Ton's Orion, in 1/48th

[dhanners]

Starting a new one. I'm building Ton's Orion spacecraft, in 1/48th scale. I'm on vacation this week (not going anywhere, though) so it's my project for the week. Plus, Ramadan starts this week so I probably wouldn't feel like going anywhere anyway. Always takes me a couple of days to adjust to the fasting....

I did the Crew Module today. It's a fairly straightforward build, except for some tweaks. For starters, I printed the capsule on a neat white pearlescent paper that I found at the art-supply store over the weekend. I thought it would give the capsule a nice look. Don't know how well it'll show up in the photos.

While I was cutting out the insets for the windows, I decided to go ahead and cut out the six insets Launch Abort System attachments. Once I got those cut out and the basic capsule pieces assembled, I blocked in each inset, then added bolt detail out of paper and small dowels.

I also added the thruster detail. I took matte board and glued a couple of pieces together, cut that into two smaller pieces that would become the backing, then used my Dremel tool to drill out a couple of cone-shaped indentations in each one. I colored the indentations with a black Sharpie. Then I cut out the holes on the skin of the capsule and glued the pieces on.

I'm not crazy about how my capsule top came out. The edges should've been sharp, but the way I glued things up left them slightly rounded. Maybe it'll grow on me. I will say, though, that it looks better in person than it does in the photos.

I scratchbuilt the Low Impact Docking System, and I'm still not sure I got it right. This was my second attempt at it, by the way.

Tomorrow, I'll start on the Service Module. I've got some plans for it, including covering the lower part of the SM with insulation blankets. (I liked the way my ATV-Johannes Kepler turned out, and I started thinking, "Hey, most stuff going into space these days have insulation blankets on them." I'll not put blankets on the upper part of the SM, though. That's the part that is exposed (in theory, if the thing ever gets built) at launch and I'll use silver metallic paper for it, but add white radiator panels as a nod to the Apollo SM.

[Retired_for_now]

You sir, are amazing! I love the detailing you're doing.

Yogi

[Wyvern]

Fantastic work! Enjoy your vacation.

Wyvern

[WeeVikes]

"I'm not crazy about how my capsule top came out. The edges should've been sharp, but the way I glued things up left them slightly rounded. "

Really? You don't like that? I think it looks incredibly cool. I wish I knew how you did that becuase there have been times I wish I could have put a curve on a joint like that, but couldn't.

The model looks great so far. Can't wait to see it progress.


Mike

[SAustin16]

Dave,

Your models are always inspiring. The detailing raises the bar again.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

I like the pearly look of the hull and the detailing is really good and inventive. As usual.

[dhanners]

A frustrating couple of days, but the Service Module is pretty much done. It was frustrating because I got it about half done and then had to junk part of it and start over.

I started by making the smaller-diameter (or lower) section of the SM. I used a model rocket tube that I cut down to the proper diameter. The drawings for the Orion SM show there to be four "troughs" spaced around the structure; that's where the RCS quads and what I suppose is the orbital maneuvering system motor housings go. Once my tube was the proper diameter, I closed off the ends with heavy-duty paper and then cur out the troughs, with the intention of filling in the sides with card.

Then I went to work on the larger-diameter (or upper) part of the SM, the part that the Crew Module attaches to. This is where I ran into trouble. I used Ton's pieces, but it just wasn't big enough. There seem to be a couple of different designs for this portion of the SM out there; one as a straight-sided cylinder, the other with tapered sides. Ton's version is the tapered one. But when I got it on to the adapter piece that connects the lower and upper SM, the "mouth" of the larger piece just wasn't big enough. The current iteration of Orion has the upper SM section that is quite a bit larger than the outer diameter of the Crew Module; in fact, it looks kind of odd. Looks like somebody mismatched the pieces. But I got Ton's pieces together and realized it wasn't going to be big enough, so I had to cut them off and fashion a larger section out of model rocket tube.

