Author Topic: The NASA model building thread (Read 1083625 times)

GaryE · « **Reply #1320 on:** 07/11/2011 07:53 pm »

Thanks Gene! I'll google for some styrene.

I may actually have to build some of those paper models. they look pretty good! I'll bet doing so uses a boat load of printer ink though.

Bubbinski · « **Reply #1321 on:** 07/12/2011 10:19 pm »

Hi Gary, welcome to NSF. The only thing I can think of is the paper models mentioned above. Real Space Models may come out with a MLP.

Mark Dave · « **Reply #1322 on:** 07/12/2011 10:51 pm »

Launch Complex Models said they will also make one too.

clongton · « **Reply #1323 on:** 07/13/2011 12:05 am »

Quote from: MarkD on 07/12/2011 10:51 pm

Launch Complex Models said they will also make one too.

They are out of business.

Mark Dave · « **Reply #1324 on:** 07/13/2011 02:41 am »

What? Man....... oh well. I'll just scratchbuild my shuttle LC-39 pad myself.

Here is a photo of my shuttle kit, the new model ET next to my older kits of Discovery and Atlantis. http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/169/3/c/new_shuttle_kit_by_onigojirakaiju-d3j90vu.jpg

msc · « **Reply #1325 on:** 07/13/2011 06:13 pm »

Here's the final version of the model I built for the parade float. The whole stack ended up being about 6 1/2 feet tall, and traveled about two feet during its "launch."

ngc3314 · « **Reply #1326 on:** 07/14/2011 02:21 am »

A month or so ago, I found the Hasegawa 1/200 kit of Shuttle Orbiter+Hubble at a friend's hobby shop. I finally put it together, sort of unwinding after submitting the final observation details for a 21-orbit Hubble program for next year. (Indeed, I have a keen, not to say vested, interest in these pieces of hardware.)

The 1/200 scale really doesn't fit my finger size too well, and I learned that I'm downright dangerous with a toothpick and paint on markings that small. (Note to other modelers - many of the black edgings that I painted in are there in the decal sheet, where it never occurred to me to look until after that). Orbiter and HST are marked to represent STS-125. This is the first kit I've had that shows HST with its sporty "new" Iridium-style solar arrays.

Bubbinski · « **Reply #1327 on:** 07/15/2011 12:57 pm »

Nice work on the Hubble telescope in the shuttle. I built a 1/200 shuttle-HST model using improvised parts before Hase came out with its kit. I'll need to revisit that.

Anyway guess what came to my door yesterday? The Revell Germany shuttle Atlantis in 1/72nd scale. Now I'm torn though. There's a part of me that really wants to just build it out of the box without attaching it to the Monogram ET/SRB kit, and build it in orbital or landing config of Atlantis as she is on STS-135. Decisions, decisions.

clongton · « **Reply #1328 on:** 07/15/2011 01:16 pm »

Quote from: Bubbinski on 07/15/2011 12:57 pm

Nice work on the Hubble telescope in the shuttle. I built a 1/200 shuttle-HST model using improvised parts before Hase came out with its kit. I'll need to revisit that.

Anyway guess what came to my door yesterday? The Revell Germany shuttle Atlantis in 1/72nd scale. Now I'm torn though. There's a part of me that really wants to just build it out of the box without attaching it to the Monogram ET/SRB kit, and build it in orbital or landing config of Atlantis as she is on STS-135. Decisions, decisions.

Get another one - build both. Simple

K466 · « **Reply #1329 on:** 07/15/2011 01:26 pm »

Quote from: msc on 07/13/2011 06:13 pm

Here's the final version of the model I built for the parade float. The whole stack ended up being about 6 1/2 feet tall, and traveled about two feet during its "launch."

Nice job!

Bubbinski · « **Reply #1330 on:** 07/15/2011 02:22 pm »

Quote from: clongton on 07/15/2011 01:16 pm

Get another one - build both. Simple

Good point. I won't be ready to build another 1/72 shuttle stack for a while anyway. So I just might go ahead with Atlantis on her gear, or in orbit.

