Von Braun Moonlander (1952)

Scale: 1/350
Initial Release: 2018
Medium: Resin
Kit Rarity: 1

About the Design

Ten years before Project Apollo was conceived, German-born rocketry pioneer Dr. Werner Von Braun proposed a highly ambitious program for landing men on the Moon. Von Braun's plan called for the construction of three massive spacecraft capable of carrying more than a dozen astronauts each, the ships being assembled in orbit over an eight month-long period. Together, the trio of landers would make the 240,000 mile trip to the Moon where they would remain for several months before making the return trip to Earth.

The landers themselves were of two varieties, one designed primarily to carry passengers, the other for cargo needed to support the team during its many months of lunar exploration.

The Moonlander made its debut in 1952 as part of Collier's magazine's famous and highly influential "Man Will Conquer Space Soon!" series, which helped popularize the notion of manned space flight and prepared the American public for the NASA missions soon to come.

About the Kit

This highly complex plastic model was released by Pegasus Hobbies in 2018. The kit allowed for the building of either the passenger rocket or the cargo vessel.

This model is depicts the passenger version and includes photo-etch brass details from the ParaGraphix after-market set.

This model was built from an original issue.