Author Topic: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)  (Read 1047776 times)

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2420 on: 04/04/2024 08:00 pm »
Hello everybody,

in contrast to my last post, today is again a day of joyful remembrance of Challenger's maiden flight STS-6 41 years ago,


Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)


L-R: Donald Peterson †, Paul Weitz †, Story Musgrave, Karol Bobko †
Source: wikipedia.org

to which I have dedicated my long-term project, with which I'm going already into the 13th year, hard to believe, but true.

BTW 13 is my lucky number, also because my son Andreas was born on a Friday, April 13, 1979.

With this in mind, I hope to make a lot of progress with my project this year.

« Last Edit: 04/04/2024 09:04 pm by roma847 »
***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline EG

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2421 on: 04/05/2024 03:25 pm »
We are here brother, we haven't gone anywhere....

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2422 on: 04/05/2024 06:15 pm »
Thanks Elmer and all my other faithful friends for looking in on me again.

Great that you are waiting for my Return to STS-6 Tour, in a short while I'll be seen here more often again.

Until then, take a look at my Psyche Space Probe thread, which is a bit simpler but also not uninteresting.

« Last Edit: 04/05/2024 06:31 pm by roma847 »
***************
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Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline Naito

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2423 on: 04/05/2024 06:25 pm »
Dude, your work is too awesome to miss, I never forget to lurk and check on it regularly =)
Carl C.

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2424 on: 04/05/2024 06:35 pm »
Thanks Naito for your nice words and stay tuned as before.

The show must and will go on.

***************
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Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2425 on: 04/19/2024 02:29 pm »
Hello friends,

today is a memorable day because the sonic barrier of 1 Million Views has now been broken unnoticed in the NSF Forum too!



I'm deeply impressed by your continued interest in my work and would like to express my thanks and appreciation for it.



I hope you stay tuned and continue loyal to me, and for myself I hope being able to enjoy all of you with new interesting progress soon.

« Last Edit: 04/19/2024 02:31 pm by roma847 »
***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2426 on: 08/20/2024 09:46 pm »
Hello friends,

today I have to deliver sad news to all friends of Real Space Modeling.

As I just found out, my long-time friend, John O'Connor, is the brilliant creator of the 360° panoramas on the nasatech.net website, passed in May at the age of 75.



I had just emailed him that I was coming back to Florida and to the KSC in October to meet with him, and I was surprised that he didn't reply. Unfortunately, we weren't able to meet up last year during NASA's Psyche Mission launch. Now his death is a sad certainty. May he rest in peace ...

Meanwhile I have learned that he was buried at the Riverview Memorial Gardens in Cocoa, where I want to do honour to him if I can find his grave.

I first asked my friend James MacLaren, who already knew and confirmed it. He also knew him and was also very impressed by his panoramas.

As you know, I have linked many of his unique panoramas to images in my STS-6 report what are for my Scratch building were an invaluable resource. It is a detailed compendium of American Space missions for the last 25 years.

An tribute of his colleagues can be found on the website DEDICATED TO JOHN O'CONNOR.

« Last Edit: 08/20/2024 11:58 pm by roma847 »
***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2427 on: 08/26/2024 06:09 pm »
Hello friends,

meanwhile I have inquired about John's grave at Riverview Memorial Gardens in Cocoa and a staff member will direct me to it so I can do honour to him during my vacation in October.



FOREVER REMEMBERED ...

***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2428 on: 09/01/2024 10:26 am »
Hello friends,

I could hardly believe it myself and had to scroll far back to find my last post from Payload Canister to pick up my thread at that time again.

Back then it was about the painting the four ladders for both side walls,



with which I can now finally move on.

Everything was prepared, the ladders are waiting still on their holders,



just like the Dummy that I wanted to test with beforehand.



First of all, I've checked the white paint, Aqua Color (36301), which was anything but sprayable after such a long time and had to be prepared and tested accordingly.

More on that later, when you're awake.

***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2429 on: 09/02/2024 07:20 pm »
Hello everybody,

since I haven't done anything with Airbrush for a long time, I had to slowly get back to it and get my colors going again.

That's why I had to dilute my still unused can of White, Aqua Color (36301) again and test it according to the tried and tested test by Heinz Wagner, Ø ≥ 11 mm.


Source: Heinz Wagner

To do this, I first diluted the paint with Aqua Color Mix in a ratio of 2:1 and then let drip down a drop of it from a height of 30 cm, which produced a blob of paint with a Ø = 13 mm (see below on the sheet), which is perhaps a little too large, but should at least be spray-able.



With the color set in this way, I went to my airbrush room, have clamped the exhaust hose into the window,





and first primed the individual dummy with my smaller Revell Airbrush-Basic Set,
 




and then the remaining ladders too.



