These images were taken at the Cité de l' Espace in Toulouse. There were originaly displayed for a special exhibition on the Moon exploration between December 98 and March 99. A few other models of mine were also in this exhibition but have been removed now. Until recently, only the N1-L3 and Saturn V boosters were staying there, side by side, and on the same scale (1/90). Because of a new exhibition these models have been removed from the museum.
The Cité de l' Espace was one of the few museums where you could see both SATURN V and the N1-L3 boosters side by side, two other museums are the NASM (National Air and Space Museum) in Washington DC which has both N1-L3 and Saturn V displayed side by side (scale 1/48), and the science museum in London where 32 1/144 launchers built by Mat Irvine are exhibited, the Saturn is a modified Airfix kit with Real Space parts and the N-1 is the Real Space kit. In both cases the interior of the N1-L3 is not displayed.
The SATURN V was built in 1987 using the Heller CSM and LM models as a base kit. I had to convert the SM block I into a block II, make the CM protective cover and scratch build all the rest (which means all the launcher). For the N1-L3, everything is scratch built.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In addition to having had these two boosters on a permanent display in the Space Museum of the Cité de l' Espace here in Toulouse, I have had the great pleasure to meet to Apollo astronauts that flew on the Saturn V booster. The first was Rusty Schweickart, Apollo 9 Lunar Modul Pilot, he was a member of the US delegation at the World Radiocommunication Conference in the fall of 1995 in Geneva. I was a member of the French delegation and I had the pleasure to work close to him for a period of four weeks. He was very kind to autograph my model.
After Schweickart, I met John Young last December 1998 (Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander). He was here in Toulouse to inaugurate a special exhibition on the exploration of the Moon where my two models were displayed. It was also arranged for a small group of 10 years old kids (including my daugther) to have private discussion with him. The kids very really enthusiatic about the idea of talking to a real MOONWALKER. John Young was also very kind in autographing my model.
As you can imagine this Saturn V rocket is very precious to me.
By the way we also have a very nice Moon rock in our Museum.
