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


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Hi Mike,

thanks for the nice words. I don't want to scratch-build all the tiny details of the sides, but I'm trying to make what seems to be possible. In other words, still some details will come to ... :rolleyes:

:wave:

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And here is a next small update. First the blind flange at the end of the segmented arch of the Vent line was glued, consisting of three thin sheet discs (0.3 mm).

blindflansch.jpg

Then this 1st section of the vent line was threaded through the pipe supports and permanently attached, followed by the next two sections up to Bay 1.

vlmlp1.jpg

Since the 4th section with the front expansion joint can be moved only after the corner pipe support is installed, the white Transfer line with its segmented arch was prepared at the end.

vlmlp2.jpg

And here I thought, how I might build the blind flange at the end of the line. This is a kind of double flange, as in this photo was seen already.

mmis4s3.jpg

Source: NASA

To do this, one could use this small brass rope pulley, I discovered on the ship modeling accessories.

msflanschej.jpg

msflansch.jpg

That would fit quite well by the dimensions, let's see how that looks, when the transfer line is painted. :rolleyes:

:wave:

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Hi Guys,

because I finally would like to go around the corner on the Side 1 with the LH2 pipes, yet the last corner pipe support was to scratch. And to do this you need know good detail photos, on which can be seen also. These corners around the MLP are now not so often been photographed, but I have once again found a suitable image in my collection that is well suited as a template:

ecksupports1s4aufbau.jpg

Source: NASA

As you can see it, the pipes are to held by double brackets on either side. And now let's go, as a foundation for the brackets of the pipes, an angle from Evergreen strips was pasted in the corner angle.

winkel.jpg

Then the lateral dividers for the corner reinforcement and the rear mount rounding were glued still, which are hard to detect at the many white underground. This will be to see more clearly then in the painted state. And so the holder for the Vent line is already done.

The holder for the slightly thinner Transfer line was produced in the same way. And the entire corner support can be seen in the following image.

Thereon the first part of the Vent line-bracket was glued.

halterung1.jpg

For the front bracket I used an I-beam, 1,5x1,2 mm, to which the mounts were glued on both sides.

halterung2ip.jpg

halterung3ip.jpg

The prepared holder was then glued on the front base plate.

up020973.jpg

Then the lateral dividers for the corner reinforcement and the rear mount rounding were glued still, which are hard to detect at the white underground. This will be to see more clearly in the painted state. And so the complete bracket for the Vent line is already done.

The bracket for the slightly thinner Transfer line was produced in the same way. And the entire corner support can be seen in the following image.

ecksupport.jpg

That is now the painted corner support,

ecksupportgrau1.jpg

and so both pipes can be moved around the corner to Side 1, for which the next two pipe supports are required there.

:wave:

Edited by spaceman
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Manfred, the details you're identifying are amazing.

You show us the photo of the MLP and describe the bracket, or whichever detail you want to replicate, and I can't see it. Not until you've built it and then show where it is on the model.

And I want to thank you for all your effort, not only on the build, but for posting it on your German site, and THEN, making the effort to post your progress here and TRANSLATE everything, so that we can learn and enjoy this "Schauspiel" build too! ( I hope that's the right word! )

I am simply astounded at the level of detail you're adding. And I am really, really looking forward to seeing how you detail the RSS, the FSS and the Shuttle stack too.

Vielen Dank Manfred!

Pete

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Hi Pete,

thanks for all the kind words! Your compliments make me happy and give me encouragement to keep pushing on. :rolleyes:

Compliments and comments from you mean a lot for me. :thumbsup: The work you've done on your shuttle models and the builds of all the other cool guys here have been a great inspiration for me, thank you very much. :worship:

By ARC Forums, I have got a lot of tips and tricks already, you are fantastic guys. :banana:

:wave:

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The installaton of the LH2 Pipes around the corner was but not as quickly as I first thought. And just wild on it go to build, as you know is not on my mind. Of course the position of the pipes must match namely Side 1 together with the formation of the two following pipe support, both distance of the MLP wall and height above the Access platform AP 4. And this adjustment you can make difficult without the two supports, especially as these two supports are different from those on the Sides 2 and 4, as you can see on this picture.

pipesupportsmlp2.jpg

Source: http://www.capcomespace.net

Because the pipes run behind the corner, in contrast to the other two sides not relatively close in front of the MLP wall but at much greater distance from her, they have a special structure with lateral supports and reinforcement angles and are thus somewhat more complicated. Therefore, I had to do once again very accurate detailed studies to detect and understand the construction in order to consider how to build this support at best.

