Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)

• #680 by roma847 on 30 Jan, 2015 23:12
• Thanks Dave for your encouraging words.
  
  
• #681 by roma847 on 30 Jan, 2015 23:18
• Hi there,
  
  following the brutal demolition work can now finally start rebuilding the SSME exhaust hole.
  
  As already indicated, I have completely removed the remnants of the old side walls, so I needed only 2 mm balsa panels  for the new walls and corresponding squared timbers for the side columns in the front and rear walls.
  
  
  
  First I glued the squared timbers in the front and rear walls.
  
  
  
  
  
  This was followed by a last test with the angle whether the two openings in the upper deck and in the underbody sit exactly one above the other, which was so far okay.
  
  
  
  Thereafter, the two side walls were glued,
  
  
  
  and the last test has confirmed the perfect location as expected.   
  
  
  
  For the lining of the hole I had still the original templates from the Paper Kit (1:144) in reserve, which I will use now.
  
  
  
  And hence the matter would be corrected already almost.
  
  
• #682 by Ronpur50 on 31 Jan, 2015 12:21
• Great news so far!
• #683 by roma847 on 31 Jan, 2015 15:54
• Yep Ron, I am reassured, it goes forward again.
  
  
• #684 by roma847 on 02 Feb, 2015 22:23
• Hi there,
  
  and it goes on with the new lining of the SSME blast chamber, which was to be seen. In this case, it strikes the experts immediately that the template from D. Maier's kit has no step-shaped shoulder, but it is present in the original.
  
  First, I detached the struts and already started sanding the glue on the backs.
  
  
  
  For that I had initially used Evergreen profiles 1,0x1,0 mm. However, this thickness appears to me to be somewhat overdimensioned from today's perspective and in comparison with more recent original images, given the proportions in the hole.
  
  Came across it during the sighting of my photo collection in preparation for the construction of the SSWS. Meanwhile, there are in particular from last shuttle missions awesome NASA panoramas with high resolution, on which one can do great detail studies.
  
  And here is one of them, where you can also see the SSME slot very well from below.
  
  
  
  In this image I have determined the thickness of the struts using the grid distance compared to the template, which should be not 1,0 mm but only approx. 0.6 mm. Now this is not a great difference, but it does come much closer to the original and thus fits better by its proportions into the picture.
  
  And if you look closer, you will also recognize that these are not prismatic profiles but rather thin tubes. Accordingly, I have placed some profiles for comparison on the template.
  
  
  
  In my opinion, the Ø 0.64 mm rods would probably fit best, but it will probably be a bit more difficult to glue them clean than the square profiles, what do you think?
  
  And the struts have to be painted anyway new. 
  
  
• #685 by roma847 on 03 Feb, 2015 20:27
• Hi folks,
  
  but I had initially especially concerned about sticking this thin profiles.   But a test gluing with a Ø 0.64 mm rod by CA and acupuncture needle along a line has certainly worked, so I'll take these profiles.  Of these I also have sufficient lengths, because one needs after all approximately 1.5 m, which is hard to believe.
  
  Now I just have to think about how I best can paint the strips. From the airbrush gun thin things are almost blown away, and one anyway sprays more color next to it, as at the profiles.
  
  With the brush by hand on a pad that's for sure similar tricky and will probably not uniform. That's why I got the idea,  to stick the five profiles side by side on a frame of cardboard and then full power with the gun over it. That would actually go, I guess.
  
  And I then tried the same times. Here are the 0.64 mm rods,
  
  
  
  and here's my brilliant strip holder.
  
  
  
  So the first passage with the gun is across the stage, and the holder has actually proven.
  
  
  
  That's it for today, see you soon!
  
  
• #686 by roma847 on 09 Feb, 2015 10:47
• Hello everybody,
  
  but before I continue to do with the lining of the SSME hole, I again checked the position of the Blast Shield that is the upper flat cover around the hole, under which, in contrast to the SRB Blast Shields the water nozzles of the SSWS are around. 
  
  
  
  In it are now the TSM's after the widening of the shaft at its final location directly next to the hole, so that I can now prepare also the respective Blast Shield.
  
  
  
  In this connection, but is still following new facts. In the analysis of my SSWS panoramic pictures I've even noticed some details of construction that I have been so never known and which are not included in David Maier's Paper Kit.
  
  But as one can see in the picture here, there are at the forward end of the SRB holes in each case inclined transitions in the Blast Shields to the significantly higher SSME Blast Shield, which should be about twice as high in my estimation. 
  
  
  Source: nasatech.net
  
  In Paper Kit the heights of both Blast Shields were of equal size what I had previously thought as right. And this difference but one should actually already consider when looking at it exactly, right?
  
  Well, that could be on the occasion also quite corrected or adapted even without major problems, although the difference with about 1 mm (1:144) is actually minimal. Nevertheless, I will think about.
  
