1963 Concept Model Lunar Module & Command Module Bell Labs

Here is an extremely rare model of the 1st concept for the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) and the Apollo Service & Command module. These are large scale models that measure 24" for the CSM and 17" for the LM.

These models were made for Bell Labs in 1963 and they are among the rarest contractor models known. There were 2 other identical models with this one found in the garage of a NASA manager. According to the gentleman I bought this from, the paint was peeling, so he threw the other 2 in the garbage. Yeah........my thoughts exactly.

These models are made with a wood interior, an overlayer of hard plastic shell, then hand painted. The most interesting things about these is that there's no hatch for the LM for the crew to get out and the CM shows each astronaut sitting in different directions.

After talking with several well known collectors of contractor models, none had ever seen anything like these and one expert said he had heard about them, but never saw one before. This box for this model has 6 different colored dots, similar to the dot system that is commonly seen on NASA surplus and there's a tag on it that says "Apollo Model #3". I'm assuming that this model is #3 and that the other 2 which were thrown out, were models #1 & 2.