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#2120 by roma847 on 21 Dec, 2021 23:36
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Hello everybody,
for the fun of it I did some more research and found out that the NASA Worm stayed for some longer time on the Astrovan yet, not just until 1992, as officially announced here.
Up to mission STS-35 (1990) I was able to check it with the help of the ingenious documentations of my German NSF friend Oliver Bombosch (Ares67).
Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (Ares67)
Furthermore I also randomly checked missions following STS-35 (1990), which were also documented by Ares67 in his awesome Thread Ares’ Space Shuttle Video Vault, what I can highly recommend to all shuttle freaks.
According to that the STS-55 (04/26/1993) was the last mission in which the NASA Worm shone on the Astrovan.
Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (Ares67)
And during the following mission STS-57 (06/21/1993) the NASA Meatball was on the Astrovan again for the first time,
Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (Ares67)
and from then until the last shuttle mission of Atlantis STS-135 (07/08/2011).
But I have one more delicacy for rounding off this controversy about the use of the NASA logos.
Hard to believe, but there was not only the classical Meatball, but also discussions about a Wormball,
Source: NASA
but NASA headquarters quickly took the wind out of its sails.
And since meanwhile I've taken pleasure in the Astrovan theme, and to make my fingers a little more flexible again, I want to start with a short warm-up for a Restart.
My friend Elmer (EG) sent me a link on which one can download a Paper Kit of the Astrovan, which I will simply build, initially in 1:48, but then also to match my diorama in 1:160, but with the correct NASA Worm logo, in order to fit for the STS-6.
Source: paper-replika.com (Julius Perdana)
Sorce: paper-replika.com (Julius Perdana)
Source: paper-replika.com (Julius Perdana)
As it looks like building the van is relatively straightforward. Since some parts of the paper construction do not seem stable enough to me,
I will strengthen them a little, for example the wheels, for each of which I will glue two Balsa slices together. 
Let's see how it will feel like ...
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#2121 by roma847 on 24 Dec, 2021 17:28
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Hello everybody,
and with that now to the model bulding of the Paper-Astrovan (1:48), let's go.
First of all, this is a look at the kit templates, the larger one is the Original Paper kit in 1:48, and on top of it lies the version that has been reduced in size for my diorama (1:160) with the NASA Worm logo so that the van also matches the STS-6.
The construction of the wheels (9) I wanted to simplify a bit and make them more stable at the same time.
For this I glued two Balsa discs (2 mm) to each other,
whereupon the tread was then coated with the black stripe.
Then the large bodywork (1) was cut out and folded,
and glued together.
The simple parts (10) provided for fastening the wheels seemed too spartan to me for reasons of stability and stability.
and the 'folding roof' also looks adventurous,
which is why I've prepared Balsa reinforcements, especially since the Fans (8, 11) have to be glued onto the roof, whereby it would certainly be pressed in. 
Due to the Balsa reinforcements, the roof should be sufficiently stable, at least on the adhesive surfaces of the fans.
Gluing the roof together was a tricky business, especially since the glossy paper I chose was quite stubborn and couldn't be glued well. Before the roof was glued on, the wheel mounts had to be glued in, into which the wheels were then glued from the outside. 
To stabilize the side walls, I also glued balsa strips inside as a precaution. Then the fans were glued together and the rotating beacon was put on,
and glued all the parts onto the roof.
Now the only thing missing was the bumper, for which I used a Styrene strip (0,5 mm). And where I write that, I notice that the van also has small bumpers on the back outside next to the door, which are missing in the kit, which is why I will retrofit them. In the meantime, the driver can also look in the driving mirrors and drive to pick up the crew.
And with that I want to say goodbye for the time being,
and wish all of you a merry and reflective Christmas,
and above all, that we all stay healthy! Now just a little bit of snow is missing ... 
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#2122 by EG on 24 Dec, 2021 18:07
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Excellent job Brother, Glad I could be of help....
And Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year as well... -
#2123 by roma847 on 24 Dec, 2021 18:54
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Thanks Elmer for your great help with this Paper Kit and the good wishes, the same to you and your loves my friend.