I didn't have any tubes the right size, so I had to enlarge it by slicing it lengthwise, adding an insert and then sticking a rubber band around it while it dried. As with "shrinking" a tube, when you stick a rubber band around it, the cardboard seems to want to assume a circular shape, and mine did. I also use woodworking glue for added strength.

I've asked on several "real space" discussion boards frequented by experts (at least they say they are...) about the covering of the SM. Virtually all of the artist renderings show it in some form of gray. But the Apollo SM was silver, with white radiators. And as I've mentioned before, ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle is covered with insulation blankets. On the discussion boards, the consensus is that everything not covered by a shroud on launch would have insulation blankets. The latest iteration of Orion has the whole SM covered by a shroud, so I decided to cover the whole thing with insulation blankets -- in this case, two different types of toilet paper (which I stiffened with a 50-50 mix of white glue and water) and some textured art paper. On the lower part of the SM, there are four big radiator panels, and I did them with heavy posterboard.

Then it was just a matter of the drudgery of building. For the RCS nozzles, a re-purposed the nozzles from Ton's Apollo CSM, photocopied at 90 percent so they'd be smaller. (They're still probably too big, but the thought of making 16 teeny-tiny nozzles was not inviting.)

As a nod to Apollo, I made some flags and "United States" banners using "Draw" in Word, cut them out and glued them on to the SM.

The main engine nozzle was done in two different types of metallic paper.

Once the glue is dry, I'll paint the interior of the nozzles.

Next up: The Ultra-Flex Solar Arrays. (Speaking of which, that copper tube you see sticking through the center of the tube is where the arms for the UFSAs will go.)

Then I need to do the high-gain antenna, a few odds and ends and I could be done....

[jagolden01]

The pearl paper looks great and shows up fine in the photos.

Beautiful job on this model! The TP blankets look great.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Nice nice nice nice! The only thing that caught my eye was the smaller size of the capsule in comparison to the service module. Is that right? I seems to sink in to it...

[dhanners]

Nice nice nice nice! The only thing that caught my eye was the smaller size of the capsule in comparison to the service module. Is that right? I seems to sink in to it...

Thanks, and yes, the differing sizes of the Crew Module compared to the top of the Service Module was something I had mentioned in my rather wordy post. The short answer is that yes, they are supposed to be different sizes and I'd say "sinking in" is a good way to put how the CM looks docked to the SM. Odd as it looks, it is correct for the current version of Orion. ("Current" and "version" being relative terms, given that the thing will probably never fly....)

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Sorry Dave, I didn't read your post well enough. I still think it's nice!

And well, Orion might never fly, it is an interesting concept. Nasa should let private companies take a go at innovation. I like the way Spacex is getting the hang of it. Short communication lines inside the company structure, innovative ideas, low cost due to a smaller amount of employees compared to Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Nasa can learn from their efforts.

As for what i am up to: Currently I am building a plastic 1/32 F86 Sabre in Golden Hawks colours but as soon as I am finished I'll start another little paperbuild here. And I am looking forward to it.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Dave, I just got an idea about the difference in size of the capsule and service module: With a BPC over the spacecraft it might be perfectly streamlined this way.
So it is not that weird after all. :D

[dhanners]

Finished the Ultra-Flex Solar Arrays, which by coincidence, happen to be made by a company here in the Twin Cities, ATK.

Each solar array has two flat pieces, for lack of a better term, which protect the array when it is folded up. When the array is deployed, a lanyard is pulled, rotating one of the flat pieces 360 degrees (actually, a little less) and as it swings around, it pulls the array along with it, unfurling the segments. I wanted to replicate that as best I could.

I used Ton's pieces as templates for the flat pieces, which I cut out of a double-thickness of silver metallic paper. I added some detail to the outside face of each flat piece, then glued them to the UFSA's arm. The arm is a length of aluminum tubing which will fit into a larger tube glued to the body of the Service Module. For the cylindrical piece at the end of each arm, I used a stick from a Tootsie Pop. I drilled a hole into the side so I could glue the arm into it.

