The NASA model building thread

[saturnapollo]

Wow! That is absolutely incredible! I'll be interested to seeing your pad progress.

Keith

[roma847]

Hi Keith,

I am pleased that you like my LC-39 project with Challenger STS-6. As you can see, the MLP is only one part of it.

It is a pity, but you can follow the progress for the time only in the ARC Forums (see signature link).
Here in this e n d l e s s model building thread it's too confusing for posting and following project progresses. 

Maybe the Admins  - Hi Chris  - could think about a reformation of this thread so that one can continuously post and follow a project under his own name. Although this makes something work  but would it facilitate the interested users the project progress to follow.

BTW our Admins in the German Forum Raumcon faced a year ago the same situation and have successfully managed that. Since then, we have a stand-alone block of Space model construction  and all we are very satisfied and happy.

Therefore, nothing is impossible ... 

[jgoldader]

Another possibility is to hunt down the 1/144 paper shuttle MLP that's sold on eBay.  I bought one last year; it was about $20 and came on good paper with, IIRC, a CD with instructions.  It's meant to be done with the help of foamcore (for strength) but you could just as easily use it as a template for a styrene build at your favorite scale.  I haven't decided yet whether I'll do mine in styrene or paper, but am not sure I'll even get to it this year.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

have you already started your MLP project? May be, I have your project start missed. 

That's a beautiful model!

I have not started mine.  I got tangled up with other projects, and am now doing a scratchbuild of Mariner 10.  I think I will set the MLP as my first project for next year.

Jeff

[roma847]

Hi Jeff,

this is good news, that I'm already excited about. 

Have you already posted some photos of your scratchbuild of Mariner 10 or where can I find it? 

[Chris Bergin]

Well this is a massive thread, with 360,000 views.....and a lot of great work by many members here.

So, via suggestion, I will set up a dedicated forum section for model building, which will host this thread, but will also allow specific projects to be standalone threads too.

I'll get on this this week, or the weekend, and will post notification here.

[roma847]

Hi Chris,

wow, this is really good news and I'm surprised that you want to quickly establish a dedicated forum section for model building.  Then everyone can much better track the progress of the individual projects and give his feedback and tips. 
 

[SpacexULA]

Well this is a massive thread, with 360,000 views.....and a lot of great work by many members here.

So, via suggestion, I will set up a dedicated forum section for model building, which will host this thread, but will also allow specific projects to be standalone threads too.

I'll get on this this week, or the weekend, and will post notification here.

I think it would be a good idea to move the space 3d printed stuff other there also.

[Bubbinski]

Wow Roma nice MLP!  I'm going to resume work on my Voyager spacecraft when I get back from vacation.

[roma847]

Hi Bubbinski,

thanks for the nice words. 

Then you can open perhaps your own thread for your Voyager spacecraft, when Chris has created the new dedicated forum section for model building. 

Can't wait to see your build. 

[OV135]

I wonder if there will be a 1/72 scale model of the H-II B rocket? I'd like to get a 1/72 scale model of this rocket and the Konotori spacecraft.

[topopesto]

I wonder if there will be a 1/72 scale model of the H-II B rocket? I'd like to get a 1/72 scale model of this rocket and the Konotori spacecraft.

The model in 1/72 scale HTV (Konotori) already exists and is produced by amk-kits.org. Finely detailed and rich in detail. The model is made of resin.

[OV135]

I see. I hope the rocket is also made available to buy.

[jgoldader]

Hi Jeff,

this is good news, that I'm already excited about. 

Have you already posted some photos of your scratchbuild of Mariner 10 or where can I find it? 

Here are a few photos of my Mariner 10 scratchbuild at its early stage.

http://s240.beta.photobucket.com/user/jgoldader/library/My%20space%20models/Mariner%2010

or

http://tinyurl.com/atnra82

I'm working on a 1/24 Mariner 10, which is not easy, since there is only one decent dimensioned drawing out there, from what I can tell.  I was lucky enough to photograph the backup spacecraft at the National Air and Space Museum a couple of years ago, and there are a handful of good photos online.

