This is the new(ish) Moebius 1/144 Convair NEV (Nuclear Exploratory Vehicle). This is not a re-pop of the old Strombecker kit, but completely new molds. It's pretty simple to build and the thick pins and attachment points almost make it a snap-tite kit. It's also very long and heavy - the kit parts are very thick.
I left the engine, connecting spine and crew module unglued, for easier painting and transport.
The kit seemed pretty bare, so I printed a radiation shield for the engine and a small manned pod.
With boxtop:
NERVA mod-2 engine detail with the radiation shield:
The astronaut is from a 1/144 Mecha "Mobile Staff" from Wave. The tether is some ABS that I squeezed out of the printer to clean the head after changing filaments. The pod is 3D printed. The canopy is a piece of clear sprue. The engines are from one of the Mercury capsules in the AMT 1/200 US Man in Space set. I bought the first re-release of the kit and it was cheap, so I didn't mind using it for parts... it's apparently both rare and expensive.
Another view:
The pod is pretty basic - front and rear rounded caps, cylindrical body with a bump for the pilot and a docking tube underneath. I printed it in ABS and smoothed it with Acetone vapors. Some sanding removed all the print artifacts.
The decals are from random kits. The UNITED STATES is from the Monogram re-pop of the 1/48 Space Taxi. It's yellowed, but I like the effect.
The paint is Badger Stynylrez aluminum primer, with some panels in Vallejo Metallics. The tank caps are a mix of Badger Stynylrez white and gray primers.
Thanks for looking!