Gene DiGennaro · « **Reply #1331 on:** 07/15/2011 02:59 pm »

AFAIK, The Revell Shuttle with the tile detail isn't accurate for Discovery, Atlantis, or Endeavour. I'm not even sure if it's right for Challenger or Columbia. That having been said, it seems to me that the Revell orbiter has a better shape than the Monogram. So you're going to be sanding off the raised tile detail anyway.

I did my Discovery in 1/144 with decals from RealSpace, Ed Bisconti ( the Ebay shuttle decal guy) and some custom decals I made from a now defunct Italian paper shuttle model (M.A.R.S.) and NASA's Shuttle Operational Data Book. I imported the PDF's from NASA and MARS into Corel Draw and edited them.

The decals worked for 1/144 but when I build my 1/72 scale birds I think I'll want to add some texture. I've seen great results with cloth first aid tape.

Then of course there's this... HOLY COW!

Mark Dave · « **Reply #1332 on:** 07/15/2011 03:03 pm »

It would be nice seeing both the Monogram and Revell orbiters side by side Bubbinski.

I'm thinking of making my new fifth orbiter an on orbit model. I got 3 launch orbiters, Columbia, Discovery, and Atlantis. Endeavour is in her landing configuration. This new one, which I still can't think of a name for, will be the on orbit orbiter.

Columbia will be shown as she looked on STS-109, Discovery on her last flight, and Atlantis as STS-125.

saturnapollo · « **Reply #1333 on:** 07/15/2011 05:04 pm »

Quote

That having been said, it seems to me that the Revell orbiter has a better shape than the Monogram.

It has! When I came round to producing the underside tile decals I mentioned a few posts back, I had to do very little distorting to get the real tiles to fit the model. However quite a lot of distortion was required for the Monogram kit.

The tile detail may well be accurate to Columbia but then they started using large areas of blanket material instead of tiles, so the Revell version instantly became dated. Though if I had to decide between inaccurate raised tiles or totally bereft of detail like the Monogram one, I've always gone for the Revell version.

I came across the tip for using squares of surgical tape some time ago, and it actually works quite well for 1/72 scale, though you need to coat it to seal the tiny hairs. Wouldn't work at 1/144 but masking tape might do, though I haven't tried that.

Keith

GaryE · « **Reply #1334 on:** 07/15/2011 09:48 pm »

While I'm waiting on the Revell 1/144 shuttle stack to be delivered, I found some vendors who sell the Launch platform in more detail than what is included with the kit. I may order that instead of trying to fabricate something presentable from the bare bones crawler.

I plan on ordering some aftermarket decals for the shuttle. I'd like to do Atlantis STS -135. Does anyone have a link to a vendor who can provide the underside tiles? Being that this is 1/144, I don't want to go crazy with styrene or tape.

Thanks for the kind welcome and suggestions!

Gary

saturnapollo · « **Reply #1335 on:** 07/15/2011 10:31 pm »

Gary

Quote

Does anyone have a link to a vendor who can provide the underside tiles?

Please see my post earlier in this thread on page 86 including photos of the completed models. I sell underside decals in 1/200, 1/144 and 1/72.

Please contact me offline for more details

[email protected]

Keith

GaryE · « **Reply #1336 on:** 07/16/2011 12:40 am »

I thought I saw a post referencing these. I'll send you an email this weekend. Thanks for the quick response mate!

Gary

Bubbinski · « **Reply #1337 on:** 07/16/2011 01:07 am »

You know, I think I'll go ahead and start work this weekend on my 1/72 Atlantis. The shuttle 6 pack may also be restarted.

I was torn between landing and orbit configs but I'll build this one in landing config and get out a Tamiya 1/100 kit for my orbiting orbiter (or some other kit).

As for my existing 1/144 shuttle Atlantis stack (finished in 2009) I'd like to get a proper mobile launch platform for that sometime.

GaryE · « **Reply #1338 on:** 07/16/2011 07:09 pm »

Those launch platforms I saw on ebay were nice. I'm not sure of what variety of scale is offered though.

upon further investigation I see they offer 1/72 and 1/144 crawlers and launch platforms but it looks like they are paper and they are assembled with foam board though.

Bubbinski · « **Reply #1339 on:** 07/18/2011 02:44 am »

Well I did indeed get started with my Revell 1/72nd shuttle orbiter (no stack).

I did lots of painting on the cockpit and landing gear parts along with some minor assembly.