In David Maier's Paper kit they are called Pipe hanger and look:

pipesupportskit.jpg

On the installation sketch all looks relatively simply and clearly, but provides you only this puzzle alone on the cutting and folding these delicate parts before, let alone when fixing. So no offense Mr. Maier, but not with me! :woot.gif:

So let's begin, the two basic body are similar like the previous support on the other two sides, so again an I-beam 1,5x1,2 mm, a rectangle profile of 1,5x1,0 mm, as well as Evergreen strips 1,0x0,25 mm, 0,75x0,25 mm and a small U-beam 1,2x0,7 mm as bearing of the Vent line. Here you cn see the beginning of the construction:

pipesupport1.jpg

I let always something overlap the struts and cut them according to the binding of Superglue, because that's easier to manage with the tweezers while fixing.

And here is the first basic body.

pipesupport2.jpg

The second body went smooth as well, in addition you can see the rear outriggers to the MLP wall 5,0x1,0 mm from rectangle profile, coming at the longer support side.

pipesupport3.jpg

pipesupport4.jpg

And now I must consider well how to continue. Probably, it will be better if I glue the body first of all on the MLP wall and afterwards the reinforcement angles and lateral struts. But now I must just determine the places for the two supports and thereby keep in mind, that the lines are not parallel to Access platform AP 4 but slightly rise to the left up to the Access Platform AP3 with LH2 Valve skid.

I guess this seems to be a tricky matter for tomorrow ... :rolleyes:

:wave:

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I am simply astounded at the level of detail you're adding.

I couldn't agree more. Also, I have to keep reminding myself of the scale in which Manfred is working and just how tiny all of these scratch-built pieces are which, in my opinion, makes his efforts and phenomenally accurate results that much more amazing. If I attempted something like this I'd be blind by now. Truly wonderful!

Al

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Hi Guys,

and thanks for all your nice comments and for the admiration of my build. :worship:

So somehow I had thought through but not precisely enough the Assembly process, and this has essentially two reasons. With the bonding of the two pipe supports on the MLP wall I had more almost no room for any necessary corrections, which may be but perhaps necessary, because the two LH2 pipes from the corner support increase slightly oblique to the Access platform with the LH2-Valve skid. And then the two supports have these already described, somewhat complicated structure with some lateral reinforcement angles, again located in the millimeter range. And the assembly of this tiny parts above the access platform bulky for handling would have been likely to be very stressful, namely so about 15 items that need to be glued there on both sides of the support body. And to do this you need simply maximum free moving space. :rolleyes:

Therefore I have considered, to do this delicate work rather separately on the support body, and then to make a fitting on the MLP wall with the provisionally threaded pipes with almost complete supports.

Let's go: The two basic bodys of the pipe supports sit on the already shown rear outriggers between an upper and lower cross bracer on the MLP wall, marked in this picture with arrows. And on these cross bracers, I had then continued the further assembly.

ap41pfeile.jpg

Source: NASA

Because the painted rectangle profiles were anyway not firmly adhered, I took the same again new profiles and prepared the lateral reinforcement angles. These sit on the upper and lower cross bracers(triangular), as well as directly on the MLP wall (trapezoidal shapes). While the triangles on the cross bracers have a constant width, the intermediate trapezia ranging to the vertical reinforcement bar on the wall.

psteilezeichnung.jpg

When placing the reinforcement angles one has to consider still more details because both support differ. And one has already to look back and look at photos from different locations. :rolleyes:

For better comparison, I show the photo with the other position here again, and between these two (and other photos) I am changed often back and forth enough clarity about these differences in detail to identify and understand in the construction.

ecksupports1s4aufbau.jpg

Source: NASA

As you can see on this picture, the right support on the right has no trapezoidal reinforcement angles, but only on the left side (unfortunately hidden), in contrast to the left support, which has them on both sides. Because I don't want you to unnecessarily confuse or bore, looks simply itself, first with the right support.

psteile.jpg

And with applying this tiny parts the puzzle now really begins. Doing my modified approach during the assembly should prove extremely helpful. The cross bars formed a sufficiently solid foundation together with the rectangle profile behind the support basic body. And so I could turn this framework now easily back and forth and install right and left all the other angles.

