Space Shuttle Cutaway-winter project

[Youngtiger1]

Wow, I see some paint. I see some paint....lol Looking very good Pete. It's interesting to see that shuttle were paint with that pale green as well. I would have though other they would have used something different. You know, its NASA....they're suppose to do things different....lol

Mike

[K2Pete]

Thanx for the nice comments gents ... but Jay, come on ... that seat even had its headrest snapped off! Hopefully you'll be pleased with the completed flight deck.

 

And Mike, paint, yes, a little, but not as an indication of being in the finishing stages.

I figger I'm only about 20% or so, completed. And the paint has to be applied in varying stages of assembly. For instance, this Crew Module will have to be glued in to its location before I can start on the Payload Bay details, 'cuz it just won't slide in to the forward fuselage. Another example, the Aft Structure had to be sprayed Zinc Chromate because all the plumbing had to be installed after painting it. I couldn't just assemble the whole thing, then paint all those different pipes etc. It would just not be possible.

 

This cutaway is really tricky to do. I'm finding I have to think and plan how to assemble these parts in a fairly particular order.

 

The Crew Module is just about done, say 90% done. Still a few little tweaks to do with the 'insulation'.

The Flight Deck and Mid-deck. I've added some details, manuals, wiring, seats and a couple of figures.

 

 

 

 

And with the insulation. Here's a reference photo I located in an old book I've got on the Shuttle.

 

 

 

And another look inside.

 

I've still gotta do the frames that the Crew Module sits in, then onto the Payload Bay. Lots of pipes and wiring and structure. And the problem with the warped sides of the fuselage, I think just gluing the payload bay door to it, coupled with the 12 or 13 frames/ribs, will straighten it out just fine. Here's hoping anyhow.

Pete

Edited January 19, 2018 by K2Pete

[Ace Airspeed]

Amazing, Pete!

[K2Pete]

After realizing that another Bulkhead may exist behind the Crew Module, I asked about it on another site. It was confirmed that another Bulkhead DOES exist. So ... I needed to butcher my Crew Module to get it to fit into the shortened space.

It was too long by about 3/16" ... out came the saw ... and then about 25 hours of fartin' around to get it to fit in. Shimming it, test fitting it, reworking it. I had to cut out the crew opening, roughly, and you can see some of the support shims at the bottom of the subassembly.

 

 

 

Then ... I tried the kit's forward bulkhead. Dang it, it worked. I didn't need any of the shims at all!

The embossing on the bulkhead for the airlock was trimmed away and my Crew Module's airlock fit almost perfectly. The bulkhead, when snapped into position, also served to spread the fuselage out enough that the snug fitting Crew Module, slid in very nicely. This was a bonus! The Crew Module was supported and I could work on fitting it now. I also enlarged the bulkhead's windows a bit too.

 

This is an inside view showing the shim (the grey 'tube') for the Crew Module and then, the crew hatch.

 

 

I can also start with the piping in the Payload Bay. To do nice 90 degree bends, I glue in a piece of tube, then a solid rod, let it dry, then sand it down to make a nice bend. These parts are for the Purge Circuit #2.

 

 

All the piping and wiring will be placed on the Payload Bay's floor then the ribs/frames and then I figger I can start attaching all the subassemblies and commence detailing the bee-jeebers out of it!

 

Thanx for looking in!

Pete

Edited January 19, 2018 by K2Pete

[C-130CrewChief]

This is just outstanding work! I check this one often! Good inspiration!

Curt

[richter111]

Stunning, simply stunning

[K2Pete]

Gee, thanx a lot guys!

 

But here's one I forgot to include in the last posting. The Crew Module is dry fit installed into the fuselage. I still hafta install some structural members between the Crew Module's roof and the Shuttle's fuselage ... as well as some ribs / frames on the port side.

 

The Payload Bay will be next ... I just need to figger out how to do 'em and install all the piping and wiring on the 'floor' ... and the ribs / frames on top of 'em ... then everything else!!!

 

Thanx for taking a peek at this project ... and for all the positive comments!

It's coming along!

Pete

Edited January 19, 2018 by K2Pete

[MiG31]

I'm incredibly curious and hate to pick a nit, but what is your reference for the interior green color? Every photo reference I've seen shows a much lighter, more yellow, color than the typical interior green. It's probably too late in the build to do anything about it, but it's been nagging me for a while. I'm sure you're on the right track, though.

[Ace Airspeed]

K2, you are totally off the hook!

I could never summon the courage to even attempt what you're doing.

Edited May 24, 2010 by Ace Airspeed

[K2Pete]

MiG31 ... all you have to do is read this thread.

 

I had asked BP, 'spaceflightengineer' about the interior colour ... and as he's actually worked on this vehicle, I take this info as gospel.

