Revell 1/156 Convair Space Shuttlecraft

From the instructions (1959):

When the first earth satellites are established they will be relatively small. For this reason it will be necessary to replenish supplies and change personnel at frequent intervals. , and it is for this purpose the Kraft Ehricke designed this space craft.

Ehriche is assistant to the Technical Director of the Astronautics Division of CONVAIR. Born in 1917, he acquired several degrees in engineering and became active in the German rocket program. After WWII, he came to the US under Operation Paperclip to continue his work. He became a citizen in 1954.

His shuttlecraft is 130 feet in height with a diameter of 20 feet and a 51 foot wingspan. On the first leg of the journey into space, liquid fuelled rockets would boost the craft upward. At the appropriate times the first and second stage would drop off, leaving the third, or winged passenger stage to intercept the orbiting satellite. The upper stage carries the pilot and four passengers. After transferring cargo and passengers, the returning crew would board for the trip back to Earth.

Designed to withstand the extreme heat of reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, the third stage is constructed of special heat resistant material and will reenter as a glider. The rocket engines of the third stage will probably be used to assist in the final stages of the landing approach. It is expected that the landing speed will be about the same as a modern day jet airliner.

Molded in a robin's egg blue, the kit really does not have a lot of parts. This is fairly common in kits from this era. All of the various stages are separate so the finished model does have some play value, an important feature of the time.

The kit provides a nice base on which to display the finished model and there are three figures included for the ground crew as well as five for the cabin.

Instructions are copies of the original and has very few construction steps. Some color information is provided but you are basically going to use the box art for anything more specific. There is a decal sheet that provides markings for the vehicle on the box. With things like this you are fairly free to deviate from those and pick something that meets your fancy. 

This is one of those neat '50s 'what if' space kits that was so popular at the time. Thanks to Atlantis purchasing all of Revell's older molds, this one is readily available in that box for $20-25.

September 2025

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