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

[bubble]

Your upgrades looks awsome Manfred , look a whyle not here but very high details my compliments

[spaceman]

Thanks bubble for your nice words, here comes the next update.

After the completion of blast shields was the fitting of the larger canopy now.

And it is quite clear, that it now slowly but surely means taking leave of the beautiful sight of exposed pipes and fittings on the two Valve skids, to which I had adjusted already.

For the left canopy still bars between the reinforcing bracers had to be glued in place, because otherwise there would be open columns at the back edge.

At that time I had to omit the grand staircase of the Access platform AP 1 to the upper deck of the MLP, because there was no staircase on the MLP-2 during the STS-6 mission. But over the sub-frame for the stand of the monitoring camera of the LOX valve skid I have not thought, because she was on all my former photos, like this.

Source: NASA

And as the camera focused on the LH2-Valve skid is not on a stand, but hangs on the right side of the large canopy, I've looked closer to this place on the MLP-2 photo by the STS-6, and three times you can guess...

Source: http://www.retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

The local camera was also not on a stand, but hung under the small canopy, and at that time showed on the left equipment pallet. And accordingly there were also no stand. So I must remove the sub-frame on my platform, hopefully without greater field damage to set.

But before this operation and before the Blast shields finally come into place, farewell here again some last views at the still-open platforms on Side 1.

So long.

Edited February 18, 2013 by spaceman

[niart17]

WOW! Manfred this is just tooo freakin' awesome. I hate to see all that work being obscured by the blast covers. Which leads me to a small suggestion. Maybe you could light the platform? using small LEDs, it would show off all of that brilliant work you've done in the dark crevices of this thing. With your skills, it should be fairly easy for you. Whatcha think? Just an idea.

Bill

[crowe-t]

Hi Manfred,

The problem with doing such a beautifully detailed build like this is eventually some of the details will get covered but not all!

Well done on the blast shield. :worship:

Mike.

[spaceman]

Thanks Bill and Mike for your kind words, I am also glad and proud of the result of this painful but ultimately successful work on Side 1. :)

The idea with the lighting is not bad, but maybe too complicated. Then you should probably think about optical fiber cable, which I unfortunately don't know. LED's are perhaps too big for this scale.

Edited January 23, 2013 by spaceman

[Hotdog]

Hey Manfred,

I found something that may help you with your build. A company called LVM Studios has produced a photo-etch detail set for the Revell Launch Complex 39 kit. It may be of some use and save you some scratch building once you get to the gantry portion of the build. You can find the parts for purchase here:

LC39 Detail Kits 1-3

LC39 Detail Kit 4

[spaceman]

Thanks Hotdog for your help, I know the nice LVM Detail Kits and I bought it about a year ago.

I have presented the kits already in this extra thread here.

[spaceman]

And now the "lid" is finally on it, but most of the details are still to see, you should select only a different perspective.

And now the smaller blast shield is also finished and could be mounted.

Now I have glued the metal strips over the joints of the panels, which are only implied in the Paper kit, and thus both blast shields now are almost complete.

Now, under the large canopy even the three Pipe hangars of the LH2-Transfer line missing, which leads to the LH2-Tunnel.

Quelle: www.retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

They come next time.

Now I have installed the staircase to the Crawler, from the most accessible point from below. This is the folded state,

and so she is unfolded, now missing only the railing before.

As far as for today.

[crowe-t]

Manfred,

The blast shields look great and the stairs are very nicely done! :worship:

Are you building the crawler or will the MLP be mounted at the pad?

Mike.

[Mknorr]

Fantastic progress! All that's missing are the lights. Will you be adding those? That would really test your patience I think. :P

Edited January 29, 2013 by Mknorr

[mriccio]

Manfred, this is just over the top...

I cannot believe the level of detail you are putting into this, and it is all so convincing, and to scale.

Absolutely Beautiful!!

[spaceman]

Thanks Mike and Manfred for your kind words.

I intend to build both variants, so also the Crawler. The MLP so might be mounted at the Pad as a part of the diorama. To do this, but the FSS and RSS must be installed.

About the lighting I've thought already, best fiber optic cable would be, but for this purpose, the scale 1:160 is probably too small. And I also have no experience with this technique.

Perhaps, I will reproduce some of the lamps, let's see.

[spaceman]

Manfred, this is just over the top... :salute:/>

I cannot believe the level of detail you are putting into this, and it is all so convincing, and to scale.

Absolutely Beautiful!!

Thanks Marco for the nice words. Sometimes I am amazed and wonder where this will lead to even. I would have not believed previously that I manage these details on the two Valve skids actually to scratch-build, and now I got it and I am very happy.

[spaceman]

In such combined Kit/scratch-build projects such as this one should not to be sure that everything runs smoothly and nothing in between. Because firstly, it is otherwise, and secondly as you think...

And prompt the fate has struck again.

After now the two blast shields were mounted, I occupied myself ever with the LOX/LH2-Transducer panels. These panels are for control of process parameters of the LOX and LH2 circuits which can logically be seen on Side 1 photos only from behind, because they are served from the back.

