PROJECT SPACE: MY AIRFIX ORION SPACEPLANE

Airfix ORION III Space plane

I’ve had a go at creating a few simple photo composites using my Airfix ‘Orion’ model kit.

I wanted to at least try and make them look a little like what  appears  in 2001: A Space Odyssey, so hanging it from wires was out.  I figured the simplest route was obviously Photoshop.  I took a separate photo of the model with more or less the right lighting projected on it to suit a chosen background and then consummate ease photo shopped the two in an attempt to mimic a scene from the movie. 

Although I’m not particularly fond of photo shopped images as a rule, I figured this way was vaguely (like a million miles away, when I really think about it!) in keeping with how the shots were done in the film.  I remembered listening to Brian Johnson at one of the events he’d attended and him telling the audience that there was obviously no CGI in those days and put simply some of the incredible model effects in 2001 were achieved by using H.D. Polaroid photos of the model placed on a piece of glass, and then put through an animation rig, nicknamed ‘The Sausage Factory’, which synchronised moving images against the background. (I believe the ‘Sausage Machine’ was developed by one of the four key 2001 special Effects supervisors, Wally Weavers. The other three being Douglas Trumbull , Con Pederson and Tom Howard. )

Here’s another shot that I’ve attempted to try and look similar to the few shots we see of the proper Orion model in the movie.

The iconic design of the Orion III was conceived by German production designer Harry Lange, who had previously worked at NASA on the future projects section. There he’d met Arthur C. Clarke who introduced him to Stanley Kubrick.  The film - used model, which was apparently around 3’ long, was built by UK Company, Master Models who built some of the other models seen in 2001.

In the film, the Orion III is a two stage space shuttle (although we don’t see the re-usable booster stage in the movie) used to ferry passengers up to Space Station V, before returning to Earth and landing like a conventional aircraft.

The Orion ‘Clipper’ was operated, (using a bit of movie product placement) by Pan-American Airways, which also operated the Lunar Shuttle, Aries 1B in the Movie. (‘Clipper’ was  Pan-Am airline’s call sign – sadly Pan-Am didn’t make it as an airline by 2001 as they ceased operations in 1991)

The Russian Scientists that Heywood Floyd meets on Space Station V are flying with Aeroflot, so I guess it’s reasonable to assume that the Soviet Airline also operate Orion (or similar) spaceplanes.
As Lewis P Morley pointed out  the Russian Spaceplane is called the Titov V , the model of which can be seen in the Hilton booth, along with what looks like a smaller model of the Orion.Although it doesn't appear in the film it is briefly mentioned in the novel.

The rear engine was imagined to have been an ‘Aerospike’ rocket’ engine which didn’t use a traditional rocket exhaust nozzle, and  was originally designed to operate across a wide range of altitudes. (This engine was also being considered for use in the, then proposed Space Shuttle program, however the final choice was an ‘Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25)  Towards the tail of the spacecraft are a circle of explosive bolts which can jettison the tail section in case of an engine emergency.

At the leading edge of each wing are a small row of oval openings apparently used as air intakes for atmospheric flight. There are landing lights either side of the wing- to- hull fairing.

The oval opening at the nose of the spacecraft contain avionics and trackers for docking with Space Station V

The underside of the Orion houses landing gear covers and a heat shield.

As is well known, a lot of imagery used in Gerry Anderson’s Space 1999 was inspired by 2001, There’s the scene were Comr. John Koenig is travelling to Moon Base Alpha  (which is under quarantine as is Clavius Moon Base in the movie) this is reminiscent of the stewardess  catching Heywood Floyd’s Parker pen floating weightlessly  aboard the Orion  (Although, in 1999 there’s no weightless conditions, and the Eagle stewardess is just bringing coffee in an open cup!)

Nowadays we take computer effects for granted, but in the sixties there was no CGI to take the innovation out of special effects , and the floating Parker pen was cleverly achieved by sticking it, with newly invented double sided tape onto a large sheet of slowly rotating glass which the stewardess,  played by  Heather Downham. simply pulls away.

If you look carefully you can see a slight resistance as the pen is pulled away. Not that I’m disappointed – I might be in the minority these days, but I prefer to see clever practical effects over what’s fast becoming clichéd CGI every time.