Take care of you and stay healthy!
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#2124 by mike robel on 25 Dec, 2021 18:51
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Manfred, willkommen zuruek! (forgive me for using ue instead of an umlaut)
It looks like your skill and attention to detail remain at the tope of your game and you benefited from your sabbatical.
Keep moving forward. I remain agog.
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#2125 by roma847 on 25 Dec, 2021 21:25
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Thanks Mike for your nice welcome greetings.
As I've learned from other forums, this Apollo Astrovan 1/60 by ColorSound meanwhile can be used for free 3D printing at Thingiverse:
Source: thingiverse.com (ColorSound)
Only a thought: Are there any of you who could 3D print the Van in 1:160, what would be a great help for me?
Otherwise I'll try to build the Van by using the downscaled Paper Kit (1:160), but maybe it's also too tricky - Trial and Error!
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#2126 by roma847 on 26 Dec, 2021 23:13
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Hello everybody,
just a little foretaste of what is now in store for me with the Astrovan in 1:160.
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#2127 by roma847 on 29 Dec, 2021 12:02
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Hello everybody,
today my Christmas present finally arrived from ANDROMEDA24.DE.
A great illustrated book with many interesting and rare photos on 238 pages, an absolute Must have for shuttle lovers like me!
Here is a little foretaste!
And here's another insider tip that even a search on the Andromeda website won't bring to light ...
The legendary Revell Launch Tower Kit (4911), which is out of stock already even after its new edition, with all its unpleasant scale flaws,
of which the shop owners were still able to chase down a few copies (129 €).
So hurry up, first come first served!
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#2128 by roma847 on 31 Dec, 2021 14:44
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Hello my friends,
but before the clock of the old year finally is running down, I would like to come back to my STS-6-Astrovan (1:160) and take one last look at it for this year.
And I have to admit that just alone cutting out the body and especially the wheel cases was a tricky business, which surprised me quite a bit,
as well like the folding and gluing of this tiny van compared to the larger model (1:48).
I'm already scared of the roof ...
And now it is time to thank you again for your interest in my work
and to wish everyone a Happy New Year. 
Cheers!
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#2129 by EG on 31 Dec, 2021 17:08
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Happy New Year Manfred... Wishing you a good year looking forward..
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#2130 by roma847 on 31 Dec, 2021 18:01
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Thank you very much Elmer for your good wishes,
I hope the new year will be better for all of us.
Stay healthy and 
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#2131 by roma847 on 02 Jan, 2022 14:38
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#2132 by roma847 on 03 Jan, 2022 22:48
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Hello everybody,
it continues with the construction of the small Astrovan for the Diorama, and since it is really tiny, extreme caution was required in all further steps.
After I've cut out the roof, I've carefully pre-scored the fold edges and cut out a cardboard insert for stabilization so that I ever had a chance to glue the tricky roof together. 
For the same reason, I did without the paper wheel mounts and instead glued in small Balsa blocks to make it easier for me to glue the wheels in place.
Then I glued the wheel disks to the punched cardboard disks, the edges of which I blackened beforehand.
Following I've glued in the roof reinforcement, which was a pretty stressful and tricky action, especially on the side edges, and took some time.
Before gluing the wheels in place, I thought about the best and, most importantly, the safest way to realize it, since the unstable and extremely sensitive bodywork should be handled as little as possible.
And that's where I still came across my scissor tweezers, 
with whose help I could grab the Balsa blocks and put the bodywork on its side, 
which was a great help when carefully gluing the wheels and lastingly protected the bodywork.
Before gluing the roof on, I wanted to glue the tiny fans together and then glue them on. But since that could end in a fiasco, 
I've cut out small cardboard cores around which I could just imagine gluing the bizarre structures ...
But maybe I have to do without the adhesive folds and cut them off ...
I didn't think it was possible before that the construction of this tiny paper Astrovan would become so complicated,
so let's take a look ...
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#2133 by roma847 on 12 Jan, 2022 11:04
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Hello everybody,
just good that the message in my fortune cookie has bolstered me up appropriate courage.
