STS-1 on its way to the pad, in 1/288th....

**dhanners** · #1 06-05-2018, 12:25 AM

I'm declaring this one done. Went back in today and painted the railing on the MLP's Side 1 decks and that was the finishing touch.

All in all, each of the four elements -- ET/SRB stack, Orbiter, Mobile Launch Platform and Crawler-Transporter -- were enjoyable build, even when shrunk from the original 1/144 to 1/288. Alfonso's models go together pretty well, and they provide a good basis if you want to add more detail. I appreciate what he's contributed to our genre, and I'd also like to thank Manfred (Spacerunner) for inspiration and some detail photos.

I may follow Paper Kosmonaut's fine example (he did the Stack and MLP/C-T in 1/400 scale a few years back) and stick the thing on a base replicating the Crawlerway. While I'm in the U.S. this summer, I may order more AvantCard railings and add the railing that goes around the top of the MLP.

**Paper Kosmonaut** · #2 06-05-2018, 01:41 AM

That looks absolutely beautiful, David. Great detailing (and compared to my build, yours was super fast)!

**dhanners** · #3 06-05-2018, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paper Kosmonaut

That looks absolutely beautiful, David. Great detailing (and compared to my build, yours was super fast)!

Thanks for the kind words, PK; your work in small scales has long been an inspiration.

All in all, this build represented about a month's worth of work. I generally work 8:30 a.m. to noon or so, four or five days a week. No idea how many hours total were involved.

When I get back to Kuwait after the summer break, I'm contemplating shrinking the MARs Center Orbiter to 1/144 and building an on-orbit version using one of Alfonso's payloads. I have the "photorealistic" repaint of Endeavour that forum member "Arvydas" came up with and gave us a link to back in 2014.

Or, I may use Fortezza's original and try to replicate the insulation blankets, again in 1/144th. I've got the summer to decide....

**axm61** · #4 06-05-2018, 03:24 AM

Wow, David. Your build is pure art. Congrats!!!

**dhanners** · #5 06-05-2018, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axm61

Wow, David. Your build is pure art. Congrats!!!

And thank YOU, Alfonso! You do great work and building your models is a pleasure.

Actually, I lied in my first post. I'm 99 percent done. I posted photos of the build on a Facebook modeling group and a rivet-counter there (more accurately, a railing counter...) noted, correctly, that the MLP deck lacked railings. Yes, it does, I explained, and I hope to get more laser-cut railings when back in the U.S. this summer.

Inspired by his critique, I pulled out my few remaining bits of railing, got my ruler, did some measuring and computations and, as Dame Fortune would have it, I appear to have enough to do the MLP deck railing. So I'll add that tomorrow.

Part of the issue is that the MLP deck railing isn't just a continuous railing. Rather, it is a bunch of sections put end to end, and that involves cutting and wastage with the AvantCard railings. But, once assured I had enough, I decided I can do it. You'll see photos tomorrow, inshallah.

**Texman** · #6 06-05-2018, 06:07 AM

Simply gorgeous work David. Well done.

**Helmut Z** · #7 06-05-2018, 06:49 AM

great work David, Congrats

**Paper Kosmonaut** · #8 06-05-2018, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhanners

[...] I have the "photorealistic" repaint of Endeavour that forum member "Arvydas" came up with and gave us a link to back in 2014.

I also have this one in the collection, it looks kinda cool and I am tempted to use it one day. But I am afraid the unevitable seams and edges will affect the photorealism negatively...

Quote:

Or, I may use Fortezza's original and try to replicate the insulation blankets, again in 1/144th. I've got the summer to decide....

Well, knowing your amazing and very artistic usage of paper in some previous models, I'd suggest you'd take the experimental route of the replication process. it might be tricky, the logos, texts and the name Endeavour is long and goes over the insulation blankets so that would be needed to be printed on the blanket parts. You could try and use surgical tape for blanket - or something I want to do with a model, use linen textured paper.

**umtutsut** · #9 06-05-2018, 09:36 AM

Amazing work as always, David! Your level of detailing got me interested in this whole card model rocket thing.

Les (The Voice of Authority)

**dhanners** · #10 06-05-2018, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paper Kosmonaut

I also have this one in the collection, it looks kinda cool and I am tempted to use it one day. But I am afraid the unevitable seams and edges will affect the photorealism negatively...

Well, knowing your amazing and very artistic usage of paper in some previous models, I'd suggest you'd take the experimental route of the replication process. it might be tricky, the logos, texts and the name Endeavour is long and goes over the insulation blankets so that would be needed to be printed on the blanket parts. You could try and use surgical tape for blanket - or something I want to do with a model, use linen textured paper.

The Orbiter name and other printing does pose a problem that I've not figured a way around, yet. I was thinking of using bathroom tissue (Cottonelle, in particular...) stiffened with a 50-50 mix of PVC glue and water. Mix the glue and water and load it into one of those plant sprayer thingies, then spray the toilet tissue, which is taped to a piece of wax paper backed with cardboard. Then you let it dry (which in Kuwait takes about 30 seconds) and you wind up with stiffened, textured paper that can be cut pretty easily.

The other issue, though, is that the AFRSI blankets could be quite small in 1/144th. Not an insurmountable issue, just a lot of work, particularly if I'm going to detail the open Payload Bay.