This was the first launch pad model I had ever built.
The original Revell model release was in 1958, after the successful launch of Explorer 1 from Launch Complex 26 at Cape Canaveral, Florida on January 31st, 1958.
The Jupiter C Booster is actually a modified Redstone IRBM, with increased thrust output, coupled to Jet Propulsion Laboratory's solid-fueled upper stages.
The Von Braun ABMA team was called upon to deliver a flight-ready orbital shot within 90 days, to counter the failure of the Navy's Vanguard Rocket and satellite to achieve launch.
Here, the Jupiter C / Explorer and pad model are shown resting next to the modified Mercury Redstone and launch pad combination. The Freedom 7 launch pad is built from the same base kit as the Jupiter C, but modified to reflect the changes in the gantry used for the Mercury flights.