  And so now get back to the lining of the SSME hole again. On closer inspection of the image below one can see the following fundamental difference between the SSWS systems of SSME and SRB exhaust holes. As briefly mentioned (red marking) under the SSME Blast Shield around water nozzles are arranged in rows, how to follow very nicely on the panoramic image.
  
  
  Source: nasatech.net
  
  In contrast, the blast shields of both SRB holes around have no water nozzles but only openings for the outflow of the water ejected by the Rainbirds at the start, as one can see in the picture, while the water masses are here pumped in each case through the large outlets.
     
  
  Source: nasatech.net
  
  Since the water nozzles are not taken into account in the lining of the SSME shaft in Maier's kit, I've tried, if they can not be visually indicated at least, especially since they are really too tiny in my scale for scratch-building.
  
  To help me later gluing the hole lining something that I have this first separated,
  
  
  
  especially since the thin rods also have to be glued and so the individual walls are easier to handle.
  
  
  
  After that, I've copied the red marked nozzle row from the the upper image,
  
  
  
  and duplicated the Nozzle 51 several times with Paint Shop Pro and arranged in a row.
  
  
  
  Since the true to scale print of this row (2 mm), but produced only a dark stripe,  I still have regulated a bit on the sharpness as well as the contrast and brightness.
  
  
  
  And in this print were then quite still details to realize how you can see here.
  
  
  
  And the tentative location of the nozzle row on the lining with a round profile and under the Blast Shield cover also shows a good color match. 
  
  
  
  And now it went to the substructure of the Blast Shields, which is again made of Balsa (2 mm).
  
  
  
  As far as for now, thank you for looking.
  
  
• #687 by roma847 on 17 Feb, 2015 23:01
• Hi there,
  
  today only a short note on the current state. Due to the widening of the SSME exhaust hole I have meantime decided to take into account the different heights of the SRB and SSME Blast Shields, since the connecting dimensions anyway no longer have agreed.
  
  As a result, I have removed the previous SRB Blast Shields again in order to install the stepwise transitions to the SSME Blast Shield, which I had already shown in this image.
  
  
  Source: nasatech.net
  
  That's why I have separated the template from the Paper Kit precisely at this transition at the front end of the SRB holes and made corresponding templates for the substructures. Since their size deviates anything in both length and width from the 1:144 templates I need to divide and fit the templates.
  
  While the two rear parts of the Blast Shield become of cardboard, about 1 mm high,
  
  
  
  the connecting part of Balsa gets about twice the height and reaches behind the TSMs.
  
  
  
  
  
  And in front of the TSM's closes the front part of the Blast Shield, whose Balsa substructure I have already done so.
  
  
  
  Bye for now.
  
  
• #688 by roma847 on 19 Feb, 2015 16:40
• Hello Guys,
  
  continue with the next step in which I have transcribed the templates for the substructures of the SRB Blast Shields on 1 mm cardboard and for the SSME Blast Shield on 2 mm Balsa. This produced the step-like transition at the front end of the SRB holes, which is still slanted.
  
  
  
  
  
  Granted, the difference in height of 1 mm is relatively low, but significantly, and thus corresponds approximately to the real state.
  
  
  
  And the two TSMs also fit nicely between.
  
  
  
  
  
  Now the casings are glued on these substructures and so wrapped.
  
  
  
  And to finish the top covers are glued then on the casings.
  
  
• #689 by shuttlemodeler on 19 Feb, 2015 16:45
• Looking good Manfred.    I have a link to a 3d movie of the MLP it gives some good views of the blast shield decking.  ill send it to you when im home tonight
• #690 by roma847 on 19 Feb, 2015 17:21
• Hi Tom,
  
  thanks for your offer.
  
  You have chosen a similar solution for your Blast Shields with further details as I have seen. But this structure is for my scale of 1:144 a bit too small.
  
  
• #691 by Kansan52 on 19 Feb, 2015 18:14
• First time seeing this. Just amazing. Amazing skill and perserverance!
• #692 by roma847 on 19 Feb, 2015 20:22
• Thanks Kansan for your nice compliments.
  
  BTW, at the same time I will still look after the pipes of the SSWS, which are running under the SRB Blast Shields into the SSME hole (green arrows) and into the SRB holes (blue arrows), in order to provide suitable holes for these pipes in the substructures before gluing.
  
  In this picture one can see the different pipes,
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  and next time I will show these pipes in some panoramic pictures in more detail.
  
  
• #693 by roma847 on 20 Feb, 2015 22:41
• Hello everybody,
  
  was seen in the last picture already, the SSWS consists not only of the thick 24'' pipes, which are nevertheless about 61 cm in diameter, but also from various thinner lines which are bizarrely bent and partially narrowed.
  
  These are first these blue marked 6'' pipes (Ø 15 cm) which branch from the thick pipes behind the TSM's,
  
  
  Source: nasatech.net
  
  then pass under the Blast Shield and end in vents at the front end of SRB holes between the SRB supports.
  
