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


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Hello everybody,

 

today my Christmas present finally arrived from ANDROMEDA24.DE. yahoo.gif

 

43Wa9m.jpg

 

A great illustrated book with many interesting and rare photos on 238 pages, an absolute Must have  for shuttle lovers like me! 286.gif

Here is a little foretaste! 

 

dMD26K.jpg

 

And here's another insider tip that even a search on the Andromeda website won't bring to light ... yikes.gif

 

The legendary Revell Launch Tower Kit (4911), which is out of stock already even after its new edition, with all its unpleasant scale flaws, :whistle:

 

HAkgdG.jpg

 

of which the shop owners were still able to chase down a few copies (129 €). up040577.gif

 

So hurry up, first come first served! :nanner:

Edited by spaceman
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Hello my friends,

 

but before the clock of the old year finally is running down, I would like to come back to my STS-6-Astrovan (1:160) and take one last look at it for this year. cool.gif

 

And I have to admit that just alone cutting out the body and especially the wheel cases was a tricky business, which surprised me quite a bit, up037312.gif

 

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as well like the folding and gluing of this tiny van compared to the larger model (1:48)

 

mIG3Op.jpg

 

I'm already scared of the roof ...  hmmm.gif

 

IUpSnB.jpg

 

And now it is time to thank you again for your interest in my work up046068.gif and to wish everyone a Happy New Year. smilie_new_213.gif

Cheers! 00002527.gif

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I wondered if the 1/48 Astrovan was a Plastic kit or Paper model and the little 1/160, I shall assume, is a paper kit ... are they? And I'm not worried about how you'll build the roof  ...  ;- D

The Launch Pad kit, I thought you had one already?

 

Anyway Manfred, I look forward to watching this build for the next 12 months with my stale popcorn and comfy slippers!

 

Let me wish you a very Happy and Healthy 2022 ... it has just GOT to be better than this one!

Pete

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1 hour ago, K2Pete said:

I wondered if the 1/48 Astrovan was a Plastic kit or Paper model and the little 1/160, I shall assume, is a paper kit ... are they? And I'm not worried about how you'll build the roof  ...  ;- D

The Launch Pad kit, I thought you had one already?

 

Anyway Manfred, I look forward to watching this build for the next 12 months with my stale popcorn and comfy slippers!

 

Let me wish you a very Happy and Healthy 2022 ... it has just GOT to be better than this one!

Pete

 

Hey Pete,

 

you want to kid me, don't you? :rofl: Or did you misplace your glasses? up040577.gif

 

My little Van Paper kit in 1:160 is downscaled from the original 1:48 Paper kit.

 

And the hint to the Revell's old Launch Tower Kit was just a customer service for prospective customers, maybe for you too? :dontknow:

 

Simply stay tuned and healthy, enjoy and get some fresh :popcorn::popcorn::popcorn: ...  :whistle:

smilie_new_213.gif   00002527.gif

Edited by spaceman
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1 hour ago, crowe-t said:

Manfred,  Will you be adding little people to the diorama?  Oops, I hope I didn't just give you an idea. lol  You have enough to do on this project.

 

Happy New Year everyone!

 

Hi Mike,

 

a bit of foot soldiers shall be included, e.g. the Challenger crew and a few pad workers as well as firemen and safety inspectors too, so that nothing happens ... up040577.gif

Also for you all the best and smilie_new_213.gif 00002527.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

it continues with the construction of the small Astrovan for the Diorama, cool.gif and since it is really tiny, extreme caution was required in all further steps. up045518.gif

 

After I've cut out the roof, up046933.gif I've carefully pre-scored the fold edges and cut out a cardboard insert for stabilization so that I ever had a chance to glue the tricky roof together. rolleyes.gif

 

BSKLmf.jpg

 

For the same reason, I did without the paper wheel mounts and instead glued in small Balsa blocks to make it easier for me to glue the wheels in place. 

Then I glued the wheel disks to the punched cardboard disks, the edges of which I blackened beforehand. 

 

XvBL0f.jpg

 

Following I've glued in the roof reinforcement, which was a pretty stressful and tricky action, especially on the side edges, and took some time. up037312.gif

 

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Before gluing the wheels in place, I thought about the best and, most importantly, the safest way to realize it, since the unstable and extremely sensitive bodywork should be handled as little as possible. analintruder.gif And that's where I still came across my scissor tweezers, einfall.gifwith whose help I could grab the Balsa blocks and put the bodywork on its side, 

 

uUkv8s.jpg

 

which was a great help when carefully gluing the wheels and lastingly protected the bodywork. up039822.gif

 

GokaLc.jpg

 

Before gluing the roof on, I wanted to glue the tiny fans together and then glue them on. But since that could end in a fiasco, yikes.gif 

 

ffXjuL.jpg

 

I've cut out small cardboard cores around which I could just imagine gluing the bizarre structures ... up046885.gif

 

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But maybe I have to do without the adhesive folds and cut them off ... hmmm.gif

 

I didn't think it was possible before that the construction of this tiny paper Astrovan would become so complicated, huh.gif 

 

so let's take a look ... up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello everybody,

 

just good that the message in my fortune cookie has bolstered me up appropriate courage. :banana:

 

AEi44Y.jpg

 

The small fans on the roof were a stressful undertaking already, analintruder.gif whose gluing around the cardboard cores I still succeeded after a few unsuccessful attempts, after having removed all glue folds. I first glued the cardboard cores to the underside of the roof and let it dry briefly. 