Then I did my arrays. I copied Ton's pieces onto a silver metallic paper. Each array has what we cardmodelers would call valley folds and mountain folds, so to replicate that, I plopped the page for the array upside down on a light table (it is nice being married to an artist) and lightly scribed what would be the valley folds. Then I turned it over and did the same for the mountain folds. Once I had bent all the folds, I cut one of the mountain folds; the two edges this created would be the attachment points to the arms.

I then glued one edge of the array to one of the arms with super glue, then when it was dry, glued the other edge and I had me an Ultra-Flex Solar Array. Well, I actually had two UFSAs.

Next up: the high-gain antenna. I might have to scratchbuild it....

[milenio3]

As always, Dan, your model is awesome! The details you are adding are contest-type, my friend!

And thanks to Paper Kosmonaut for his comment on SpaceX... I search for it, and found that "In December 2008, NASA announced the selection of SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon Spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) when the Space Shuttle retires in 2010." (Source: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - Falcon 9 (http://www.spacex.com/falcon9.php)). Very interesting indeed (I wonder if there are any SpaceX vehicles as paper models out there yet).

Sorry for kidnapping your thread Dan...

[dhanners]

I don't mind someone hijacking the thread, but my name's David....

Done. Or so I think. I may go back and make up some warning placards or data blocks and glue them on around the vehicle, but I think it is pretty much done.

For the high-gain antenna, I wound up using Ton's parts instead of scratchbuilding. With a tweak or two, they worked just fine for what I wanted to do. I did wind up scratchbuilding the umbilical connections housing between the Crew and Service Modules; the artist renderings I've seen show a much beefier housing than the one Ton designed.

All in all, though, Ton did a wonderful job with this model, and I'd recommend it to anyone. It builds up fine all on its own, but it also provides a good basis for adding scratchbuilt detail. So Ton, I owe you a big "Thank you!"

[Paper Kosmonaut]

As usual, the end result always amazes me, David. The way you have with details is fantastic. And all in all the "collar" in which the capsule is cradled looks very natural to me now. In the building process it looked somewhat different.
Oh man, there's still so much nice space stuff to build. That really makes me happy. years of fun ahead.
And Ton is a very good model designer indeed. You have to be a little crazy to be like that. Did you know his last name means Nut-tree? (-;

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Oh and by the way: I just read the full thread on your epic Atlantis build. I am struck with silence now. Man, you're good.

[dhanners]

Oh and by the way: I just read the full thread on your epic Atlantis build. I am struck with silence now. Man, you're good.

You're too kind, and trust me, there are models hidden away in the garage that nobody's ever gonna see because they are, well, worthy of being hidden away in a garage.

Seriously, though, 90 percent of what I know how to do with cardmodeling is stuff I learned from folks here and over at Zealot. There's a lot of great modelers here that I've learned so much from, and there are some people who are very generous with sharing their knowledge and tricks of the trade. I only hope I give a little back.

The other big thing I'd say is just because we're cardmodelers doesn't mean we're stuck with 65-pound cardstock. There are a jillion different types of papers out there, and one trip to the paper section of a well-stocked art-supply store will open your mind to the possibilities of paper.

[dhanners]

Well, I decided I'm not done, and this is where I need all y'all's help....

I was watching the NASA channel last night and they were showing scenes from one of the spacewalks to fix the coolant system and it struck me how everything is labeled. And I know the Apollo CSM had various warning/instruction placards all over it; in fact, plastic modelers can buy big decal sheets with all the placards.

I need to add some of that stuff to my Orion. I can do it myself using Word, but I have no idea what the various placards should say. Does anyone out there -- particularly our ISS modelers -- have good photos or drawings or a list of the placards? I'm thinking that every feature on the model, particularly the Service Module, should have a label of some sort. I can just make them up, print them out, cut them up and glue them on since that's what they look like anyway. But I need to know what they'd say.

Thanks. All help/insights/URLs/thoughts are welcome....

