Enterprise With Booster Rockets

I recently saw a picture of this old Revell Space Shuttle kit, and thought it looked odd. Enterprise was the first Shuttle Orbiter to be built, but it never flew in to space. It was used only for ground testing, and flights within the atmosphere (carried aloft by a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft).

The box art shows the Enterprise, in Full Stack configuration, blasting in to space, high above the Earth. That is clearly something that never happened, although it was originally planned to refit the Enterprise for space flight.

The box art is therefore pure fiction, but was the Enterprise ever seen in Full Stack configuration ? It turns out that it was, as part of the test programme. So you can model the Enterprise with ET and SRBs, on its pad, and be historically accurate.

Apart from the Full Stack version, Revell also did the Orbiter on its own, and atop a Boeing 747. There was also an Alien Invader version. Revell clearly wanted to get the most use they could out of their expensive mould.

The Revell Enterprise With Booster Rockets, kit number H-194, has a copyright date of 1978 on the box. It is to 1/144th scale, and comprises the Orbiter itself, the large External Tank, two Solid Rocket Boosters, and the Mobile Launch Pad base. 

The Cargo Bay doors open, to show the Spacelab and the robotic Manipulator arm. The completed model stands over 17 inches tall (43.2 cm). Moulded in white plastic. Decals were included for both Orbiter 101 Enterprise, and Orbiter 102 which had not yet been named.

An excellent selection of photographs from Ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324081454245

One photograph, from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand