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Shuttle Wars: Monogram vs Revell, Part 2


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Thanx for the link DutyCat.

Being fairly new to modeling, it was good to see the different sanding tools you've used.

Can I assume you're gonna build 'em Outta the Box? The current Shuttle builds here on ARC will detail the various and many corrections needed to make the Orbiters right.

A couple suggestions ... the Payload Bays, the Monogram one, is a little more accurate. For instance, the aft portion, the flat part, is more accurate than the Revell one.

The ET's texture, if I recall, JMChladek ( the resident Shuttle guy) suggested a textured paint, Tremclad or Rust-o-leum, so you're on the right track.

The Orbiter's windows. The Monogram one, in my humble opinion, is better because they are giving the modeler a lot of glass on which to mask or apply accurate decals for the windows. The Revell window openings, aren't quite right, either.

I'll be learning a lot from this set of vids, for when I get to my build of the Shuttle stack kit!

Thanx alot!

Pete

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Thanx for the link DutyCat.

Being fairly new to modeling, it was good to see the different sanding tools you've used.

Can I assume you're gonna build 'em Outta the Box? The current Shuttle builds here on ARC will detail the various and many corrections needed to make the Orbiters right.

A couple suggestions ... the Payload Bays, the Monogram one, is a little more accurate. For instance, the aft portion, the flat part, is more accurate than the Revell one.

The ET's texture, if I recall, JMChladek ( the resident Shuttle guy) suggested a textured paint, Tremclad or Rust-o-leum, so you're on the right track.

The Orbiter's windows. The Monogram one, in my humble opinion, is better because they are giving the modeler a lot of glass on which to mask or apply accurate decals for the windows. The Revell window openings, aren't quite right, either.

I'll be learning a lot from this set of vids, for when I get to my build of the Shuttle stack kit!

Thanx alot!

Pete

Thanks Pete. Good sanding technique equates to good bodywork. Good bodywork often translates into a good paint job, if you know how to handle paint, of course.

I had already thought about masking the larger Monogram Windows. I was gonna actually use the Revell windows as a template. So you say they are not quite right either? I'll have to take a closer look.

I am of course familiar with all of the various build threads and all of the corrections that can be made if you go all out. Some of the more obvious stuff I will do, but I don't know that I will do everything. Especially with the Space Shuttle, the best you can hope for is to get close because of the tile situation. They are impossible to duplicate accurately unless you want to spend months hand cutting styrene sheet in order to make a laminate tile covering. Even then it would be hard to get it perfect. Just looking at the two kits here, the Monogram has the best shape. So if one is willing to do the work, that is the best route. But, the Revell kit has the great decal sheet and the molded tiles. Some folks say sand the tile off because it is oversized, but I disagree because there are really no better choices. It is either use decals (which have no relief), redo all of the tile from scratch like that guy did on the Discovery model, or work with what Revell gives you and just accept that you are just representing the tile. I will keep the Revell tile, and it will look very good when I am done with it, even if it is oversized. I will use decals on the Monogram, however. No real choice there, short of scratching building it.

I think you are right about the Monogram payload bay being more accurate, at least at the back and around where the hinges would go. But the Monogram bay does not have the banding across the bottom and it comes in two parts. I think I am going to have the payload bays closed anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

Stay tuned!

r/Gil

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I have the Monogram orbiters. You can see this in my threads on my shuttles.

I prefer the Monogram kit as it looks very close to the real thing. Save for the windows, the rest of the kit is perfect. There are the aftermarket decals and resin sets to get if you want super detailing of the model. The tiles, sure decals work for that, though I carved mine into the model. look at My STS-51L stack and you can see the tiles carved into the model.

Draw out the tiles via pen or pencil on the orbiter and start scribbing them on. An alternative is using the screen mesh used to put on screen doors or windows of homes. The mesh is the right size for the tiles.

Here is my Challenger model. http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/001/0/4/challenger_ov099_by_onigojirakaiju-d4kxdwr.jpg

How I fixed the window problem. http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/358/d/0/challenger_windows_by_onigojirakaiju-d4k3j3x.jpg

The tile details and spreader beam to widen the payload bay area. I read some complains that the middle area is too narrow. Hence why I put a thick plastic beam there to widen the fuselage. http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/331/c/c/challenger_orbiter_by_onigojirakaiju-d4hgaiq.jpg http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/323/3/6/challenger_model_by_onigojirakaiju-d4gnzme.jpg

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I have the Monogram orbiters. You can see this in my threads on my shuttles.

I prefer the Monogram kit as it looks very close to the real thing. Save for the windows, the rest of the kit is perfect. There are the aftermarket decals and resin sets to get if you want super detailing of the model. The tiles, sure decals work for that, though I carved mine into the model. look at My STS-51L stack and you can see the tiles carved into the model.

Draw out the tiles via pen or pencil on the orbiter and start scribbing them on. An alternative is using the screen mesh used to put on screen doors or windows of homes. The mesh is the right size for the tiles.

Here is my Challenger model. http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/001/0/4/challenger_ov099_by_onigojirakaiju-d4kxdwr.jpg

How I fixed the window problem. http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2011/358/d/0/challenger_windows_by_onigojirakaiju-d4k3j3x.jpg

The tile details and spreader beam to widen the payload bay area. I read some complains that the middle area is too narrow. Hence why I put a thick plastic beam there to widen the fuselage. http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/331/c/c/challenger_orbiter_by_onigojirakaiju-d4hgaiq.jpg http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/323/3/6/challenger_model_by_onigojirakaiju-d4gnzme.jpg

Thanks for the input. I have the decals for the tiles, although they are IMO unsatisfactory for the some topside areas. I have heard of the screen method before, but household screen is not staggered like the real tiles. But again, there is no perfect way. I will agree that the Monogram orbiter has the most potential from what I have seen.

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I agree the Monogram shuttle is more accurate. The shape of the nose is rounded on the Monogram like a real shuttle, yet for some reason is more squared off on the Revell kit. The OMS pods are more accurate on the Monogram shuttle, the Revells OMS are too boxy.

Decals still seem like the best all around way of tackling the tiles. They aren't perfect but close enough. You could try a wash of thinned black or black food coloring in Future to darken the topside tile decals. That is, assuming you are using the Cutting Edge tile decals.

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