Here is the view from the right,

psrechts.jpg

and here from the left.

pslinks.jpg

So but still not enough of the cruel game, at the end all angles got still cover plates from Evergreen strips 0,75x0,25 mm on the leading edge. And then I could ever make a first fitting of the right support on the ground and had to breathe. :rolleyes::woot.gif:

psanprobe.jpg

Up here since now around 25 pieces stuck in it. :woot.gif: Now missing only the lateral oblique support bracers on the left side of the support, which can be glued but only after the final assembly of the support on the wall. :rolleyes:

:wave:

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Today it went further with the left pipe support, whose basic body was already prepared. I had already explained the different arrangement of the remaining triangular and trapezoidal reinforcement angles, you can now watch in the following images.

Even from the right side

beidesupportsrechts.jpg

and here from the left side.

beidesupportslinks.jpg

And now I beaming with joy wanted to make for the first time a fitting at the MLP with two supports and two pipes. But fitting delivered to my horror a nasty surprise, flehan.gif hard to believe, but true.

As I had threaded both pipes through the supports, turned out that the corner pipe support was somehow too far forward. This had to result, that the pipes don't run parallel to the Side 1, but diagonally to the wall. :woot.gif: Holy crap I thought, since I must have measured myself in between probably. doh.gif What now?

The support stuck down but so that I could not replace him, probably he would have not survived anyway that. Remained only the possibility of cutting him from the front in the curves with the round stick with extreme caution and very much feeling gently to about 2 mm. And maybe that was a hot number, I can tell you, almost like an open heart surgery. w00t.gif

With the fingertips of the left hand I gently propped up the support, and carefully honed with the right hand, or rather, stroked with the round stick. And I have tried several times, whether it produced already ranges from the length, but quite a few passes were necessary, because I could not put so much pressure.

Man oh man, :woot.gif: I had real concerns that the support would give up the spirit but at some point. But he has survived this ordeal happily and looked after the surgery:

eskrzung.jpg

And so I could finally make the fitting of the pipes in the supports, and that worked then finally also quite well and I was happy - end good, all good. :rolleyes:

beidesupportsanprobe.jpg

Then the supports were painted, and so the image rounds out now more and more.

beidesupportsanprobefar.jpg

beidesupportsmlp.jpg

beidesupportsmlptsm.jpg

And now also the installation of the pipes around the corner can be done. :thumbsup:

:wave:

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This thread looks more like actual construction site photos than a model building thread. I expect to log in one day and see a bunch of living 1/144 scale welders just chipping away at this thing! Remarkable work (engineering).

I'm sure you noticed this since you have such a keen eye for detail. But just in case you didn't notice and to save you from a minor mistake. Notice the pipes don't make a 90 turn around this corner. They have a 45 degree chamfer where that flat plate is welded on the corner. Like I said, I know you probably know that, but just in case I thought I'd mention it.

I just can't wait til you get to the other elements like the stack, and crawler, and the launch control room, and Houston's flight control room...and and and.... :woot.gif:

Bill

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Hi Bill,

thanks for your nice comments. Just wait and see the next photos, then you'll see these segmented pipe elbows you mean. But there are not only these segmented pipe elbows, therefore have a look at the pipe elbows of the LOX-Vent line on Side 2 (see pics p. 12), this is a true 90 degree pipe elbows, the LOX-Transfer line, however, has again segmented pipe elbow, which is only a small, but fine difference. :rolleyes:

BTW, so everyone has his preferences and expectations ... :whistle:

:wave:

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Manfred,

Bill's right, it looks like you are showing construction site pictures of a real MLP. The details you are building into the brackets are outstanding! :thumbsup:

Mike.

Edited by crowe-t
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Thanks Mike and darren for your nice words, here is a next update.

So, before the LH2-Vent line runs now around the corner, the two supports received each on the left side the lateral oblique support struts (0,75x0,25 mm).

supportstreben.jpg

Then the segmented elbow pipe of the vent line was prepared, which leads to the Side 1.

lh2winkel.jpg

It should be noted that the vent line dies away immediately in front of the left support approximately to the diameter of the transfer line (see arrow).

ap41pfeil.jpg

Source: NASA

I have measured the length of the pipe to the left so that it's immediately ranging about to the support on the Access platform AP 3 in front of the LH2-Valve skid. After that will follow bizarre branches of pipes and valves. Therefore I will build first the valve skid outside the access platform, in order to have enough freedom of movement. Then the complete skid is to connect to the two pipes.

lh2winkelmlp1.jpg

And now the LH2-Transfer line on the Side 4 could begin next building. This pipe is thus somewhat more complicated, because it has four welded joints, which are covered with protective casings. These white casings are shown in this picture (see arrows). There are also several double rings on the line.

mpl1side4pfeile.jpg

Source: NASA

Therefore the line had to be divided into four sections. I started at the rear end, where the pipe is locked with a blind flange for what been using a brass sheave from ship modeling. The 60° elbow pipe also is segmented.

tlblindflansch.jpg

This first segment of the line was then painted.

tlblindflanschmlpf.jpg

I have wrapped the protective casings from aluminium foil and painted with white (satin).

hlsensegmenteringe.jpg

And the rings are made of square profile 0,5x0,5 mm.

hlsenringe.jpg

And so the first two transfer line segments are completed.

hlsenringemlp.jpg

The remaining two line segments will follow soon.

:wave:

Edited by spaceman
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Hi Mike,

thanks for your compliments that make me happy and proud. :rolleyes:

And here are the two remaining segments of the Transfer line already trial pre-installed.

vltlmlp1.jpg

The connection of the pipe segments had relatively well to do, because the protective casings were ideal joints. :D

vltlmlp2.jpg

vltlmlp.jpg

Now the transfer line must be performed only just around the corner, wherefore made this connection element with segmented elbow pipe.

tlsegmentwinkel.jpg

And now this part must fit only into the gap.

tlsegmentwinkelansatz.jpg

And it fits, and the fitting looks in any case already quite passable. :rolleyes:

vltlmlpanprobe1.jpg

vltlmlpanprobe2.jpg

So, that would be once completed. :thumbsup:

Now I'll go back to the Side 2, as yet the LOX-Transfer line is missing, which is produced according to the same pattern. :coolio:

:wave:

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Manfred,

This is a lot of fun watching your MLP come together. I can't wait to see the rest of this complex.

BTW, what made you choose to build STS-6 as opposed to STS-1? I'm just curious but I'm sure it's to honor Challenger and her crew.

Mike.

Edited by crowe-t
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Hi Mike,

I am pleased that you have fun by following my MLP build. :)

And the reason for selection the STS-6 mission is a little bit project history I've written about at the beginning of my thread:

I was inspired to this project through the construction report of a guy in the Scaleworld.de-Forum, who has chosen the last shuttle mission of the Atlantis with STS-135 for his Launch pad project. And an other guy had already started with a project of the first mission of the Columbiawith STS-1 .

Therefore I decided for the first mission of the Challenger with STS-6 (04.04.1983) as guidance version for my build, because I would like to build my Launch Pad with the tower version from the initial years of shuttle era with the red lattice windows of the elevator shaft and the partial red FSS frame structure, inclusive hammerhead crane, which fascinated me somehow. :rolleyes:

fahrstuhlschacht.jpg

Source: NASA

BTW MLP-2 was used on this mission for the first time, and this MLP-2 forms the basis of David Maier's Paper kit, what maly149 had been properly noticed.

:wave:

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Hi Manfred,

Thanks for the history of your build's inspiration. You had only mentioned you were inspired by similar projects in the German forum Raumfahrer.net at the beginning of your thread.

Your project is a real nice honor to the Challenger.

Mike.

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Hi Mike,

that's right, but I was inspired by similar projects in both forums, Raumfahrer.net and Scaleworld.de. And my project will ever be a honor to the Challenger and her crew too. :rolleyes:

Meanwhile it continued with the LOX Transfer line on Side 2 for first the blind flange came at the end of the line. I.e. the actual blind flange is already done, which is the grey disc with the medium-sized red seal. But still a thicker white disc comes close behind it.

blindflansch.jpg

And here is the finished flange with the segmented elbow pipe as first part of the Side 2 transfer line already, which had to be divided into several segments due to the five Welding joints and of the rings distributed along the entire length.

blindflanschbogenringe.jpg

Because the transfer line with 1.4 mm diameter is relatively thin, I have taken this time insulation tube for the rings. The casings of the welding joints are again wrapped in aluminium foil. And then everything went to the painting.

