Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)

[spacerunner]

Thanks Guys for your nice words.
There is still a long way to go, but the goal I have clearly in mind.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

With the assembly of the T-profiles it wanted initially not work so well, because their positioning was pretty stressful already during the fitting between the H-profile and the screws ring, let alone only when gluing.

That's why I first times tried the fit with an Evergreen H-beam, especially because the belt protruded outwards even something over the screws circle,



which is why I initially left something supernatant in order to remeasure everything again.





Since the subsequent experiments with the scratched T-beams were not very successful, I simply have rearranged the mounting and built the profile directly at the tube and firstly have glued the webs.





Subsequently I glued the flanges on the webs that have been fixed with tape and then had been aligned.



And so the mounting went really better.



And so would the Rainbird B-1 actually finished,



and looks pretty nice,



especially when one compares it with the paper bird from Maier's Paper kit.



However, a tiny detail is lacking, because all Rainbirds have these two transport-rings on the hood between the H-beams that I wanted to try at least once.


Source: NASA
The diameter should be about 0.7 mm, for which I have cut off these tiny rings from my thinnest insulating tube. Okay, I hear almost your outcry ...


And these crumbs actually still could be glued under the magnifier.



So, it is now well enough of this crazy stuff. Here is a picture of the little bird on the MLP, which was so long not to see.



And so already times a nice weekend.

[dhanners]

This build continues to amaze....

[spacerunner]

Thanks David for your kind words,

yeah, I can not complain about boredom ...
Thanks for watching and stay tuned, it remains exciting!

[N96HBK]

Very detailed!!! Which Shuttle will you use?
I made shuttle landing gears for Bruno Vanhecke's 1/300 shuttle, I want to use the model for the diorama.

[spacerunner]

Thanks for your nice comment too.
Well, as the title suggests already, it's the maiden flight of the Challenger (STS-6).

[N96HBK]

Originally Posted by spacerunner

Thanks for your nice comment too.
Well, as the title suggests already, it's the maiden flight of the Challenger (STS-6).

Sorry...I meant "which shuttle model will you be using?"

[spacerunner]

Okay, no problem. I will use the Airfix Shuttle stack (1:144).

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

so, now it's about time for the remaining five hoods that should get their H-beams and lifting rings.



For tricky sticking the profile webs on the upper belts I've been thinking this new support, for which I have used these two magnets. They are not as strong as the small neodym magnets which almost the tweezers wrench out of hand when handling next to them.



And with these weaker magnets one can align the clamped webs on the belt very precisely centrally and then glue on both sides with MEK. But because of the creeping behaviour of the MEK along the contact zone one must pay attention to that one not too close comes with the MEK brush to the magnets because the Styrene otherwise remains sticking to it, what surprised me initially.

Therefore one can always glue only a small area, approximately half the length, and must turn the profile and then glue the end, after having readjusted the central position if necessary. So all in all still enough tricky fiddling, but it works well.



Now follows with the glueing of these "T-profiles" on the bottom belt the more difficult part of the exercise. And right next to it are already waiting the tiny lifting rings.



And for this fiddling I have used small ferrite magnets. While the first profile can still relatively easy be fixed between two stops, aligned and glued,



for the second profile one needs a bit more feeling and patience, in order to position it centrally as well as vertically.



But even that has finally worked out,



and also the glueing of the small lifting rings with CA,



and so again a small step was taken.



In the next round it goes back to the tricky "cartridge belts".

[elliott]

Another ingenious solution, using magnets as clamps, Manfred!