Soviet R-2 rocket
and proposed suborbital manned capsule
Limited edition Sharkit ; 1/72 scale. Price eur45
News page---- illustrated catalog----back to Sharkit home page ---- order this kit or e-mail me
In 1945, at the end of World War II, the USSR captured numerous German V-2 rockets for use in their own ballistic missile program. The Russians, working with captured German rocket scientists, improved the original V-2, resulting in the Soviet R-2, which could launch about two tons of payload to an altitude of 200 km.
In 1955, Soviet rocket specialist Sergei Korolov presented studies that proposed that suborbital manned capsules be launched by the R-2. One of his designs is presented here in kit form. It portrays an astronaut seated on an horizontal ejection seat within a narrow capsule. The capsule was to have a parachute on top to facilitate a hard landing. Four rockets on the parachute compartment were to help the capsule decelerate just a few seconds before making ground contact. Deployable legs, attached to the service compartiment beneath the capsule, would complete the landing job.
Korolev's initial plans were never pursued. However, on April 12, 1961, Russian Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space when he flew into orbit aboard the much larger, multistage R-7 Semyorka launcher, which was also a Korolev design.
[R-2]
 This Sharkit is easy to build. The main rocket booster is a single piece, and you won't even have to square the four V-2 type rudders. The capsule wall fits nicely around the cosmonaut and can be removed easely to present the little figure within; no glue is necessary to fit the top cone in place. The capsule can also be displayed in its landing position on its deployed metal legs(more detail); The picture left shows the rocket after only a very few minutes of work, without its final layer of paint and without the decals

Here is a view of the decal sheet and some of the kit parts

is a view of the decal sheet and some of the kit parts. You have a choice of white or red decals. The kit also includes strong metal wire and brass tubes for the capsule legs, and one detailed cosmonaut.

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