Here's the question and answer, found on page 4.

" ... BP, another question, was the orbiter structure painted a Zinc-Chromate ... yellow or green, or, for instance the Payload Bay doors, just left aluminum.

**BP Reply: Green Zinc Chromate all over the danged thing- everywhere! Except things like, inside the wheel wheels- they ended up covered in adhesive reflective tape (Chrome BMF will suffice bigtime for modeling). ..."

 

I tend NOT to take the photo references too accurately. With film and reproduction processes, colours are never reproduced accurately. The Zinc Chromate in most photos, even online, look brown, or yellow, which prompted the original question.

 

Thanx for picking nits ... and keeping me honest!

Pete

Edited January 19, 2018 by K2Pete

[MiG31]

Oops. I may have read that on page four, though it was a few months ago. At least you're getting information from a good source. It would be useful to have the information in mind to color-correct a lot of the published photographs, as they did present the impression that the whole thing (exterior, anyway) was yellow chromate.

More recent photo walkarounds lean towards the green color. Prime Portal's site has photos that show a green interior on OV-101, for example.

Edited May 25, 2010 by MiG31

[K2Pete]

I've been tweaking some parts and noticed the Rotary Actuators on the Rudder were a little out of scale, so I tore 'em off and replaced 'em with something a little closer.

Here's a pic of the old ones (black) and the new ones. I've also attached a support structure to the hinge area.

 

 

And I've put on a few details to the Bulkheads, fore and aft. The two lower bulkheads form the Aft bulkhead. They'll be attached to each other. The Left one is the Payload Bay's aft. The Right one is part of the Aft Structure. (Thanx Michelle!)

 

 

The forward bulkhead dry fit. The little triangles are supports for the handholds.

 

 

I've also come to realize that I'm gonna hafta start attaching the subassemblies to carry on further. For instance, in order to start the Payload Bay frames, I need to glue the Crew Module and Fwd Bulkhead. Then I need to attach the payload bay doors. And the doors will need to be almost 100% complete, thermal blankets and all. Then the fuselage, on the starboard side will have to be tiled and detailed too, then the port, cutaway, wing. 

I guess I'm just a little worried that with all the handling this is gonna need, what with sanding the wing-to-fuselage seams and the like, all the delicate little parts will break off and will add on all kinds of time to repair.

 

... oh well, I guess there's just no way around this. I'll need to figger this out and see if I can plan it out a bit better on the next one ... !

 

So, I guess the next time I post, this'll start looking like a Shuttle!

Thanx again for taking a peek guys, and for the comments.

Pete

Edited January 19, 2018 by K2Pete

[mkimages]

Way to stick with a difficult project. You are doing a seriously amazing job of it.

:wacko:

[Jay Chladek]

It is really coming together man! Nice touch with the crew inside as it drives home the point that it is a spacecraft.

One thing you can do with some of your subassemblies is to cocoon them in Tamiya tape to help give them both stability and keep any sanding dust outside while you work on the exterior seams. It should also help to minimize the breakage if maybe you were to mark "no hold" areas on the tape to show places NOT to pick up the model by while working on it as well.

[K2Pete]

Thanx Jay. That's a great idea.

As I use a combination of wet and dry sanding, I hadn't even thought of dust infiltrating everywhere, inside the aft section, inside the Crew Module, on the windows etc., etc., etc.

Encasing the completed areas will do just fine! I guess I'll just have to expect some damage though .... it seems inescapable! :)

Pitter patter, let's get at 'er! :)

Pete

[Vidar_710]

By the looks of the config on the virtcle stab, I see you're doing Columbia.... Great choice!

Tracy

[spaceflightengineer]

Looking over the entire build- trying to catch up- that FWD RCS looks very good! You are aware that the entire RCS was a removable module there, right?

Underneath it were Kapton blankets. I went to the Cape shortly after the QD ("quick disconnect") failure that allowed one of the hypergolics to flood the starboard

side of the area under the module- it ate the blankets, the zinc chromate (which coated all the under structure- stringers, walls, feedthroughs, and the black paint off me poor

microwave landing system waveguides, Keptin'! That happened with STS-2 in the vertical- they popped the RSC module (AFTER deservicing!) cleaned it all up, repainted

all (including the waveguides with "cadillac black"- supervised by some nitwit engineer from Palmdale), replaced new Kapton blankets and she was good to go (unfortunately for the photographer making close-out images when the QD failed, he got too much of the hygroscopic hyper into his system, and never fully recovered enough to return permanently to work; safety measures were revised majorly).

