A number of years ago I had started working on the OTL, starting with the Gemini capsule. The OTL, as many of you know, is a BT-60 based design that was submitted to Estes' Design of the Month program in 1971. The design was selected for publication, and appeared as plan #73. It can be found on JimZ's site at this URL: http://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/eirp_73.htm

A built version of the model appeared on the cover of Estes' 1972 model rocket catalog; a (tiny) photo of the model can be found on the cover just above the number '3'

http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/nostalgia/72estf.html

Anyway, while looking at a prior thread about the subject (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=9136) here at YORF, I got re-inspired to finish mine. Below are a couple of photos of my interpretation of the model. I so far haven't added the metal looking band at the forward end of the airframe, nor the metal panels at the aft end; I'm not sure I will, as I sort of like the model the way it turned out. But I suppose I can always add those features later. In any case, an OTL 7-A.

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John
YORF #003
SAM #004

Very nice model! I love the head on shot.

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I love sanding.

GREAT job on a very cool DOM model.

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John, that frontal shot really showcases your skills! WOW!

Joe

Nice John.
Will it fly?

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Awesome job!

This plan was in the second or third Model Rocket News I ever received as an eight year old.

Where did you get the decals?

The nozzle looks built up. Is is salvaged from a plastic kit, or are the ridges paint or print?

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NAR #27085 - Oregon Rocketry - SAM

Thanks for the kind words.

Now for the questions -

dlazarus asks if it will fly: well, it was built to be able to fly, but most likely no. It's going to be placed on my reading desk, and I suspect it will remain there in perpetual orbit for years to come!

Stefan's questions:

Decals - the red trim (the aft stripe and forward squares) were masked and painted, the markings were self-made.

I scanned the 1972 catalog cover at high resolution and then enlarged and cropped out the OTL photo (see below). Using the enlargement as a guide, I found some reasonably close fonts in Microsoft Word and placed those in my file. The forward black thruster ports are 5/32" dots I created in CAD and then imported into my Word file. I couldn't make out what the very blurred blue-ish bar is between the "USA" and the "OTL 7-A" so I chose to use a Boeing logo. On the top side of the model in the photo, one can just make out what appears to be a round hatch or such; knowing that the Airforce had contracted with Douglas to design the original MOL, I scared up a period logo for Douglas and opted to use that instead. All of this was squared away in a one page Word file.

The solar panels were done somewhat similar. It occurred to me to search the web for photos of the real thing. This turned up the source for the one I eventually used, which I then scaled and cropped into a trapezoidal shape to fit the fins. This image was then imported and replicated in a one page Word file.

The great thing about this model is that none of the markings require any white. So while I had contemplated asking Gordon to print the files for me I thought I'd give them a try on my laser printer. For decal stock I used Bare Metal Foil's Expert's Choice film (my favorite), the laser printer version. Printed the two files on this and they came out just fine - good color density and super crisp.

The model had been finished with Dupli-Color Color Match lacquer, which means a native semi-matte finish. To avoid silvering the decals I overcoated the model with Testor's Gloss #1961. But then to match the sheen that meant that the decal sheets needed to be overcoated as well. Generally this is a good practice in any event, as most non silkscreened markings risk either flaking off the decal film, or, in the case of inkjet markings, being diluted off the film if they're not protected. So overcoating is recommended in any event.

Cut, trimmed and placed, and the whole model was overcoated with one shot of Testor's Lusterless Flat, #1960. The thinness of the Expert's Choice film coupled with the blended sheen of the overcoat, and the decal edges disappear.

As I've worked up the markings sheets, I'd be happy to post the PDFs here if anyone is interested.

The engine bell:

Good eye, my friend. The instructions call for a pair of paper shrouds to craft the motor mount cap and the engine bell. My thinking was that no matter how well I could craft the shrouds (and the smaller they are, the tougher they are to turn out well), they would still look kind of fake - what would it take to produce something more realistic? My first thought was to vacuum-form something but then I recalled that there are a couple of guys on Shapeways that produce 3D printed model rocket parts. A bit of searching and I found Kevin Cespedes' 3D engine bell for the old K-21 Gemini Titan. Perfect! So I bought this.

The bell was smoothed with Bondo to eliminate the printing groove artifacts, primed with Rustoleum Auto Primer, and then painted with Dupli-Color Bright White. The front cylindrical portion was masked off (to keep it white), and then the bell was dusted with black Dupli-Color spray. This was then overcoated with Testor's Metalizer Titanium lacquer, and once dry, I used a silver Prismacolor colored pencil to highlight the cooling ridges. Photo below of the finished result.

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John
YORF #003
SAM #004

Beautiful work on the OTL!
The red ring around the base of the Gemini capsule is a nice touch.

You mentioned there was no white decals needed but there is the white UNITED STATES and flag on the capsule. Where did (or how did) you get that?
I would assume that is vinyl, it looks slightly raised.

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Hans "Chris" Michielssen
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Very nice

Thanks Chris;

My apologies for not being more specific. You're quite right about the flag and the "UNITED STATES" on the spacecraft, and I had overlooked those. My earlier comment was meant in connection with the "lab" portion itself, as that's the part I've been messing about with as of late. The spacecraft was finished about four years ago, and so I had sort of "forgotten" about those decals.

To your point - The white "UNITED STATES" on the capsule is a waterslide decal that I prepared in my graphics software and then printed with my ALPS printer; I had no way to get around that one. The flags (the one on the spacecraft and the one on the "lab") are aftermarket waterslide decals that happen to be produced by Precision Scale Graphics. I've had these sitting for a while in my spares file, and they just happened to be the right size. There are various aftermarket vendors for these so it made little sense for me to try and recreate the flag decals.

Thanks again for your questions and your kind words.

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John
YORF #003
SAM #004