Since the opacity was not yet sufficient, I went into the garage and still sprayed one or two more coats on both sides with the Tamiya Color spray can from a distance of approx. 30 cm,



which ultimately resulted in satisfactory coverage.





At this point I got out of the Payload Canister about a year ago before starting my Florida trip.



Today I can now provisionally lay down the painted ladders too,



wherewith I'm quite happy.

So I can now safely glue the ladders together with the other details onto the Payload Canister.

***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2430 on: 09/08/2024 09:46 pm »
Dear friends,

today the next sad news reached me.

As I've learned from her husband Stephen, his dear wife, my friend Judy Gale Roberts, passed last week, the gifted Intarsia artist from Tennessee who in 2019 created this unique work of art Apollo 11 - 50th Anniversary Intarsia - For All Mankind on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing by Apollo 11.



On July 19, I've congratulated her on her birthday and wished her all the best, and now the painful news of her passing.

While she was working with her team on this Intarsia Project, I was in close contact with her and was totally surprised and overwhelmed by her gesture when she gave me an Eagle feather with her signature that time,







which I had with me last year during my visit to the Apollo/Saturn V Center,


Source: NASA, KSC Visitor Complex

and had held it in front of her Intarsia For All Mankind which is on display there.





May she rest in peace forever ... R. I. P.

***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2431 on: 09/10/2024 10:48 pm »
Hello everybody,

although the sad thoughts about the sudden death of Judy Gale Roberts are still running through my head, I want to continue with the Payload Canister, where, in addition to attaching the fragile ladders, various other small parts are waiting for me.

Doing so I have to think about a sensible order, though, because the canister becomes more and more unwieldy with each detail and I have to consider the required support surface for assembly so that nothing can break off.

That's why I had to go back a long way in my construction report to be able to recapitulate and take into account the problems I had identified at the time.

As I pointed out in my Reply #2220 at the time, the canister on my Diorama will only be seen in Vertical Transport Mode, i.e. standing upright on the PLC Transporter, as was shown in the images at the time,


Source: Space Shuttle News Reference (NTR Server, 1981)

like here leaving the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF).


Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

Therefore I now have to take another closer look at the fastening points of the Payload Container to the Vertical Transportation Support Plates & Clevises provided for it on the Transporter,


Source: NASA

in order to be able to glue the thin Tie-down Lug Plates onto the container in the next step, whereby at the same time they have to fit easily into the fork-shaped Clevises, which in turn are shoved into the transportation plates and screwed to them.


Source: NASA (STS-132)

So I immediately got the PLC Transporter out of the garage and put the container on it to remind myself of the tricky circumstances after such a long time.



And these are the Vertical Transportation Support Plates on the transporter, which are now coming back into focus.


Source: NASA (STS-135)



And here are the neatly stored tiny little parts for the four attachment points on the transporter, although I can't remember to their numbering on it, and have to find my notes first.  



These are the parts from Box I, together with the two stop holders and the spike that sits on top of the container and was briefly seen in one of the images (STS-132).



And here is the Tie-down Lug Plate inserted into the Clevis,



which then has to be glued onto the container with its narrow lower edge, which I have a bit of respect for already.



So much for a first look back at the tricky problems.

« Last Edit: 09/11/2024 09:12 pm by roma847 »
***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2432 on: 09/20/2024 11:24 pm »
Hello everybody,

after the view has slowly become sharper again, we should continue.

In this image one can see one of the four Tie-down Lug Plates for the Vertical Transportation Mode, which I now have to glue to the container.


Source: NASA (STS-130)

To do this, I now have to take another look at which of the four attachment points on the transporter the collected plate sets I-IV belong to, which is why I first had to search through  the building report from that time.



An important orientation point is the Spike on top of the front wall (Forward Bulkhead) of the Payload Canister (PLC), which always points in the direction of travel of the transporter with the canister standing upright to the Launch Pad


Source: Space Shuttle News Reference (NTR Server, 1981)

So I first looked at my building report images from two years ago again. If you want to follow this again, from Reply #2228.

There you can at least see the arrangement of the transport plates for the Vertical Transportation Mode, here the larger of the two plates (at the front in the direction of travel) with two sliding shoes (blue, green).


Source: NASA (STS-122)



Here you can see the smaller transport plates which sit on the underside of the PLC front wall,


Source: wikimedia.org (STS-132)

and have only one sliding shoe (green),



what I had to consider when mounting it on the transporter.

Here, for testing purposes, I had provisionally fitted all four transport plates for the Vertical Transportation Mode with their sliding shoes and placed the four hold-down clevises besides, which are inspected by the true to scale fireman (1:160).



