B.I.S. Moon Lander (1949)

Scale: 1/72
Initial Release: 2024
Medium: Resin
Kit Rarity: 2

About the Design

In the mid-1930s, the newly formed British Interplanetary Society (BIS) launched, as one of its first missions, a program to design the components of a manned mission to the moon. Although work on this project slowed considerably during the war years, it picked up again after Germany's surrender and, by 1949, a fully realized lunar lander had been designed.  

Although much larger than the NASA Lunar Module that would eventually put astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon in 1969, the BIS Moon Lander did bear a credible resemblance to the actual LM, notable features including four retractable "spider legs" and circular footpads, reaction control system (RCS) rockets for positioning, and the lack of wings or fins that, while common in popular fiction, would be useless in the vacuum of space. 

The BIS Moon Lander design underwent several minor revisions between 1949 and 1952, although its principal shape remained unchanged.

About the Kit

Fantastic Plastic Models released this BIS Moon Lander kit in summer 2024. Even in 1:72 scale, it stood an impressive 7.5 inches high.

This model was built from an original issue.