The small fans on the roof were a stressful undertaking already, whose gluing around the cardboard cores I still succeeded after a few unsuccessful attempts, after having removed all glue folds. I first glued the cardboard cores to the underside of the roof and let it dry briefly.
Then I've laid each fan on the roof, held it from above with the tweezers, and then dabbed the side walls one after the other with a mini droplet of glue at the acupuncture needle and and glued, which was quite cumbersome and also sweaty under the Headset magnifying glass ... 
Then I worked on the front bumper, for which I used Styrene (0,25 mm), which could have been a bit thinner, but this goes through now!
Before gluing the roof on, I glued a Balsa strip at the upper edge of the bodywork to stabilize the walls. And nevertheless I had to treat this fragile paper structure like a raw egg when gluing the roof on.
After the glue had dried, the small rear bumper stubs were glued, which of course could not be missing. And after the front headlights and the side mirrors had also been glued, the final inspection could finally take place, which was actually positive and can be seen. 
And the comparison with the large Van model (1:48) shows in an impressive way how small this Mini Astrovan (1:160) really is, which now also fits with its NASA Worm logo with my STS-6 Diorama.
All in all, the construction was an attractive, but at the same time demanding task, a real Challenge, so to speak!
And since I've meanwhile found pleasure in the Pad vehicles, I also still got the idea
to include the Payload Canister Transporter into my fleet, which can at least partially be seen on this STS-6 reference photo when loading the RSS Payload Bay, a thought that has been going through my head for some time, cause this transporter is an extremely interesting and extraordinary special vehicle ...
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)
And on this picture one can see the transporter leaving the Vertical Processing Facility, in which the respective payload is installed into the upright standing Payload Canister.
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)
For this sub-project, however, I still have to do some research in order to gain more clarity about the construction and nature of both components.
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#2134 by roma847 on 15 Jan, 2022 17:26
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Hello everybody,
unfortunately I've remembered these two original photos from the STS-6 on my Reference CD (J. L. Pickering - retrospaceimages.com) far too late, after chasing other photos for a long time,
which one can definitely find on the web, like this very nice photo here from the NASA Media Archive, on which you can also study the details of the transporter very well in the XXL zoom, which you need for scratching, as long as one takes it a little more exactly, like me. 
Source: images.nasa.gov
However, with this you still don't have the main dimensions (LxWxH), which you absolutely need to be able to estimate the size of the transporter and of interesting details, at least as long as you don't have drawings ...
But then you also still have to know that this is a picture of the two transporters from the manufacturer, the KAMAG Transporttechnik GmbH in Ulm, which were delivered to NASA in early 2000 as the successors to the 20-year-old Payload Canister Transporter System.
Here are two photos of the arrival of the transporters, on which one can already see many important details,
Source: images.nasa.gov
Source: images.nasa.gov
so inter alia, that the transporter has 24 wheels, which makes it clear that I will have something to do when scratching, which, as is well known, excites me all the more.
However, one must not be dazzled by these great photos, since it is not yet clear how small or tiny some details in 1:160 might be again, see Astrovan.
But since I'm only interested in the 1983 transporter, used at the STS-6, I had to keep looking first and then have found at my friend James MacLaren, what I was looking for, who describes the Payload Canister Transporter of the time on his Website in words and pictures, when he worked from 1980 to 1985 during building the second pad, Launch Pad 39-B.
Source: 16streets.com/MacLaren
And as you can see, the transporter at that time looked a bit different,
Source: 16streets.com/MacLaren
so I had to do some more research first.
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#2135 by roma847 on 18 Jan, 2022 00:16
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Hello everybody,
in order to get usable dimensions for the scratch-building of the Payload Canister Transporter, I had to open up other sources, which took some time. For this I researched the Proceedings of various NASA conferences in which I actually found what I was looking for.
Among other things, I came across this old photo of the transporter, which initially caused quite a bit of confusion for me,
Source: Space Congress Proceedings 2. - 1980 (17th) A New Era In Technology (W. H. Rock)
because one can see that the transporter has 24 twin wheel sets and therefore had not only 24 but a total of 48 wheels.
