# Quick Jupiter 2 Question



## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Fusion Core Fins- 
Does anybody know when they where extended or have a theory as to what function they had (aside from looking cool)?
It is a nice touch to have external hull detail change, but knowing Irwin Allen was always in a budget crunch it is a interesting feature that took some effort. 
Best I can figure they might extend during landing to use the drive system to help stabilize the ship- The recent image posted of the gear deploying also shows the fins extended, but I am not sure if that was a still from the show or a build.
Ideas or opinions?


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

It's always been my understanding they're supposed to radiate heat from the engine.

Of course, knowing Irwin, they could be for anything. No doubt they were put on the ship because they looked good. And I have to agree. The Jupiter 2 is rather featureless, and this helps add a little detail.

If I ever get mine built, I plan to show differing panels in the hull. It will be very slight, but noticeable.

Jeff


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Thanks!
The heat thing I can understand, but why have them extend and retract? When do they do it- the image of them extended during gear deployment makes me think if it was during landing they would keep the engine from overheating at idle or in an atmosphere...
Have they been seen extended during flight in space? I just do not remember them too much in the show, but they were important enough to go through the expense of putting them on the filming miniature and in the model kits.


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

Here is she, orbiting a planet and deploying de SP. Fins extended. :thumbsup:


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

All I recall is the heat dissipation for the engines. I knew they could be retracted. And I knew they were extended for landing and in space. I do not remember any footage of them extending when the landing gear did, or under what conditions they would be retracted.


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

I thought the fins added better directionality of the energy radiating from the fusion core plates while power is at maximum. I think they were retracted for crash landings and such.


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

Y3a said:


> I thought the fins added better directionality of the energy radiating from the fusion core plates while power is at maximum. I think they were retracted for crash landings and such.


Yeah, luckily Don always remembered to retract the fins before all those crash landings.
Perhaps he installed a sensor that automatically retracted the fins whenever it sensed a crash landing coming up!

Jeff


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

That Fusion Core was made out some tough materials considering it was often used as a landing skid and was constantly buried into rock one deck thick all the time.


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## Captain Han Solo (Apr 5, 2002)

Richard Baker said:


> Fusion Core Fins-
> Does anybody know when they where extended or have a theory as to what function they had (aside from looking cool)?
> It is a nice touch to have external hull detail change, but knowing Irwin Allen was always in a budget crunch it is a interesting feature that took some effort.
> Best I can figure they might extend during landing to use the drive system to help stabilize the ship- The recent image posted of the gear deploying also shows the fins extended, but I am not sure if that was a still from the show or a build.
> Ideas or opinions?


 
Irwin Allen actually went to great lengths,and thought on all his initial designs...it was later, when trying to keep four Sci-Fi shows on Network Television, that he had Budget Crunches....He was in a business to MAKE money..and he did it very well.


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

I'd like to see stills with no fins. I wonder how the f/x dept. took them off/on?


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

kdaracal said:


> I'd like to see stills with no fins. I wonder how the f/x dept. took them off/on?


Just look at the full-size mock-up, the core on that had no fins. I believe the original plan was for them to be retratable on that set piece, but it was either never incorporated or never shown. The core, without fins, can also be seen in various episodes as part of alien technology.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Any SFX model flying shots without fins? Maybe they were part of the space drive system and retracted when not in use.


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## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

I was always under the impression that the fins were fixed, a permanent part of the fusion core on the miniatures and were not retractable. I thought the idea that they were retractable originated in the fact that the full size mock-up never had them. Of course I could be wrong, it does happen every now and then.


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

kenlee said:


> I was always under the impression that the fins were fixed, a permanent part of the fusion core on the miniatures and were not retractable. I thought the idea that they were retractable originated in the fact that the full size mock-up never had them. Of course I could be wrong, it does happen every now and then.


No, the 4 foot miniature only had them extended. The full size was blueprinted to have them operate, but I think budget dictated that it be built one way or the other. They went no fins on the full size.


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Cool history. 

I'm going with my old notion of fins out = in-flight, 
fins in = landing gear down and landed. 

I'd hate to think of the mechanics involved with working fins, especially in the working landing leg hero. Pretty complex stuff.


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

It might have been shown with an arc shaped partial model of the Fusion Core as an insert shot. I think it is great that there is equipment on the ship whose function is not really known- it is after all a Space Drive System operating with unknown principles.
I wonder how many people built their kits with Fins Out?


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

In fact, many modelers did it with their PLJ2 kits, including me, although I'm a mere kit assembler.


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## liskorea317 (Mar 27, 2009)

Fernando Mureb said:


> In fact, many modelers did it with their PLJ2 kits, including me, although I'm a mere kit assembler.


