Below are pictures of my 1/24 scale model of the German V-2 / A4 rocket. The V-2 was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. It was powered by a liquid propellant rocket engine and was developed during the Second World War as a German “vengeance weapon” in retaliation for the Allied bombings against their cities. The V-2 rocket also became the first man-made object to travel into space. I am not a person who wants to glorify war. War often brings out the very worst and best behavior of mankind. In this case, I respect and honor the technology that paved the way for space exploration and the multitude of satellites we rely on daily for communication, weather, and national security.
Bits and Pieces
This model, like no other I’ve even done, pushed my knowledge and skill set. Once again I started with a straight forward 1/24 scale plastic model. I quickly realized that I would not be happy with the result and used almost none of the kit parts. Instead I started on a year long journey into new modeling territory (at least, for me anyway). I got equipment for and learned how to do both FDM and resin 3D printing as well as how to photoetch and nickel plate brass. I had to learn new CAD and slicer software and the techniques needed for all these processes. I found that the Deutsches Museum has a wealth of V-2 blueprints online which made my model possible. But to find what I needed I had to carefully look through hundreds and hundreds of documents. It was very hard and frustrating at first but then I slowly found that I could get what I wanted and translate this into model parts. Most of the parts took several tries each to get them right but I consider it well worth the effort.
Down In The Shop 