# NEW! Project Orion Battleship



## abu625 (Jul 4, 2002)

Fantastic Plastic has just released its 1:288 Project Orion Battleship kit. 

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/ProjectOrionBattleshipCatalogPage.htm 

Patterned by Scott Lowther and cast by Mana Studios, this kit of America's ultimate "Doomsday Weapon" has nearly 100 pieces and builds into a model nearly 1 foot long! Decals are by JBOT. 

The price is $150.00 plus shipping. (I know it's expensive, but it's a very complex kit. We wanted to do it right!) 

You can order now through the Fantastic Plastic Virtual Museum Store: 

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/gift_shop.htm 

Thanks for looking!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Next month maybe. This month: Ian's Discovery.


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## Jim NCC1701A (Nov 6, 2000)

> Its proposed armaments included 500 20-megaton thermonuclear missiles, 3 naval Mk 5-inch gun turrets, at least six Casaba Howitzer nuclear directed-energy weapons systems and numerous 20-mm close-in weapons.


What did they need the 5-inchers for in space, course-correction?


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## abu625 (Jul 4, 2002)

Jim NCC1701A said:


> What did they need the 5-inchers for in space, course-correction?


To shoot at Russian Battleships, I assume.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Jim NCC1701A said:


> What did they need the 5-inchers for in space, course-correction?


:lol:


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## Nyrath (May 3, 2004)

There are some notes about the landing boats on the battleship here:
http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=5167

The designer talks about the creating of the model here
http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=5137

You can read about the dreaded casaba howitzer here
http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3x1.html#shapedcharge


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## cozmo (Nov 29, 2004)

That's one of the neatest semi-sf kits I've seen in a while.

Heck, it even got a nod from Glenn Reynolds.

I wonder if Scott survived the "Instalanch".


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## Nyrath (May 3, 2004)

The Orion Battleship has landing boats.
http://up-ship.com/blog/?p=5167

These remind me of the cutters from Niven and Pournelle's THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE.

In which novel the battlecruiser MacArthur is based on the plastic model Leif Ericson.

I got my Orion Battleship in the mail today. And yes, the landing boats fit nicely into the recently re-released Leif Ericson's hangar.
http://yfrog.com/jaleiforionlanders2j


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## cozmo (Nov 29, 2004)

Jim NCC1701A said:


> What did they need the 5-inchers for in space, course-correction?


This is the part I keep coming back to. I like the idea and used it in my current project, but other than the sci-fi look to the Mk 42 gun mount, why the heck was it the one chosen? Who would they get to man the bug eye?



Nyrath said:


> I got my Orion Battleship in the mail today. And yes, the landing boats fit nicely into the recently re-released Leif Ericson's hangar.
> http://yfrog.com/jaleiforionlanders2j


What are your impressions and are you intending to give updates while building?


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## Nyrath (May 3, 2004)

cozmo said:


> What are your impressions and are you intending to give updates while building?


So far I am impressed. But I haven't gone over it yet with a fine toothed comb for bubbles and/or warping. But everything seems to be there, and the quality seems high.

Yes, I'll give updates, but I warn you I have never made a resin kit before. I intend to try my skills on a more inexpensive kit before tackling this baby.


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## Nyrath (May 3, 2004)

Jim NCC1701A said:


> What did they need the 5-inchers for in space, course-correction?


There are details here
http://www.up-ship.com/eAPR/ev2n2.htm
but you have to purchase the document.

The Battleship was intended as an element of a Mutual assured destruction doctrine. It would carry about three Poseidon missile sub's worth of ICBMs, and go park itself in Lunar Orbit. This would make it a very difficult target for Soviet weapons.

If the Soviets ever wiped out the United States with a preemptive nuclear strike, the Orion would survive, come back to Earth orbit, and rain nuclear death down on the Soviet Union.

Naturally, if the Soviets came hunting the Orion Battleship with a ship of their own, the Battleship had to defend itself.

According to the sparse declassified documents, the Battleship was armed with 5-inch cannon turrets from naval vessels, and the dreaded Casaba Howitzer. The model-maker used Mk-42 5-inch turrets since these were common when the Battleship was designed. The Casaba Howitzer is nothing short of a nuclear powered directed energy weapon, using an atomic "shaped charge"


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## Jim NCC1701A (Nov 6, 2000)

Nyrath said:


> According to the sparse declassified documents, the Battleship was armed with 5-inch cannon turrets from naval vessels, and the dreaded Casaba Howitzer. The model-maker used Mk-42 5-inch turrets since these were common when the Battleship was designed. The Casaba Howitzer is nothing short of a nuclear powered directed energy weapon, using an atomic "shaped charge"


Interesting, the howitzer was derived from the Orion engine project. Thanks for the link :thumbsup:


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## Nyrath (May 3, 2004)

You are welcome. The link is to my website.


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## cozmo (Nov 29, 2004)

Nyrath said:


> According to the sparse declassified documents, the Battleship was armed with 5-inch cannon turrets from naval vessels, and the dreaded Casaba Howitzer. The model-maker used Mk-42 5-inch turrets since these were common when the Battleship was designed. The Casaba Howitzer is nothing short of a nuclear powered directed energy weapon, using an atomic "shaped charge"


Its just a funny anachronism. Futuristic everything but the tube artillery. By the time of this model (early to mid-60's right?) The replacement for the MK 42 was farther in development than the other parts of the battleship. IIRC, one of the personnel domes had already been removed from all of the MK 42s in service.

As long as nits are being picked, the Casaba Howitzer is a direct fire weapon. Isn't the definition of a howitzer an indirect fire weapon?:lol:


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## Nyrath (May 3, 2004)

cozmo said:


> Its just a funny anachronism. Futuristic everything but the tube artillery. By the time of this model (early to mid-60's right?) The replacement for the MK 42 was farther in development than the other parts of the battleship. IIRC, one of the personnel domes had already been removed from all of the MK 42s in service.
> 
> As long as nits are being picked, the Casaba Howitzer is a direct fire weapon. Isn't the definition of a howitzer an indirect fire weapon?:lol:


Yes, 1963.
Don't blame Scott Lowther for the "Howitzer" name, it's what was on the historical documents. Yes, I agree, that is a misnomer, the Casaba Howitzer is not quite an indirect fire weapon. The shell does travel a safe distance from the Battleship before it detonates and creates the spear of nuclear fire that attacks the target, but that is not quite "indirect fire".


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## cozmo (Nov 29, 2004)

Oh, I don't blame him, or anybody else for a project almost fifty years old.

Its just that I hate that casaba howitzer. I was rolling along, happy as a clam, having cleared most of the technological hurdles in the path of a project when I first read about it ( I think it was on your site). It put a whole new set of hurdles in front of me that I have to figure out before proceeding.

With the help of a few others who know what it is, I think I have gotten past those as well. But I still hate the dang thing.

A minefield of casaba devices could put a hurting on an invasion fleet.


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## Nyrath (May 3, 2004)

Sorry about that.
However, by the same token, lots of people hate the Orion propulsion system as well.


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