Of course I had to get to the bottom of this and asked my friend James MacLaren about it, who also confirmed it to me, especially since he also wondered about it when he first saw this vehicle.
Another open question was whether the transporter only had a driver's cabin on one side, as initially shown in the pictures, or perhaps on both sides, as is also was the case with the Crawler.
And he also answered this question right away by saying that the transporter of the time had a cabin both on the front and on the back, although he was actually of the opinion (original sound): In truth, the thing did not have a front side or a back side. Didn't matter which way it was pointed. Driver gets in and "go". Real simple that way. Wherewith this detail was clarified too.
The confirmation for this I finally got in a contribution by M. E. Donahue: Payload Transportation at KSC, held at the Space Shuttle Technical Conference (1983).
Source: NASA Conference Publication 2342 Part 2 (M. E. Donahue)
On it one can also read that the electrical, environmental, fluid and gas, and instrumentation services required by the payload during transportation are supplied by separate Subsystems, which one can see in the drawing above (Figure 3),
- the Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS Modules),
- the Environmental Control System (ECS Module),
- the Instrumentation and Communication Subsystem (I&CS Module) and
- the Fluid and Gas Subsystem (F&GS) (F&GS Module).
This transporter is a true masterpiece of transport technology. Its elevating flat bed has a height of 1,8 m (6') but can be lowered to 1,6 m (5'-3'') depending on the terrain or raised to 2,1 m (7'±3'').
Its 24 twin wheel sets can be steered independently of one another and enable the transporter to move forwards, backwards and sideways or diagonally, or to rotate around its own axis like a merry-go-round. All each have separate brake and stabilization lifting systems, if you will a Jack of all trades device.
Because payload handling will require precise movements, the transporter has a "creep mode" that permits it to move as slowly as 0,64 cm/s (0,25 in/s) or 0,023 km/h (0,014 mph).
From this drawing I determined the dimensions of the Payload Canister for my scale (1:160),
Source: NASA Conference Publication 2342 Part 2 (M. E. Donahue)
L = 65' = 124 mm (1:160) x B = 18' = 34 mm (1:160) x H = 18'-7'' = 35 mm (1:160),
and in the text one can also find the dimensions of the Transporter, so now I know what's in store for me.
L = 65' = 124 mm (1:160) x B = 23' = 44 mm (1:160) x H = 6' = 11,5 mm (1:160)
And that's enough for me to scratch-building, since I now know what the side view looked like, as well as the 'front/back side', as in this photo from the STS-6 CD-ROM can be seen here.
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)
Now I can think about whether I should start building the Transporter right away or postpone it for the time being ...
The wheel sets remind me a lot of the 14 wheel sets of the main landing gears of my Antonov An-225, which is also waiting for me in my cupboard ...
Source: flugzeug-lexikon.de (ILA_2010)
In terms of structure, they should look similar to these one, only that the Transporter has twin wheel sets.
Source: wikimedia.org
That's just in order to get attuned a bit.
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#2136 by roma847 on 18 Jan, 2022 00:35
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Hello everybody,
and here is a small addendum to the Astrovan (1:160), to which of course also Astronauts belong to.
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#2137 by roma847 on 18 Jan, 2022 16:51
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Hello everybody,
and since I now know how big the Payload Canister and its Transporter are, I wanted to get an overview of the proportions right away,
and have drawn the side view of the canister into the transporter's photo. And this silhouette I used as a stand-up display for the Astrovan with the astronaut. And this combo doesn't look bad, I think. 
Of course, the KAMAG logos will later be replaced by the appropriate NASA Worm logos, naturally.
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#2138 by truckmen on 19 Jan, 2022 02:54
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Hello friends of the Rings,
now I want to show you quickly how far I have got with the Barber Pole Spiral.
Good Heavens!! What incredible detail! Roma, that is some FANTASTIC work! -
#2139 by mike robel on 19 Jan, 2022 11:52
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Great detective work, Manfred and having well-informed friends is very useful, too.
