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Revell 1/144 Shuttle/Stack build/STS-133 - Finished!!!


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Crowe, you asked on the new 1/72 scale model kit decals. I posted them on the thread on the model as well as a photo of my model I got. go look. :)

I also was told what those extra bands are on the left SRB and bit of on the right SRB, as your photos show. Those are sensors to detect stress on the booster. I have no idea why the left booster has more though.

Actually, the left booster doesn't have more of those bands. If you look at either the front side or back side of the stack those bands are in the same configuration. Most of the segments of the boosters appear to be the same instead of being mirror images.

Edited by crowe-t
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I sprayed a coat of Future on for applying the decals. I never used Future before this but so far I'm liking it. :) I'll spray clear Testors Acryl on top when all the decals are applied.

Make sure you experiment a little beforehand. Wouldn't want to see any of your great work wrecked. Future changed ingredients here in Australia and it doesn't quite work the way it used to, sadly!

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Make sure you experiment a little beforehand. Wouldn't want to see any of your great work wrecked. Future changed ingredients here in Australia and it doesn't quite work the way it used to, sadly!

Thanks for the compliment! :D

I read that Future had changed in a few locations but fortunately here in the US the formula hasn't changed. Thanks for the heads up.

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The stringers on the ET could be used to make a resin copy for the Revell kit or other kits where the stringers aren't there or not accurate.

Will you be making a model of the Ares 1 or Ares V? That would vary, depending on which version you wish to model.

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Mark,

I don't know anything about resin casting or I would have cast the OMS pods I modified for a future Revell Shuttle build. I found some Plastruct ribbed sheet that looks close to the individual ribs I applied to the inter-tank on this build that I'll use on my next project. I hadn't thought of casting the ribs since Plastruct makes ribbed sheet that's close in appearance.

I'd like to scratch build an Ares 1 using an SRB from one of the stack kits in 1/144 some time in the future. I still have a few Shuttle/stacks I want to build first.

Edited by crowe-t
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Here's a couple of quick pictures of some more decals applied. The access panel at the top of the SRB is from the Revell of Germany decal sheet. I did scan the sheet so I can have the access panel re-drawn to make some more decals for use on future builds. :)

I'll try and get some more time in on this in the next few days and get some paint on the ET.

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HOLMES, Thanks for the compliments and support! :)

Today I worked on applying more of the stripe decals to the SRB's. Actually, I'm still working on the one SRB but here are some more pictures. :lol:

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Mike, looking really good. You are making good progress. I have stalled a bit on my project, as some other house projects (Kitchen tiling, rather than shuttle tiles) have taken precedence, but am slowly getting back to it. The stack is next!

I did get my order from Real Space, and am happy about that.

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Resin casting is sort of easy. Get the piece you want to make a resin copy of and pour the rubber mix over the part. It takes 24 hours for the rubber to set before you can remove the plastic from the mold and begin making the resin copies.

Real Space Models does make am odel of Ares 1, but it's of the older designs. The recent look of ares 1 looks like this http://www.ninfinger.org/models/vault2008/Ares%20104%20poster%204Aug08.jpg

RSM has the Orion 606 design seen here http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/archive/4/40/20070901215319!Ares_I_Evolution.jpg

The previous photo showing the most recent design looks like the 606, but with a new fairing to cover the Orion. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Ares_I.png http://matthewwturner.com/uah/IPT2010_spring/images/Ares-I_Ares-V_%28Feb_2008%29-1.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here are some updated pictures. I added some markings to the SRB's. I'm using the Revell of Germany decal sheet and the various SRB markings from the Tango Papa Shuttle decals. The narrow black bands on the SRB's are 1/32" stripe decals from Micro Scale.

Today I applied the base coat to the ET.

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Edited by crowe-t
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Stunning. Needless to say I'll be copying these to my file for my future builds. I need to have another look at the Tango Papa line, since I didn't recall that it included that stenciling.

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MiG31, Thanks for the complements! :) The Tango Papa Shuttle decals are the Out Of Production Real Space Models decals. There are a lot of nice markings and small stenciling on the sheet.

Here are a couple of close-ups of some more of the small markings applied on the SRB's lower skirts.

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Looking GREAT man! I think it says something that I am refering to this build @ 1/144 to find details to add to my 1/72 scale build. That's crazy good for such a small scale. I look forward to seeing this one finished.

Bill

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Bill, I appreciate the nice comments!

