Russian Start-1
The Start-1 rocket is a Russian launch vehicle based on the RT-2PM Topol ICBM. Russia (then the Soviet Union)had to dispose of some of their extra ICBMs sue to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, so they decided to use some of their extra missiles as launch vehicles. The US did this with some of their Titan missiles also. A great use of a rocket if you ask me. The name of the rocket is actually from the name of the treaty, which is called the START I treaty. This model was designed by Leo Cherkashyn, and comes in two color schemes. The one I chose is a little more colorful, and I wanted a little flair in the rocket line up.
This model was a great design, and very easy to build. Leo is known for his great models, and you can tell when you build them. It took me a few nights to put this together, but I took my time. If you really want to, you could get it done in one night. I like to spread out the enjoyment, and I also don't have 4 hours a night to dedicate to model building.
I really like building rockets with interesting color patterns, and with complex shapes. This one fills the bill on both counts. Plain white gets a little boring after a while.
A New Camera
Something that's also special is that these pictures are the first taken with a new camera. My wife really wanted to get a DSLR camera, and of course I get to use it too. They cost considerably more than a point and shoot camera, but the difference is amazing! I really like it, and it made taking these pictures much easier.
So this model was a breeze to build. I really liked building it, and taking the pictures was a lot of fun too. Some special touches on this model include the raised detail for the cable conduit and other details. I also made the rounded top by getting a piece or paper wet and rolling into a small ball. After it dried, I just dropped it into place. It looks much better than a flat top, in my opinion. You just need to make sure you get it the right size and nice and round. These simple additions can really make a model stand out.