Source: NASA

The panels are mounted between T-beam bracers, that sit between the Access platform 1 and two Blast shields (LOX transducer Panel) or between the Access platforms 2 and 3 (LH2 transducer Panel) and stand upright. As a result these Panels must be the blast shields line up, and thus the problem what I got suddenly. :(

Check this alignment, I had to sadly realize that the access platform under the larger blast shield protrudes too far forward. Although only about 2 mm, but so that the T-beams of the mounting bracers would be not perpendicular but oblique. :unsure:

What now, said Zeus ... Take everything so leave and thus inclined beams in purchase, but bite the bullet or the access platform according to shorten?

Now, anyone who knows me, senses how I decided maybe. And since I'm not satisfied with such half-measures, I opted for the cut in the upper lip, and must bite through willy-nilly me.

After I had decided to this emergency surgery, I first cut off the superfluous subframe for the camera with my Dremel cutting disc and then carefully removed the front brass angle profile which was still relatively easily because it was glued to the platform bracers with Superglue.

But now came the more difficult part of the exercise, because now in addition approx. 1.5 mm had to away, as you can see here.

And therefore the PE mesh had also to shorten, what initially already terrified me.

Because I wanted to take no risk, I put aside the Dremel, probably the whole grid together with the valve skid would be flown to my ears in the action ...

That is why I have taken to the nail scissors and have carefully cut off piece for piece under the magnifying glass,

what you can see here.

Then I have reduced again the bracers with the Dremel, with which the operation was almost finished, and the patient is even still alive.

Now the brass angle could to be glued again , and so the case was resolved, thank God.

And to get back to other thoughts, I further made even with the railing in front of the foldaway stairs and the front staircase between the Access platforms AP 2 and AP 3.

So but enough for today.

Edited January 31, 2013 by spaceman

[crowe-t]

Manfred,

You did such a perfect job of cutting the access platform. :thumbsup:

That's one of the problems with a project like this, finding issues along the way but you managed to make the fix look like nothing had been touched. Well done!

Mike.

[Mknorr]

Nice repairs. You are indeed a very fussy modeler

[spaceman]

Thanks Mike and Manfred for your nice comments,

ultimately, everything has fortunately gone well and I'm at least relieved. I also believe when now comes the color still on it, you will hardly see the operating scars.

Don't be so fussy, Manfred! So, I am now. The devil is in the details. My ambition and love for details would not allow such leaning and crooked things, the sight would disturb me. And therefore, I do prefer it once again and can sleep afterwards again peacefully ...

[spaceman]

The staircase builders have made next and took measurements on the Access platforms.

After that, the stairs went to the fitting,

and then in the paint, together with the rails and some profiles for the Pipe Hangars and Transducer Panels.

Next I began with the three Transducer Panels that I had shown already in the original image. Here is the first panel, sitting between the two Access Platforms 2 and 3.

Source: www.retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

From the paper kit I take only the front board that is glued on a sheet of 0.2 mm. For the lateral bracers I used T-beams 1.5 mm, and 0.25 mm ø steel rods for the cables.

The other two panels sit between the Access platform 1 and the two Blast Shields and were rebuilt as well.

And here, all three panels are already finished and painted. The first panel still got another front plate, as the MLP-2 on STS-6 (green arrowhead) did not have these black cables right in front of the plate. The template of the Paper kit, however, comes from the MLP-2 in the last missions, where these cables were actually. The little boxes I have indicated and made of 0.5 mm round profile.

Prior to the installation of the panel the rear staircase and railing in front of the foldaway stairs were installed, and only then the panel itself.

Edited February 21, 2013 by spaceman

[spaceman]

As well as the railing on the left followed.

At the end, yet the front stairs between the two platforms was glued.

From there it continues now with railings, that I've ever tried,

and then the two stacked Transducer Panels follow.

Well, that was all in all a quite stressful, but again is well done.

[crowe-t]

Manfred,

Well done indeed!!!

The railings, Transducer Panels and stairs look great and blend perfectly with the rest of the details.

It looks like you shrunk down a real MLP. :worship:

Mike.

[Mknorr]

Great update Manfred. So much fine detail.

One question, I couldn't find the giant clothes peg anywhere in the photos of the real MLP. Would you be able to highlight it for me please? :lol:

Well done Sir.

[spaceman]

Manfred,

Well done indeed!!!

The railings, Transducer Panels and stairs look great and blend perfectly with the rest of the details.

It looks like you shrunk down a real MLP. :worship:

Mike.

Thanks Mike you for the appreciative words, but for this I would can conjure up.

I think it fits so far everything very well to each other.

After the railings, I searched for awhile until I've found the right form. They have longer feet so that I can paste it in front of the leading edge of the Access platforms as in the original MLP.

[spaceman]

Great update Manfred. So much fine detail.

One question, I couldn't find the giant clothes peg anywhere in the photos of the real MLP. Would you be able to highlight it for me please? :lol:

Well done Sir.

Thanks Manfred for the nice words, you're a little Joker, but fun must be.

[ralf]

Great progress, by the way I ordered the parts you mentioned to me for my LUT build and I will probably scratch build a lot more than I originally planned.

Keep up the good work!

[spaceman]

Thanks Ralf, which pleased that it continues to like and further inspires you.

And it is better if you want scratch-build some load-bearing parts of the LUT by plastic profiles and not of paper are doing. This is much more stable and above all much better looks. You'll see, worth the effort, and I have not regretted it yet.

Edited February 8, 2013 by spaceman