The main bus is just styrene card.  The aft dome, which covers the fuel tanks (and will be given a coating of Aves epoxy putty to give it a thermal blanket appearance) is the aft dome of a 1/144 space shuttle external tank.

The heat shield is 0.01" styrene card.  The pattern was made using the dimensioned drawing and a measurement of the angles of the sides from a photo.  It will also be given a thin coating of Aves to simulate the fact that was basically a mylar foil or thermal blanket umbrella.


Jeff

[roma847]

Thanks for the nice photos from the start of your Mariner 10 scratchbuild. Have you some progress pics too? 

Manfred

[Chandonn]

I don't think this has been posted here.  Looks like Realspace has finally released their 1:144 scale Skylab model!

http://www.realspacemodels.com/html/skylab.html

I've been looking forward to this one for a while! I almost tried to scratch-build one...

[jgoldader]

Here are a few updates on my 1/24 scale Mariner 10 scratchbuild.  I am having trouble posting to Photobucket (their recent "improvements" seem to have broken their IE9 support for some of us).

I'm working out a way to attach the solar arrays, and have built parts of the support trusses from styrene square rod.  The first picture shows a test fit into square holes I've cut into the bus.

The second picture shows that I've started on the solar panels, using 0.03" styrene card, some styrene I-beams, and 0.02" thick plastic strips.

The third picture shows the solar panels and sunshield (partly finished when this pic was taken) overlaid on the 1/24 scale plans.

The last picture shows a detail of the then partly finished sunshade.

I'm trying not to do anything that would prevent me from using this as the basis of a kit master.  JPL might send me a C&D, though.



Jeff

[ngc3314]

The 1/72 Mach 2 kit of the Luna version of an R-7. This is pleasantly big, topping 47 cm/19 inches. Like a previous Mach 2 kit I did (the X-24A/B combo), it did tax either my abilities or patience. I like the thick plastic it's molded from, but there was an awful lot of flash and need to ream out holes for engine bells and so on. It does not use alignment pins, just broad one-sided lips; booster parts took a bunch of rubber bands. The supporting framework for the upper stage worked well, much easier than the Soyuz equivalent in the Zvezda 1/144 kit. The instructions sheets were close to a logic puzzle, consisting of one side of an A4 sheet with sketches of how to do the staging framework and upper stage and a half-cutaway drawing of the whole thing. The circular base is included; I added the Luna 3 reprocessed farside mosaic on top of it.

[lvmmodels]

Hi all,
From December 3 we start shipping the Zarya capsule from AMK-kits in
scale 1:72. Check out our web store for more info http://store.lvm-studios.com

The R7 launch pad has moved to Q1 2013, We expect release by February!

We have placed a small sneak peak of a new model kit annouched at
Telford: Soyuz Descent Module in scale 1:12!!!!! Visit our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/lvmstudiosnl

[Sarah]

I was going over my dragon models and realized I am missing one.  I can't seem to find it online. Do any of you know where I could get one? It's Enterprise on top NASA 905. Here's a link to it.

http://www.dragon-models.com/d-m-item.asp?pid=SPA56183

Update: Found one. Actually found two. They are en route.

[jgoldader]

Hello all,

Here's a small update on my Mariner 10 scratchbuild.

The photo shows the bus with solar array struts glued into place, and the
arrays, TV cameras, and star tracker temporarily attached.

I'm starting on the high-gain antenna assembly. I used a candle flame to bend a styrene tube to make the antenna mast, and cut the dish from an old plastic celestial sphere.

I will be trying something new for the cabling on this model. In the past, I've used electronics wire, magnet winding wire, and very thin styrene rods to represent cables. None of these have worked well for me, since I generally make a mess of using CA glue to attach metal or electrical wire, and generally break very thin styrene rod while trying to bend it. So I finally broke down and bought some Plastruct 3/64 inch butylene-coated wire. It will adhere with regular liquid cement and is bendable. It was $8.50 for a pack of 15 pieces each about 15 inches long, so at least the pack should last me a while.

Jeff