Yogi's builds - to boldy glue, where ...

[Paper Kosmonaut]

Congratulations on both the new Hubble model (nice and straightforward, just like it needs to be) and of course your niece's graduation! Great achievement.

[Retired_for_now]

So, finally had two days in a row to get something done. Some scrap ends of 3/4 inch pine boards, a little sawing and painting ...





We'll call it a display stand as I lack P-K's skills at texturing and coloring the surface so elected to go with the NASA landing site overview photo. At this scale, the tether length is a couple of feet which would not fit on any of my usual site's shelves - so shortened it so the rover could contact the base for stability (long-term durability on display).

Aeroshell/heatshield is mounted on a short piece of wire through a hole in its bottom (easily removeable if it turns out to be distracting). Skycrane is held with some light nylon monofilament fishing line - secured to the base arm by passing it though a small hole then plugging the hole (and trapping/wedging the line) with the end of a toothpick. Curiosity rover's three lines are gray thread fastened through the rover deck attachment points and glued into the skycrane (actually pass through the bottom, wrap around and are glued to the winch drum inside).

Now to find it a home; along with a NASA info-graphic showing the entire landing sequence so they know what they're looking at.

Yogi

[Paper Kosmonaut]

That is almost exactly what I had in mind as how an MSL demonstration model should look, Yogi. Well done! I like it a lot.

[jimkrauzlis]

Great diorama set up, Yogi!

Who ever is the lucky recipient of this is going to have a spectacular little model!

Well done!

Cheers!
Jim

[Retired_for_now]

Thanks P-K and Jim. I'm hoping the recipient is you! Download, print, score, cut, fold, glue ...

Yogi (still searching for a Pensacola-area EDL party)

[Retired_for_now]

Still building slowly on the MSL Curiosity Rover revisions. Every time they put up a new "self portrait" of the actual rover I end up redrawing something ...
Working on making the suspension functional in the updated model as well. With any luck I'll have it posted in a week or so.
Hoping to have several built for the November teacher workshop to use as door prizes.
Yogi

[Texman]

Just now caught up with this Yogi. Splendid build and presentation!

[Retired_for_now]

Thanks, Ray. Always looking for a few more builders to drop off some inspiration at the local school/library/etc.
Yogi

[Retired_for_now]

Making slow headway. I think I'm done tweaking the graphics but still working on making the mid-suspension wheel mount a bit easier to build (standby). Getting Curiosity up on her legs anyway.







The revised parts should allow a functional suspension (unless I screw something up) with a dowel (bamboo skewer) and some toothpicks for axle pivots. All the pivots are pierced at both sides to support an axle. Axles have a card disk glued to one end, assemble, mark and trim the axle, then cap with another disk. Getting the bits together while properly lined up is a bit fiddly (unless you build a beautiful merzo-jig to hold everthing). After the pivots are in place, everything has to go together for a dry fit to glue in the bushings for the middle set of wheels so they are straight and level (the reason to try and revise that part). After that sets (and gets trimmed a bit to bring the wheel in line) the front and back bogies should glue up quickly. Then, it all comes apart to put the cross-links on the main pivots so they can attach to the big cross arm - making sure the rover chassis sits level fore and aft. Still on the to-do list, I'm going to give those middle wheels some time to set before I continue my fiddling.
Yogi

[mbauer]

Looking great Yogi!

Suspension looking really good. Lots of small parts in this one!

Mike