There are still details I either left out or forgot about entirely like the SRB hold down bolts you reminded me about. I'm sure you'll be able to add many more details to your 1/72 stack like those recessed areas on the SRB skirts. You are already off to a great start!

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There are areas around the cockpit windows and the OMS pods that contain small white tiles. I inverted the colors on the CE tile scans to make a set of "white" tiles. I'll cut the shapes out that I need from this sheet.

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I don't know why CE made those tiles grey, they are black, I'd do a negative affect, your inverted colors and lay that over black and see how they look.

They get a little grey on reentry,but more a surface streaking affect, the seams between the tiles are very tight, so it would be hard to replicate the seams, maybe a dark charcoal grey tile and a very thin black line to replicate the seams, and don't forget the yellow tile stenciling, (you thought F-4's were bad)

Curt

Edited by Netz
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Curt, Those 'black' tiles in the picture I posted that I printed are a darker gray then the CE set. It just doesn't show to well in that picture. I did have some more printed at a different print shop and they came out darker and look much better but didn't take a picture to post.

I did try and make a set with black tiles but they look way too dark. You're right that the actual shuttle's tiles are gray from the streaking. However none of the streaked tiles look like pure black. After I apply the tiles I'll use pastels to create the look of the streaking and they should look fine. The seams should be a lighter color then the tiles but when I apply the pastels and the clear over coat that should make the seams blend in more. I also don't have much experience in Photoshop so I'm happy with the newer tiles I had printed.

The yellow stenciling would be too small in 1/144 scale and I'm thinking it wouldn't really show up in the printing.

The shuttle will be mounted on the ET so a good amount of the underside tiles won't really be seen.

Edited by crowe-t
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Yellow tile stenciling will not show up on a 1/144 model and it would even be hard to see on a 1/72 model unless the subject in question was a brand new orbiter with all new tiles (and I'm not doing it on my STS-1 Columbia stack). The yellow tends to get bleached out rather quick, which is one of the reasons why the tiles have the numbers etched into them as opposed to the numbers being just printed on. Even if the numbers stay yellow, you really have to get close to see the coloring as the eye just fades it out.

As for the tiles turning gray, streaking is part of it, but there is a little color change to the black that occurs as well and you can really see the mosaic of colors on an orbiter with a lot of tile changeouts. But the color change really doesn't get noticed until about three or four reentries and even then it is only slight. After about 10 flights, things really start to get distinctive. Of course, the color change to gray really only happens on the bottom of the orbiter. Black HRSI tiles on the sides of the nose, top of the wings and tail (and around the SSMEs) all stay pretty much black.

I've seen the effect myself. When Atlantis came to Offutt AFB in 2007, I shot plenty of photos of the orbiter on the back of the 747. In a couple shots, I waited for the sunlight to peak past the clouds and the angle was just right for it to brighten the white top of the 747. The resulting reflected light cancelled out the shadows under the orbiter and showcased the gray bottom tiles rather nicely. If those tiles were just black under there, it would certainly not look that bright. So a color change does take place (and you can also see the border between the gray bottom and the black tiles on the sides of the nose, top of the wings and the tail. Look back by the tail inside the elevons and the color change is very distinct. Orbiters have a little heat spike of temperature in that area due to the gap between the elevons and the fuselage. The heat was so much so that a white LRSI tile patch (with a small strip of HRSI tiles) had to be added to the bottom of the OMS pods because on a couple of Columbia's flights, the reentry heat actually damaged the graphite epoxy structure of the OMS pod in that area. It took a few flights before NASA came up with a good fix for it, which is what you see on the OMS pod.

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Edited by Jay Chladek
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Jay,

Thanks for the information and that great picture you posted.

The tile decals I printed are darker then the original CE set but I'll still need to apply a black wash over the tiles on the nose, top of the wings, tail and around the SSMEs. I'm thinking of spraying heavily thinned Aircraft Interior Black over these areas. I'll have to experiment a bit.

Curt, That's a great picture of your dad setting the tiles. The black underside tiles sure do look different after a few re-entries.

Edited by crowe-t
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  • 1 month later...

I realize I haven't posted any updates in a few weeks. :( It's been hot here in NY and also my compressor sort of crapped out on me. Well I finally finished the stripe decals on both SRB's. I still have to apply the LOADED decals and the black 'dots' on the cones. After I spray some clear on to seal the decals I can mask and paint the insta-foam on the lower SRB joints.

I'll try and post some more updates soon!

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Edited by crowe-t
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