Payload Canister Hinges - STS-6

[roma847]

Hello everybody,

does anyone know about the hinges on the Payload Canister during Challenger's maiden flight STS-6 in 1983 and can help me scratch build the hinges in my STS-6 Real Space Modeling Project?

I found a first reference to this in a website a Website (Page 9) of my friend James MacLaren Space Shuttle Launch Complex 39-B Construction Photos where I found interesting old photos in which the PLC was transported upright standing to Pad 39-B.


Source: James MacLaren

When zoomed in, one can clearly see seven hinges, and it looks as if only one hinge half is attached to the Payload Bay Door and the other half is attached inside to the upper edge of the PLC wall.

This photo of the STS-6 Payload Canister shows the hinges with the PLC Doors open, which would be consistent with this.


Source: Challenger STS-6 – A Walk into History (forum.nasaspaceflight.com, Ares67)

It looks similar in this old photo from the Orbiter Payload Canister Report (HEAR NO. FL-8-11-I),


Source: HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, LAUNCH COMPLEX 39, ORBITER PAYLOAD CANISTERS (HEAR NO. FL-8-11-I)

which becomes clearer at higher magnification.



This photo of my friend Richard Chamberlain, who was a member of a Can Crew from 1987, would also confirm my previous view.



On the other hand I also have this photo from STS-9, where it looks like both hinge plates are screwed on the outside, one half on the PLC door and the other on the PLC wall,


Source: Columbia STS-9 (forum.nasaspaceflight.com, Ares67)

especially if you look at this Zoom.



Since there were two Payload canisters at the time, which were constructed by different manufacturers, there could be some differences.

Belko Steel of Orlando, Florida, built Canister 1, while Specialty Maintenance and Construction, Inc. of Lakeland, Florida, built Canister 2.

Because it is also unclear which PLC was used on my STS-6 mission, it's tricky to decide for the wright variant for scratch-building of the hinges.

Both missions were launched in 1983, STS-6 in April and STS-9 in November.

Are there any PLC specialists here in NSF who know about this and can help me?

[DaveS]

According to this post, they're standard piano hinges: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=14430.msg802535#msg802535, similar to what is used on the orbiters.

[roma847]

Thanks Dave for your quick answer.

Unfortunately "The website is not available", do you know that?

[gongora]

https://images.nasa.gov/details/2010-3057

[roma847]

Thanks gongora,

meanwhile I have also found this image, unfortunately NASA had changed their URLs at some point which caused this error message.

This image doesn't help me though, as it's from STS-131 (2011) and the PLC during STS-6 might have looked a bit different more than 25 years ago.

It's right that they do look like piano hinges, only one half of the hinge seems to be mounted inside the container on the wall's sill and the other is mounted outside onto the door as I have described it before.


Source: NASA (STS-131)

For scratch building the hinges I have to choose one variant.

[DaveS]

Thanks Dave for your quick answer.

Unfortunately "The website is not available", do you know that?

Works fine for me, so I don't know what the issue is. It's part of this thread: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=14430.0 , bottom of page 15, a reply by JayP.

[DaveS]

As for your question, what you're seeing the STS-9 at the bottom of the door of the can is the actual hinge pins where the hinges rotate around. Remove the pins and you can remove the door, there's nothing else securing it to the can sidewall. So the actual pivot point of the doors are on the exterior, not the interior of the doors. I'm thinking that they added the fabric later to cover them from weather exposure while the can was secured to the PCR in case of a sudden rain storm.

[roma847]

Thanks Dave for your quick answer.

Unfortunately "The website is not available", do you know that?

Works fine for me, so I don't know what the issue is. It's part of this thread: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=14430.0 , bottom of page 15, a reply by JayP.

The website in the Q&A thread can of course be opened, but not JayP's link with the image in his answer to your question.

BTW, the image was visible in 2011, but NASA has since changed the URLs. Try it yourself.

But I'm more interested in photos from the STS-6 Payload Canister with closed doors.

[DaveS]

The hinges in the cans have remained unchanged since their construction. First photo is of the STS-126 payloads in the Pad A PCR still in the Can. Second photo is of the STS-6 payloads in the same PCR, also still in the Can. Note that the hinges are identical, some 25 years apart.

[roma847]

And the other half of the hinge sheet was screwed onto the PLC side panel?


Source: NASA (STS-9)

[DaveS]

And the other half of the hinge sheet was screwed onto the PLC side panel?


Source: NASA (STS-9)

Bolted or riveted on. The panel was on the door itself rather than the sidewall. Only the hinge pin receivers was attached to the sidewall.

[roma847]

Were they separate parts or were they connected?

[roma847]

Hello everybody,

meanwhile I know what it looks like because my friend Richard Chamberlain has sent me this great photo from his Can crew album, which confirms my previous idea.



In it one can clearly see that these small separate hinge parts were mounted on the side panel, which were connected to the hinge sheet on the Payload Bay door with a hinge pin.

In the mid 90's these hinges were covered over the entire length of the canister with a strip of Hurculite to protect the door seals against moisture.


Source: NASA (STS-114)