Building On the Past: Mercury-Redstone and the Legacy of Alan Shepard
A Navy crewman-turned-astronaut, Alan Shepard was the first American to achieve spaceflight. Shepard’s mission aboard Freedom 7 was the direct result of research and testing done by thousands of people. His short flight helped NASA researchers study the effect of weightlessness and re-entry on the human body.
By the time Shepard was piloting the Freedom 7 capsule, he was already an accomplished crewman and test pilot for the Navy, serving aboard the destroyer Cogswell during World War II. In 1958, Shepard was selected among 110 test pilots as prospective astronauts. These men would become the first Americans in space as part of Project Mercury. A Mercury-Redstone 3 rocket carried the iconic capsule and astronaut into space on May 5th, 1961 at roughly 5,000 mph (8,000 km/h).
Although he was removed from flight duty in 1963 after being diagnosed with Meniere’s Syndrome (a kind of vertigo), he was eventually treated and became the commander of Apollo 14 in 1971. This successful mission to the moon featured a unique moment when Shepard revealed to NASA that he had smuggled a collapsable 6-iron golf club and two golf balls on the spacecraft, with which he proceeded to take two shots on the surface of the moon. Shepard’s golf club is currently displayed at the United States Golf Association Museum in Far Hills, New Jersey.
Shepard’s space career, which began with the Mercury-Redstone, ended with the massive Saturn V rocket. Shepard stayed on with NASA as the Chief of the Astronaut Office until his retirement in August 1974.
What have we got here?
Hmmmmmmmmmm . . .
#brickmania #lego #customlego #history #militarymodel #military #oftheopera #SmallBusiness #Minneapolis #BestJobEver
New Kits On the Way
Looks like Production’s been busy getting next week’s releases ready to go!
#brickmania #lego #customlego #history #ww2 #militarymodel #military #wwii #panzer #SmallBusiness #Minneapolis #BestJobEver
Hurry!
Last copies! Just went through our travel cases and unearthed some out of stock items. We’ve thrown them in our web store to give everyone a second chance to order. Most of these are out of production and won’t be restocked! #brickmania #brickarms #lego #smallbusiness #bestjobever
Restock: WWI Australian Light Horse Infantry
Known for its rugged terrain, Australia has a long tradition of encouraging horsemanship and marksmanship. When the Great War broke out, Australia sent several light horse regiments to assist the Allies. Their mobility and crack rifle skills made them effective in open terrain, specifically in the Middle East against the Ottoman Turks. They would also provide excellent reconnaissance on the Western Front.
The WWI Australian Light Horse Infantry has artwork based on the Service Dress Jacket, jodhpurs, 1903 Pattern Bandolier, 1907 Pattern Bayonet, leather boots, and leather leggings.
This WWI Australian Light Horse Infantry features exclusive custom-printed artwork designed by Lando.
Click here to buy your own custom WWI Australian Light Horse Infantry minfigure today!
Slideshow:
LEGO and the LEGO Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or these products.
New Release: WWII German Boot Pack – Stickers
Equip your minifigures with this high-quality sticker sheet from Brickmania! Mix and match twelve pairs of WW2 German ankle boots with either jackboot uppers or gaiters and boot backs to create boots for your minifigures.
Slideshow:
From Our Last Outing This Past Saturday
NMAW Tank Farm Open News… latest word is tomorrow’s open house will be cancelled on account of impending weather. They will stay open until 6pm today.
New Release: Leopard 2A7 – Main Battle Tank
About the Leopard 2A7 – Main Battle Tank:
Considered on par with the American M1 Abrams, the German-built Leopard 2A7 is another generation of excellent German tank engineering. Armed with a Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun and two machine guns, the Leopard also features an MTU MB-837 Ka501 diesel engine capable of putting out 1,500 horsepower.
There are several modern advancements, including the PERI RTWL (Round View, Day, Heat, Laser) stabilised glass optical periscope. This sight contains a daylight CCD camera, fiber-optic gyros, a third-generation Attica thermal imaging device, and an image fusion function. This feature provides another solution to a typical tank problem: long range vision.
The Leopard’s design makes it a suitable tank for urban combat. Its modular protection kit with passive armor modules affords the crew excellent survivability against mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). It also features smoke grenade launchers to help conceal the tank from enemy fire.
Specifications:
- Crew: 4
- Armament: Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore main gun, 1x 7.62mm and 1x 12.7mm machine guns
- Engine: MTU MB-837 Ka501 diesel
- Speed: 44 mph (72 km/h)
- Range: 279 mi (450 km)
Additional information about this Brickmania custom building kit:
The Leopard 2A7 – Main Battle Tank kit comes with the following features
- Opening hatches
- BrickArms MG42
- Rotating turret with elevating gun
- High-quality sticker sheet
- Custom-printed elements
- Brickmania Track Links™️
- Minifig.Cat helmet and headset
- 1/35th scale to match other Brickmania models
Click here to pick your own own Leopard 2A7 – Main Battle Tank today!
Slideshow:
All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited-edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.
Growing Our Library
Thanks to @brickarms for donating these awesome books to our reference library! The will surely be put to use when designing future minifigs! #brickmania #brickarms #lego #bestjobever
What do you think?
What should we make with these?
#brickmania #lego #militarymodel #military #customlego #toymodel #toypics #history #SmallBusiness #Minneapolis #BestJobEver
Latest Brickmania® Release