And with that, I have now arrived at the point of my retrospect that shows the container on the transporter standing in Vertical Transportation Mode between the transport plates,







where I can now continue and glue all the individual parts together, although I have to remember that I still have to be able to remove the container in order to can glue the remaining details on the side walls.

***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2433 on: 09/22/2024 12:17 am »
Hello my friends,

it's time to give you a little advance notice today.

There will be a break at the end of next week, because I am starting then to my Return to KSC Tour 2024 (28th Sept. - 2nd. Nov.) via Washington D.C., Huntsville, Alabama, Cocoa Beach, Everglades, Fort Meyers, St. Petersburg, Tampa and back to Cocoa Beach, and therefore I will be absent on my construction sites for 5 weeks …

But I will be back then because the show must go on here.

***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline EG

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2434 on: 09/22/2024 12:20 am »
As I've said before brother, ENJOY! your trip!!!!

We will be here... Take lots of pictures.... {chuckle}
« Last Edit: 09/22/2024 12:21 am by EG »

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2435 on: 09/22/2024 12:52 am »
Thanks Elmer,

I hope so and will enjoy it, although I have a full schedule, including the SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy launch for NASA's Europa Clipper mission on October 10, for which I have already secured a ticket for the Apollo Saturn V Center's viewing point.




Source: NASA

I hope I'm lucky and the launch isn't postponed again, because it's our wedding anniversary and my lovely wife will be watching from above ...

« Last Edit: 09/22/2024 12:58 am by roma847 »
***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2436 on: 09/25/2024 11:05 pm »
Hello everybody,

after a thorough study of my former posts, I was able to recap the assignment of the stored plate sets I-IV to the four attachment points on the transporter.

Then I took the Transporter and the Payload Canister out of the cupboard, which is standing here in the direction of travel.



As one can see in the image, the larger transport plates are located at the front in the direction of travel.



Then I've tried to push the Hold-down Clevis into the rear transport plate (IV), but only managed to go about halfway, what immediately reminded me of the problems I had already back then with the accuracy of fit.

Apparently the two openings in the transport plate are too narrow and need to be reworked so that the hold-down clevis has more play when pushed in.



The same problems occurred on the larger front transport plate (I), when I tried to carefully pull the hold-down clevis out again, but this failed whereby one of the plates broke off.



And already I'm back in the middle of the stressful fiddling around of handling these tiny parts and have to get used to proceeding with extreme caution and not doing anything rash what could have dire consequences.

For example, using my beloved Cent coin for the size comparison almost proved to be as my undoing, as it is magnetic, which means that it can suddenly jump to the magnets holding the transporter and can cause damage to the surrounding area.





The same disaster can happen when positioning tiny parts with ordinary tweezers, which are also magnetic and suddenly get attracted, causing parts to jump off never to be seen again, which I can also tell you a thing or two about it, which is why I have to use non-magnetic tweezers from Master Tools.

Now I first have to think about a suitable mini sanding strip (1,4 mm wide) with which I can rework the bottom opening (0,4 mm x 1,4 mm) of the transportation support plate.



At some point I had bought some thin and narrow sanding sticks, but I don't remember where they came from or where I put them ...

In return I was able to remove the Hold-down clevis (IV) out off the plate without damaging it, but now I have to glue the other one back together, which will become also a tricky task.



That's why I'll stop now, because excessive zeal doesn't help.

« Last Edit: 09/25/2024 11:58 pm by roma847 »
***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2437 on: 09/26/2024 06:39 pm »
Hello everybody,

since I will be leaving for Washington D.C. the day after tomorrow for the first stop on my this year's USA trip, it's time to pack my bags, which is why I urgently need to make a break here, and will report back to you when I'll be back home on November 2nd.

Have a good time and stay healthy my friends.

***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline roma847

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2438 on: 10/05/2024 08:32 am »
Hello my friends,

Greetings from Rocket City Huntsville, Alabama.
I'm at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center every day and I'm totally amazed, especially by the upright standing Saturn V!

Thursday evening there was a special highlight, the "German beer garden" under the Saturn V, an incredible experience. I was totally thrilled.

On Monday I'm flying to Orlando and driving to Cocoa Beach in my rental car and will visit the KSC Visitor Complex again.

Stay healthy all together!
***************
Regards from Germany

Manfred

Under construction:
1:144 Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

Offline mike robel

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Re: Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)
« Reply #2439 on: 10/06/2024 01:11 am »
You better put that off my friend.  We will get hit by a hurricane on Wednesday and people will start evactuating as early as Monday.  It will leave the area on Thursday.

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