Description
(Formerly Skill Level 3)
When Gus Grissom climbed into the cockpit of his Mercury spacecraft on the morning of July 21, 1961, he was ready for an adventure. Grissom’s Mercury mission (MR-4) was the second of the series, and like Alan Shephard before him, it was a sub-orbital lob. The Redstone rocket would take Gus and his spacecraft, dubbed Liberty Bell 7, above the atmosphere, but not quite fast enough to achieve orbit. The launch was on time and perfect, as was the short period of weightless flight, and re-entry through the atmosphere. Liberty Bell 7 deployed its main parachute as expected and landed within two miles of the Navy recovery team. Gus secured the spacecraft and waited to be rescued. However, without warning, the explosive hatch blew off and the spacecraft begin to take on water. Grissom escaped but nearly drowned in his spacesuit. Liberty Bell 7 filled with seawater and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. It was the only NASA spacecraft ever lost at sea.
The Estes Mercury Redstone is an impressive 1:34 scale model of the historic NASA spacecraft and rocket. The finished kit stands nearly 29 inches tall and features laser-cut, layered balsa fins and a molded plastic model of Grissom’s Liberty Bell 7 and it’s Launch Escape System (LES). The set of detailed water-slide decals even includes the distinctive white “crack” that Gus painted onto the side of his spacecraft to make it resemble the actual Liberty Bell. This Advanced Level (formerly Skill Level 3) kit is a “must have” for all serious model rocketeers! Put this one on the flight line and countdown to launch, and watch it reach altitudes up to 200 feet on an Estes C6-3 engine. Rocket and spacecraft return together under a colorful 15 inch parachute, ready to prep and launch again.
As for the real Liberty Bell 7, in 1999 after resting silently beneath the Atlantic for 38 years, a recovery team located and raised the spacecraft from its 16,000-foot depth. Now restored, Gus Grissom’s once lost spacecraft is on display in a Kansas museum, a tribute to the memorable, early days of the U.S. space program.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD: Scissors, pencil, ruler, fine sandpaper, carpenter’s glue, plastic cement, weight, hobby knife, primer (white), paint (black) and clear coat (optional). (Tools, construction and finishing supplies not included.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO LAUNCH (sold separately): Estes Porta-Pad II Launch Pad and Electron Beam Launch Controller, Estes model rocket engines, starters and recovery wadding. Four 1.5V high quality AA alkaline batteries are also required for launch controller (not included).
WARNING
Rocket Guru –
I have an older release EST2167 Estes Mercury Redstone Liberty-Bell 7 and like the 2 parachutes, Main 18inch and Capsule 12inch, with this release. Swap over the rubber shock cord for 1/4inch elastic band and attach at the tube coupler, for a longer lasting shock cord and mount. Wish I had up powered to 24mm C,D&E motors, so I will have to purchase another and it should looks real impressive, with an E9-6 motor and keep up these great scale model rocket releases Estes.
wilbur lyons jr –
My dad was a Atlas missle tech.Seen this model now i have the first and last of maned spacecraft
I have the shuttle only one flight do not want to mess it up
John –
Tower a challenge but worth it
Between my Estes 1921 Mercury Redstone and my Dr. Zooch T60 based MR it’s hard to pick my favorite – the lighter Dr. Z version flies great on B motors but the 1921 MR looks fantastic going up over a 24mm C (I changed my motor mount from 18mm to 24 – an easy modification). Fun build and a fun flier – might need one more with a 2 x 18mm engine setup too!
Gyes –
Looks Fantastic
This was not my first scale model, but it was my first with large amounts of plastic construction. The tower was the hardest part for me. The work is pretty delicate and my plastic cement doesn’t set very quickly, so it was a slow go. Once that construction was done, the rest was fairly simple. The wings take time. Finishing is also fairly complicated, as there’s a good amount of precise painting required and a lot of decals to attach. It’s definitely skill 3. Do yourself a favor and paint the capsule black before you attach the tower to it.
Flight is very satisfying. Takeoff is dramatic and a C motor will get you reasonable altitude. The rocket body is certainly big enough to accommodate a D/E engine mount, but I’m happy with the standard size. I put a lot of time into my model and I definitely want to get it back each time! I’m sure I’d end up losing it with E power.
John –
Very challenging build for a beginner, yet fun to do…
Very challenging build for a beginner, yet fun to do… I enjoyed it tremendously!