  
  Source: capcomespace.net
  
  Please do not scare now about the seemingly "scruffy" state, but so the holes looked after a normal start of forever, but they were sandblasted before the next start and then freshly painted. 
  
  And so here are the other pipe lines branching off from the thick pipes between the SRBs and also pass through under the Blast Shield forward into the SSME hole,
  
  
  Source: nasatech.net
  
  and combine there in a central part on which a row of outflow vent nozzles is sitting.
  
  
  Source: NASA
  
  And these pipes interested now only in order to prepare the corresponding inlet and outlet openings in the raised substructure of the Blast Shields.
  
  While the "blue" pipes have to be about 1 mm in diameter, the "green" tubes are slightly thicker with about 1.3 mm diameter. And the tiny nozzles should then be approximately 0.5 mm in diameter, which just seems to be feasible.
  
  As you can see in this picture, the "green" pipes directly disappear in the corners of the raised Blast Shield and run underneath forwards to the SSME hole.
  
  
  Source: nasatech.net
  
  After I had estimated the required dimensions, I could mark the location of the openings for the pipes.
  
  
  
  
  
  As one can see, one has first to do some considerations before the right start. 
  
  
• #694 by Ronpur50 on 20 Feb, 2015 23:35
• I am really learning so much about these platforms from your research!  They are so complex!  You are amazing in your dedication!
• #695 by roma847 on 21 Feb, 2015 17:11
• Thanks Ron for your kind words and your continued interest.
  
  Yep, the same thing is happening to me. That is the charm of this creative hobby for me, learning by Real Space Modeling - Always new information, fascinating reference photos and videos with spectacular details of this ingenious space technology.
  
  And then again the challenge to try scratch-building some of these discovered details only by means of photos. The limit is only what is feasible for the respective scale.
  
  This is a great combination that motivates me every day on the new and stimulates me deeply to keep pushing on. Sometimes the detailed studies are so exciting that I almost forget about it to continue the build and more and more doing research. And these fascinating feelings I will not miss, even if everything takes longer.
  
  
• #696 by Ronpur50 on 22 Feb, 2015 02:38
• And I am having fun trying to bring to life a fictional space program based in the real world.  It is a fun hobby that has so many aspects for everyone to enjoy!
• #697 by roma847 on 22 Feb, 2015 21:32
• I have been following your interesting excursion into the future for a long time and marvel at your fantastic ideas. And someday the dream will come true ...
  
  I stay tuned.
  
  
• #698 by roma847 on 24 Feb, 2015 14:23
• Hi friends,
  
  as already mentioned, I had to split the coverings before sticking and to adapt to the modified dimensions of my SRB/SSME holes.
  
  
  
  At subsequent glueing of the substructure must make sure that the coverings sit immediately to the right place. Therefore I have drawn the contours on the backs and the rabbets easily scratched, so that the edges become  clean. Only then I glued the substructures, let it dry, and then glued the rabbets on the bottom.
  
  
  
  That was already half the battle.
  
  
  
  And just the raised Balsa parts were wrapped for the SSME hole.
  
  
  
  
  
  The middle part between the SRB holes I have glued separately, the reason why I still show from the back. The openings for the local line with the vent nozzles, I also have broken through, as long as the marks are still visible.
  
  
  
  
  
  Since on the back of the SSME Blast Shield in the middle part there are no vent nozzles, I have indicated there the open passageways.
  
  
  
  And thus the substructures are now completely covered,
  
  
  
   and are just waiting for the top covers.
  
  
  
  These I have also to to split and adapt again before sticking, and before that I have to devise  a solution to the oblique transitions between the blast shields.
  
  My first attempt with a handle-filed wedge of balsa was a bit of fumbling and has not convinced me.
  
  
  
  But I have another idea.
  
  
• #699 by roma847 on 24 Feb, 2015 16:36
• So, here I am again and was thinking about another solution. I think that small evergreen profiles should be better suited for the wedges.
  
  For this now I have selected a strip of 3,2 x 0.,5 mm and  a square profile of 0.5 x 0.5 mm as a base, what exactly is the height of the transition.
  
  
  
  And on that occasion, I now wanted to try out a new adhesive recommended by a friend of mine as a secret weapon for glueing small parts, on which he swears.
  
  It is MEK (Methylethylketone) or also short Butanone. MEK as acetone is a good solvent for a variety of plastics, resins and varnishes. The stuff is thinner than the known Revell-adhesive and can therefore be easily applied with a brush, but beware, the brush must be made of natural hair, e.g. Red Sable, otherwise it is only to be used once and never again.
  
  
  
  The advantage of this adhesive is that you only need to position the parts and the adhesive is applied with a brush stroke at the joint, which feeds into the gap. Then just hold still for a short time, and the contact is done.
  
  And just as easy has worked, the strip I have applied to a ruler, placed the small profiles and fixed with tweezers, and then drawn with a brush MEK at the joint along, that's it.
  
  
  
  And that goes in the twinkling of an eye. 
  
  
  
  This  secret weapon so I can only recommend it.