keira and I were sitting in the minivan one day waiting for her mom to finish grocery shopping, and I commented, "how'd you like to spend two weeks straight in an area smaller than these front seats, with equipment everywhere in front of you and beside you, with nothing but a window a little smaller than a football a foot in front of your face to look out of for two weeks?? That's what Frank Borman and Jim Lovell did on Gemini 7..."

"Not so much", she said...

Those guys really did have, "the right stuff" compared to nowdays...

Later! OL J R :)