Me too! For my PL kits I used expired pay phone cards I got around town, cut uniformly and stuck onto the fusion cores from Just an Illusion.:thumbsup:


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

I used Evergreen Styrene strips cut into lil pieces on all 3 of my PL J2's. When I re-did one to be the Gemini 12, sitting on Henry Prentiss' Great Launch Gantry, I used the Moebius 'non-finned' core and added the fins to it as well. 

Good thing we aren't hard core......


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

I have always liked building models with stuff deployed, hatches open, gear down and speed brakes up. For me it gives a visual punch to something you are familiar with and makes it look like a functioning machine instead of a sculpture.
The only drawback I see to having the Fusion Core Fins out is how they will change the look of the rotating lights- blocking adjacent light panels might cut down the sequential look...
Opinions?


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Richard Baker said:


> I have always liked building models with stuff deployed, hatches open, gear down and speed brakes up. For me it gives a visual punch to something you are familiar with and makes it look like a functioning machine instead of a sculpture.
> The only drawback I see to having the Fusion Core Fins out is how they will change the look of the rotating lights- blocking adjacent light panels might cut down the sequential look...
> Opinions?


Well, since ALL the FX shots on the show had the fins extended, it would give the exact same illusion as that seen on screen. :thumbsup:


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## Richard Baker (Aug 8, 2006)

Good Point!


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

The light reflects off the sides of those fins, making the core look bigger. Here is an example using a now out of production Jupiter 2 model...


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## Ron Gross (Jan 2, 2009)

Mark,
I actually captured and saved that video when you threw it up here a few years ago. Every time I look at it, I can't help but marvel at what a spectacular achievement it represents. You just can't get that kind of effect with a circuit-driven core because of the need to parallel LEDs on opposite banks.

For the hell of it, I just popped in the DVD for "Blast Off," and it looks to me like two of the original six lights (as evidenced in "The Derelict") were out, yielding this very cool semi-circular rotation pattern. I'm thinking that the then powers-that-be must have said something like "screw it - it looks better that way!"


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## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

Just a side note: There was a specially-built partial model of the J2 just for Space Pod egress/ingress shots.


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

Got any documentation? Photos? The Jupiter 2 that Greg Jein rescued was the pod dropper.


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

My next video will be a "Take-Apart" of the crash landing at the Trona Pinnicals.


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## Y3a (Jan 18, 2001)

Ron Gross said:


> Mark,
> I actually captured and saved that video when you threw it up here a few years ago. Every time I look at it, I can't help but marvel at what a spectacular achievement it represents. You just can't get that kind of effect with a circuit-driven core because of the need to parallel LEDs on opposite banks.
> 
> For the hell of it, I just popped in the DVD for "Blast Off," and it looks to me like two of the original six lights (as evidenced in "The Derelict") were out, yielding this very cool semi-circular rotation pattern. I'm thinking that the then powers-that-be must have said something like "screw it - it looks better that way!"


Thanks for the compliments! I still have your magazine article on your scratch built Jupiter 2 from maybe the late 90's or so....

In my photo album I have close ups of the mechanics I cobbled together to make the mechanical spinner and the lights n such. I'll have to get some photos of the earlier PL Jupiter 2 version. I's a little more clean as far as the fusion core, but I didn't have a spinning "V" in the bubble on that model.


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

liskorea317 said:


> Me too! For my PL kits I used expired pay phone cards I got around town, cut uniformly and stuck onto the fusion cores from Just an Illusion.:thumbsup:


Great idea!!! Man, how I suffered rounding the 2 ends of those 32 fins.:freak:


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Richard Baker said:


> Fusion Core Fins-
> Does anybody know when they where extended or have a theory as to what function they had (aside from looking cool)?
> It is a nice touch to have external hull detail change, but knowing Irwin Allen was always in a budget crunch it is a interesting feature that took some effort.
> Best I can figure they might extend during landing to use the drive system to help stabilize the ship- The recent image posted of the gear deploying also shows the fins extended, but I am not sure if that was a still from the show or a build.
> Ideas or opinions?


As has already been mentioned, it seems the fins were meant to retract and extend but for whatever reason they were to do that, it was decided to not use the function. I would guess kind of like the 'moving belt ramp' that was built but un-used on the C57-D in Forbidden Planet. I'd *like* to think the fins extended when the spacedrive was in use, as if they were some kind of field guide or focus. 

Practical, I think they were there to help make sure the core wasn't just a flickering light blob when the effects shots went thru the various processes. They helped define the desired light effect.


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## mmmmp (Jan 15, 2010)

I've always thought the fins were integral to the F/C. I too spent hours creating then on my PL build...what a massive job! Cheers to Moebius for including them. Best, Mark.


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