RECALLING EARLY US SPACEFLIGHT WITH THE GLENCOE VANGUARD LAUNCH ROCKET
THIS MODEL IS BASED ON AN ORIGINAL ADAMS KIT that dates back to 1958, the year that the Vanguard rocket sent a small satellite into orbit. Mat Irvine: The 1:76 scale kit consists of the sleek Vanguard launch rocket, the launch pad and service tower. To these, add four figures. The rocket is the simplest section, consisting of first, second and third stages, each with engine bell detail. The third-stage section can be separated, with a same-scale Vanguard satellite on top, to sit under the nose cone. There were 11 Vanguards produced, though only three were successful in launching satellites. The decal sheet provides markings for six of these (actually seven, as two are identical) detailed in accompanying diagrams. The rocket itself is simple in construction, but the launcher setup has far more parts. It is in two sections, the launch pad and service tower. The original Adams kit had these parts moulded in yellow, which is fine for the pad, but the tower should be painted a...