When the Soviet Union Sputnik-1 was launched on October 4, 1957, it became Earth’s first artificial satellite and kicked off the Space Race.
So, I guess it’s appropriate that Red Iron Models used the little spacecraft to start its line of injection-molded plastic kits. The Russian company has been making resin kits if vehicles and spacecraft since 2015.
Simple describes Sputnik and so the kit has a relatively low part count. But Red Iron has done a good job of juicing the detail with some photo-etched metal (PE) parts and fine brass rod for the distinctive antennas.
No decals are included but there is a stand with 1957 and Sputnik-1 in English and Russian molded on the base.
The instructions are easy to follow and offer advice that the kit can be built without the PE if you aren’t comfortable with the material.
The hemispheres that make up the body of the satellite fit together well but pay attention to the way it is keyed. I almost lined the small tab up with the slot for the stand.
I found that the two circular panels that fit on the front sat a tad too high and seemed loose in their depressions. I sanded the tabs on the rear considerably for a more positive location. I also had to sand the ends and sides of the pieces that insert along the equator for a flush fit.
I was impressed by the PE screw heads that fit into small depressions on the body. Each includes a ½-inch handle that makes it easy to place them with tweezers. I removed the handles with nippers after the superglue dried.
The instructions would have you build the four antennas — mount and all — then attach them to the body. I recommend attaching the mounts (Part 6) first as they need refinement to fit. Then I glued the antenna bases (parts 7 and 8) together, attached them to the mounts, and used a drill bit in a pin vise to enlarge the holes in the mounts to better accommodate the brass rods.
Before gluing the antennas, I formed the PE bases around them by taping the rods to a flat surface with a gap between the tape wide enough to accommodate the PE parts. Then, I carefully folded one side up with a knife blade while holding the other down with tweezers. It took careful work, but once they were folded, I superglued the antenna into its mount. Then I slid the base against the mount and flowed thin superglue around it.
Pay attention as the antennas are different lengths and they go in specific locations.
I painted the model with Tamiya Bare-Metal Silver (No. AS-12) from the spray can over Tamiya white primer. The actual satellite was highly polished so chrome might be a good option. The plastic is smooth enough to make that work with little prep other than primer or a gloss black base. I picked out the mounts with red and a depression on the rear black.
To pop the molded lettering on the base, I airbrushed red over white primer. After spraying black, I lightly sanded the lettering to expose the red underneath.
The tab on the stand is small, so the model must be glued to it.
Red Iron’s Sputnik-1 is a neat little kit of an important milestone in human history, and I appreciate that is designed to appeal to relative newcomers and experienced builders alike. It does take a little extra modeling work to take care of fit issues for the inserts. The PE is fiddly, but well-engineered and takes the detail to the next level. I definitely recommend it for any fan of space exploration history.