[Maltedfalcon]

Dave,
Can you go into some more detail about the insulation blankets?
how did you get the even roll effect.

Is that pre-formed then covered with the T/P glue mix?
Matt Sparks

[Retired_for_now]

Great job on the build! No insight into the placards (other than the usual "this end up," "remove before flight," "danger - fire," "do not stand above this step," etc.).

Yogi

[dhanners]

Dave,
Can you go into some more detail about the insulation blankets?
how did you get the even roll effect.

Is that pre-formed then covered with the T/P glue mix?
Matt Sparks

The Service Module body is composed of three basic pieces -- the cylinder that makes up the lower portion, the larger-diameter cylinder that makes up the top portion, and the adapter between the two. For the cylinders, I used model rocket tubes. I couldn't find tubes in the proper diameters I needed, so I took a tube that was in the middle. For the smaller cylinder, I cut a slice out of it lengthwise then joined the two edges together and it created the smaller cylinder.

I did the opposite for the larger cylinder. I made a lengthwise cut, figured out how much I'd need to add, then cut a piece out of a spare piece of tube. When you back the joins with similar sections of tube and put rubber bands around them while they dry, the cardboard assumes a circular cross-section. Thankfully.

I use woodworking glue for the joints. Once the tube is dry, if I need it perfectly smooth, I'll fill the seam with woodworking glue, let it dry, and then sand it smooth.

The adapter between the two was the part from Ton's model; it fit perfectly.

As for the toilet paper insulation blankets.... The ridged blankets are Cottenelle toilet paper, which just happens to have that texture. The smoother blankets is "regular" toilet paper (i.e., Northern), but I double it up.

Here's my method of stiffening the toilet paper:

1) Get a big piece of cardboard and cover one side with wax paper. Make sure it is smooth.

2) Take your lengths of toilet paper and carefully tape the edges to the wax paper. I use 3M blue painters tape, and just stick a little bit of it on the paper at the four corners, then maybe a piece or two along the sides to keep them flat. Keeping things flat is important.

3) Mix your 50-50 white glue/water mixture and pour it into one of those spray bottles folks use to spray plants. My wife has one that she uses for spraying when she irons. (If you go that route, just make sure you clean the bottle out when you're done. Don't want any glue residue left in there....)

4) Spray the toilet paper. This is important: Spray lightly! You do NOT want to soak the toilet paper. Keep in mind paper (especially toilet paper) is porous and it'll wick the glue/water mixture pretty well, so you only need to use about a half the liquid you think.

5) Let it dry. Sometimes it takes an hour or two, or more. It'll be dry to the touch.

6) Carefully peel the tape away and pull the toilet paper away from the wax paper. Sometimes I slide a straightedge between the toilet paper and wax paper to help lift it.

7) Once the paper is stiff, you can cut it with an X-acto blade (a new one is best) or cut it with scissors. You can cut it to whatever size you need.

Hope that helps. I you have any questions, just holler.

[richkat]

where can i find the download page for the 1/48 orion? having built the1/48 saturn V i realy want the orion to go with it

[dhanners]

where can i find the download page for the 1/48 orion? having built the1/48 saturn V i realy want the orion to go with it

Ton has the 1/48th-scale Orion on his page, here:
pe2tr rozenburg cardmodels hamradio (http://www.pe2tr.nl/)

I faked enough placards to come up with some that look convincing on the model. Also made a couple of tweaks, particularly to the UFSAs. Nothing huge, but I added a few little details that make them look a bit sharper.

[dhanners]

Here are some photos of the model after I added the placards and added some detailing to the UFSAs, including the lanyards used to unfurl them. It's nothing too involved, but those little bits and pieces (which I was too tired to do the other day) add a certain amount of detail. In taking the photos, though, I noticed I didn't get all my rocket nozzle interiors painted. Have to go back and do that. Dang.

But, now that I've got Orion finished, what about building a Centaur and a Servicing Node, such as LockMart envisions for crewed science missions involving propellant storage and transfer....