If/when I ever get back to a large scale orbiter I intend on having the module removed so I can uber-detail that area. It, under the floor of the mid deck, an open SILTS pod and inside wings are area I'd like to detail out. ...I'll get to that when I'm about 150....

Bruce P.

Thanx for all the nice comments gents ... I appreciate 'em!

This project is gonna take a little bit longer than I had hoped. I've got the major assemblies done, or at least started, and all the time consuming details will keep me occupied for a few more weeks ... or even months!

I'm still unable to straighten out the warped fuselage, and am making this last attempt. I've supported the ends with blocks and have a 3 or 4 pound lead weight in the middle ... I'll leave it for a day or so and see what happens.

The forward RCS assembly is just about done. I had to remove and sand down most of the nozzles to a more correct profile relative to their openings in the fuselage.

The AFT plumbing got started and this is gonna be tricky to install. Here are some of the parts, and the jig I'm using to build 'em.

I sprayed some Zinc-Chromate on the parts just to see how they look. On the AFT bulkhead the installed APUs can seen at the top of it, painted black. Thanx again Bill!

With all the details yet to do, I figger I'm only about 20% of the way thru this thing. But still enjoying the effort!

Thanx for looking in!

Pete

[K2Pete]

The Payload Bay is turning into a real bear. Before I can assemble all the little pieces, I have to do a lot of chronological stuff first. So to take a break, I built the display stand.

 

I started with a series of sketches and decided to do an ET type of stand. The vertical scale of the struts has been exaggerated and I'm not gonna worry about details. It's just a stand.

 

The tube is 4" plumbing tube.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And with orbiter on it. The Aft struts fit into the fuel lines of the orbiter.

 

And the Crew Module with the Bulkhead and support frames.

 

Edited January 19, 2018 by K2Pete

[K2Pete]

The Payload Bay frames are next. The wing carry through 'plates' are dry fit. The Purge Circuits #1 and #2 are visible too. But before I can install the remaining frames, I'll hafta build and install the wiring and piping on the floor of the Payload Bay. Then I'll place the frames and fuel tanks.

 

 

This the spacing jig I'm using to space the frames uniformly.

 

At this stage, I think the detailing of the Payload Bay, not to mention the rest of the Orbiter, will take just as long as this build has taken so far!

Thanx for looking in!

Pete

Edited January 19, 2018 by K2Pete

[janman]

Just getting more and more awesome!

[richter111]

umm just one question?

Where are the miniature astronauts that are going to fly this thing? Because it looks like you have built the real thing, now you just need some real miniature astronauts to take it into space!

Seriously you have done amazing work here!

[niart17]

Ok that does it, now you're just showing off. :)

Seriously man, how many people on your construction team do you have? 'cause there ain't no way....no way one person is getting this all done and so quickly and beautifully? It's just not right I tells ya' not right atall.

Keep it up! ^_^

Bill

[Youngtiger1]

Seriously man, how many people on your construction team do you have?

That's what I want to know as well. The work here is superb. Everything is so detailed that is no way you can do all by your self

Mike

[K2Pete]

Well, let's see richter111 ... Astronauts eh? ... have you seen the Crew Module I did ... there's a couple of 'em in there ... and I'll have a couple more on EVA, maybe one attached to the RMS.

And thanx for the positive comment!

 

Bill ... whaddaya mean "Quick"? it's been on my table for over 6 months!! Me, myself ... I'm astounded at HOW LONG this is taking! ( ... but I'm still loving it, I gotta tell ya :o ... and a "team"? They're so slow, they must work for the government

 

Seriously, the amount of thinking and preparation needed to accomplish a simple task, floors me. For instance, I can't paint till subass'y "X" is in place, and I can't build subass'y "X" till subass'y "Y" is built. So I hafta find out what subass'y "Y" looks like ... it's been like this for the whole build!

Another example, I can't glue in the Crew Module till the Purge Circuit piping is installed 'cuz the bulkhead supports the Crew Module and that can't fit till the Payload Bay pipes are installed.

The guy who has had a few cutaways in FSM, Dan Jayne, I'd love to know how he does it, 'cuz, ya, I'm learning, but ... are there any shortcuts? Any tricks, any tips on pre-planning?

 

Thanx again guys for all your comments ... they help to keep this going!

Pete

Edited January 19, 2018 by K2Pete

[niart17]

I'm learning, but ... are there any shortcuts? Any tricks, any tips on pre-planning?

Pete

Hmmm....Sub-contract Rockwell?

Well I for one am really glad you're struggling through all of this because if I'm really going to do that 48th one, I need to see what pitfalls lie ahead. For instance...seeing how you are laying out and aligning your payload bay gives me an idea of how to set up mine. So to sum it, your pain...my gain! bwaahaaahaaaahaaa

Bill