And this is the finished first segment, which now can be installed at the end of Side 2.

blindflanschlack.jpg

First the final segment with the blind flange was threaded through the rear support and connected to the 2nd pipe segment in the following welding joint. This segment ranges in the Bay 5, where already the next welding joint will come. In between are still three groups of rings. Behind it, the beginning of the 3rd segment is already to see with the rings.

tlsegment1.jpg

The connection of 4th segment then follows in the welding joint in the Bay 9, then ranging in the Bay 15.

tlsegment24.jpg

Then follows only the last pipe segment - with the segmented elbow pipe - which leads to the Side 1.

tlsegment5.jpg

And so it has now its particularity. While the Transfer line on Side 2 was previously white, but now its color changes located in the segmented elbow pipe at the corner to Side 1 strangely on grey (why always??), how to see clearly in this picture (see arrow).

pipesbergangs2s1pfeil.jpg

Source: NASA

This must be so, because the NASA engineers will have thought already anything it.

So, and here the first grey segment of the transfer line is preinstalled behind the corner on the left pallet on the Access platform AP 1.

tlbergangs2s1.jpg

And so the boredom of endless straight pipes is over now, because it goes now from the left pallet to the right pallet, and so that finally the long prepared LOX Valve skid again comes into play. And because it goes directly in Bay 7 in front of the LOX filter from the horizontal in a vertical after up, so high of course not quite. :rolleyes:

Shortly thereafter, it is now really exciting because now the branchings of the pipes on the valve skid are beginning and really have it in themselves. Let's see what still can be built. :woot.gif:

tlbergangs2s11.jpg

And so slowly but surely, Side 1 begins to fill ... :rolleyes:

tlbergangs2s12.jpg

As far as for today.

:wave:

Edited by spaceman
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It's time for the next update.

And so back to continue the LOX Transfer line on the left Equipment pallet on the Access platform AP 1, I had indeed already on a trial basis adapted to the length. As well as already declared and was to see, the color of the transfer line around the corner to the Side 1 changes from white to grey.

This pipe segment has some details that you can see on my standard photo shown already several times by the left pallet.

linkespalletpfeile1.jpg

Source: Capcomespace.net

There are three groups of three rings, two smaller cylinders (possibly filter), one is vertically standing (1) and the other horizontally to rear (2), and in the middle are a pipe coupling (3) with a delicate small valve on the top. And these things I've tried me first.

vlringespule.jpg

The white rings left in the image are again from square profile (0,5x0,5 mm) bent. The right cylinder with the four rings of lead wire (Ø=0,3 mm) is this pipe coupling. For the valve attachment, I had originally intended the red part in, by the way comes from an interdental brush. But as you can see already, this part of the proportions is produced but much too big for the coupling when looking at this picture to do so (see lower left corner).

anfanglpalletrechteseit.jpg

Source: NASASpaceflight.com (J. Patterson)

That is why I have made the small valve attachment itself, the two lateral elements are made of round profile (Ø 1.0 mm), the upper small part is only about 1,0x1,0 mm, so it should probably be arrived on the border of what is possible in this scale. The left white part is one of the two small filters (Ø 2,0 mm).

armaturteile.jpg

vlringespulefilter.jpg

But somehow the proportions of the lateral elements on the valve attachment were always incorrect, which would have to be thin, which I then changed, left by a small nail (Ø 0.7 mm =) and right by a pin (Ø 0.6 mm), which then looked better.

vlringespulefilterarmat.jpg

vlringespulefilterarmat.jpg

And this is the fitting on the pallet with the customized segmented Pipe elbow.

vlrsfmlp.jpg

Here are some pictures for the overall impression:

vlrsfmlpgesamt.jpg

This is not everything but still long, because this main pipe of the transfer line has still a parallel side extrusion,

that branches off backwards, as you immediately can see on my 3rd image in front of the MLP wall.

vlrsfumleitung.jpg

And this side extrusion has still some small details that also has to be scratch built next time. :woot.gif:

:wave:

Edited by spaceman
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Thanks Mike for the nice and appreciative words. But this attention to detail has its price, it costs much scary time. :woot.gif:

But the biggest challenge of my previous MLP build expects me now with the filigree pipe systems on the LOX- and LH2-Valve skids. Therefore a lot of detailed studies of close-up shots are required for trying detection, scaling and scratch-building these crazy details, :bandhead2:

for example like this here

ap13panoramagro.jpg

Source: NASA

I'm curious to see whether it succeeds me somehow ... :rolleyes:

:wave:

Edited by spaceman
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