MOONBASE CENTRAL: Latest in a Long Line of LEM’s

Knowing my love of vintage space exploration memorabilia, Woodsy kindly found this cool little model in an antique store recently.

Already built and painted, it is a simple model of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, apparently by Revell. Its smaller than the Airfix version and measures about 4" across the legs and about 3" high.

It comes on a neat lunar surface base, with a single astronaut (currently attached with blu-tack). Its not a massively detailed model, but captures the shape of the Bug well. Whoever originally owned it has painted it simply with a dull silver and gold on the landing stage.

The base is well moulded and has depressions for the pads and a cratered surface. Between the two bigger craters is what appears to be a slot, which leads me to believe that a stand may have been attached here and that it would have originally supported a CSM, flying overhead.

The 1968 Revell catalogue has a 1/94 scale kit which seems to match the description and general shape of the kit, as seen at top right here.

On the underside it is just marked 'Revell Inc' and is undated. on the right of the photo you can see the slot for the stand, quite clearly.

Compare the 1/80 scale model of the LEM which I built in a fanciful 'Spacex' style livery, which is again smaller than the 1/72 Airfix kit.

Finally, the Revell model with the tiny Blue Shield toy version, showing the general size

Many versions of the iconic moon landing vehicle have been made over the years, both in toy, model and novelty form. Here are a few that I have collected.