Yogi's Atlas V Beta Build

[Paper Kosmonaut]

I hope you all find it appropriate I just join in here with the second of Yogi's beta build, the Atlas V 401 with LRO and LCROSS on top. One I've wanted to make for a long time now.
I skip the part in which I made the first core stage and pick it up where I started redo the engine section with the new parts.

One thing I changed was the conical section to the engine part. The tubes are all equipped with a nice inner glueing strip so there won't be any overlap. But the conics don't have these. So I took the liberty to change that. I just cut off the glue strip and attached it inside.
This is where I am now, starting the feed line and avionics stuff.

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Got some work done on the fuel lines and cable tunnel. On some pictures I think I saw the fuel line has a bended part in the end. I tried to do something similar but ended up a bit too close to the serial number. The last connector to the engines has a very pronounced coupler piece. I used a small round piece of card in between the two parts to imitate that.

--sorry, I got a bit carried away, I promise I make it straight out of the box from now on...

The cable tunnel had another surprise: it seemed too long. I had to cut a part of it to fit the avionics part. Is it looking allright like this?

I redid the lo-res Atlas logo in the Centaur upper stage but forgot to set the print for that page at full size. So now I have almost finished the Centaur and I realise I can start over because it's too small... Oh well...

[Retired_for_now]

Quick progress ... I need to work on instructions, yes? The avionics tray may be too long for the revised engine section ... checking ...



I do need to work on how the revised LOX feed line goes on. Of course, this may be the largest model you've built so far?



I really appreciate the fresh set of eyes (and your skilled fingers). There's a big difference between a scratch build from a bunch of parts and a usable kit (hats off to all the real designers).

Yogi

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Originally Posted by Retired_for_now

Quick progress ... I need to work on instructions, yes? The avionics tray may be too long for the revised engine section ... checking ...

I do need to work on how the revised LOX feed line goes on. Of course, this may be the largest model you've built so far?

I really appreciate the fresh set of eyes (and your skilled fingers). There's a big difference between a scratch build from a bunch of parts and a usable kit (hats off to all the real designers).

Yogi

I also appreciate you let me do this beta. And I'm enjoying it a lot! Most of this build need no instructions at all, most parts just naturally go where they need to be. It's mainly the pipelines. The pics you posted clarified a lot for me.
As far as the scale goes, I once built Leo's 1/48th Voskhod launcher. Finished it, too. Got a bit lost in detailing, though. And I still have a 1/96 N-1 stacked away on the pile of to-do models. But yeah, it needs some getting used to when working "big" again.

Okay, new day, here we go again. *gets exacto out*

[Retired_for_now]

You? Lost in the detailing? Hah! If I had your powers of concentration ... then again, "she who is wondering what you've been doing for the past week" might get even more annoyed with me. I did still manage to get the trees planted and some more work done on the seawall.

Fixes so far on the way to you ... and to Dyna-Soar who kicked all this off.

Yogi (simplicate and add lightness)

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Lost in detailing... Who me? Did I say that? I started with the new new version and cut out the 'simple' version's lower part booster attachment points for some more depth in the detailed version's lower parts. heh heh heh...
(couldn't help it)
pics later today.

[Dyna-Soar]

I redid my original build of the 500 as the New Horizons LV.




As soon as the stand dries, I'll post photos of test build #2 as the X-37B launcher.

[Retired_for_now]

You are fast! Nice job on the build. Now to see how you do on a quarter-scale version of Vaughn Hoxie's New Horizons model. You should be able to crib a Star-48 from the Magellan model (Lower Hudson Valley) to finish the payload at 1:96 scale ...

Now for the rest of the story - you may notice a glitch on the nosecone of Dyna-Soar's build (stark contrast to his usual meticulous construction). It ain't his fault.



The bottom conic in the nosecone required an earlier revision (too large), probably caused by my simple drawing software. It does a lot, but doesn't like to get too far outside the 7.5x10 inch drawing space. Sketching a conic with a 75.15 inch diameter is challenging (and probably susceptible to various glitches when copied/modified). My first prototype went together with that one fix to the lower conic ... not sure how I managed that because the error (fix??) cascaded to make the next conic up too large (also a very large radius drawing). So, made the fix to both conics and sent a revision after I'd tried it myself to make sure the top three sections fit so I wasn't wasting his time. Of course, I somehow got the prototype together without noticing the second flaw, so I'll await the independent evaluation.

Other changes are not necessarily errors but relate to distinctive features of the model. The Atlas engine section/fairing is one. Another is the large avionics tray and cable run. My first effort was rudimentary and didn't really capture the look (as commented on) so:



Yogi (simplicate and add lightness)

[Paper Kosmonaut]

That new tray looks good, Yogi! And Dyna also made an impressive 551 there.
Pictures of the 401 build later today/tonight (depending where you are..) I left the USB cable of my camera at the office yesterday..

[Dyna-Soar]

Test build #2: I used Red River silver paper for the first stage tank and sprayed it with Krylon satin clear.





Also, great job on the -400 stuff PK!