 

Then I've laid each fan on the roof, held it from above with the tweezers, and then dabbed the side walls one after the other with a mini droplet of glue at the acupuncture needle and and glued, up037312.gif which was quite cumbersome and also sweaty under the Headset magnifying glass ... 

 

Then I worked on the front bumper, for which I used Styrene (0,25 mm), which could have been a bit thinner, but this goes through now! cool.gif

 

FVN8ac.jpg

 

Before gluing the roof on, I glued a Balsa strip at the upper edge of the bodywork to stabilize the walls. And nevertheless I had to treat this fragile paper structure like a raw egg when gluing the roof on. shocked.gif 

 

After the glue had dried, the small rear bumper stubs were glued, which of course could not be missing. huh.gif And after the front headlights and the side mirrors had also been glued, the final inspection could finally take place, which was actually positive and can be seen. up039822.gif

 

oXIeaF.jpg

 

And the comparison with the large Van model (1:48) shows in an impressive way how small this Mini Astrovan (1:160) really is, which now also fits with its NASA Worm logo with my STS-6 Diorama. :thumbsup:

 

jA2RMh.jpg

 

All in all, the construction was an attractive, but at the same time demanding task, a real Challenge, so to speak! :clap2:

 

And since I've meanwhile found pleasure in the Pad vehicles, I also still got the idea idea1_2.gif to include the Payload Canister Transporter into my fleet, which can at least partially be seen on this STS-6 reference photo when loading the RSS Payload Bay, a thought that has been going through my head for some time, cause this transporter is an extremely interesting and extraordinary special vehicle ... :thumbsup:

 

bTMZO9.jpg
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

 

And on this picture one can see the transporter leaving the Vertical Processing Facility, in which the respective payload is installed into the upright standing Payload Canister.  

 

gwuyp9.jpg
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

 

For this sub-project, however, I still have to do some research in order to gain more clarity about the construction and nature of both components. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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That Fortune Cookie was indeed truthful! ... but we've all seen you in action and can confirm that message!

 

You keep this thread fresh Manfred, with all these new discoveries ... like this Transporter vehicle ... something I had not ever heard of. And then to follow up with your ingenious solutions, gives that "A-HA moment ... so THAT's how he did THAT!" ... for us all, which keeps us viewers engaged as well!

 

And on the main General Discussion page, a thread appeared asking why the ARC site has decreased in activity overall, so it's not just this Forum, but I AM curious to know where all the 'regulars' went! Facebook? Or are we just not FUN enough?  ;^ D

Pete

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Thanks Pete for coming back to my journey of exploration  through the Launch Complex 39A during the STS-6 time. :worship:

 

I do believe that we will soon find our way back to our usual form and an active exchange of ideas, to which everyone can contribute ... :whistle:

 

Regarding the Payload Canister Transporter, this is really a fascinating special truck 'Made in Germany' by KAMAG with unbelievable functionality that has cast a spell on me and will look good on the Diorama together with the Payload Canisterup039822.gif

 

Let's be surprised, it's interesting and worthwhile to get to know him a little bit more. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Thanks Bruce for your nice feedback, which I'm happy about. :worship:

 

I've started researching and looking for good reference photos or even drawings, both of the Payload Canister and of its mighty Transporter, what I need for scratch-building. up040577.gif

 

If you look at the KAMAG website, you get an idea of what the company has already built for fabulous Monster Transporters, absolute madness, :woot.gif: for an engineer and technician like me, the purest land of paradise ... :yahoo:

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Hello everybody,

 

unfortunately I've remembered these two original photos from the STS-6 on my Reference CD (J. L. Pickering - retrospaceimages.com) far too late, after chasing other photos for a long time, up040472.gif which one can definitely find on the web, like this very nice photo here from the NASA Media Archive, on which you can also study the details of the transporter very well in the XXL zoom, which you need for scratching, as long as one takes it a little more exactly, like me. cool.gif 

 

00pp0098-m.jpg 
Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov

 

However, with this you still don't have the main dimensions (LxWxH), which you absolutely need to be able to estimate the size of the transporter and of interesting details, at least as long as you don't have drawings ... hmmm.gif

 

But then you also still have to know that this is a picture of the two transporters from the manufacturer, the KAMAG Transporttechnik GmbH in Ulm, which were delivered to NASA in early 2000 as the successors to the 20-year-old Payload Canister Transporter System. huh.gif 

 

Here are two photos of the arrival of the transporters, on which one can already see many important details,

 

00pp0083-m.jpg
Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov

 

00pp0086-m.jpg
Source: mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov

 

so inter alia, that the transporter has 24 wheels, which makes it clear that I will have something to do when scratching, up037312.gif which, as is well known, excites me all the more. up039822.gif

 

However, one must not be dazzled by these great photos, since it is not yet clear how small or tiny some details in 1:160 might be again, see Astrovan. analintruder.gif

 

But since I'm only interested in the 1983 transporter, used at the STS-6, I had to keep looking first and then have found at my friend James MacLaren, what I was looking for, who describes the Payload Canister Transporter of the time on his Website in words and pictures, when he worked from 1980 to 1985 during building the second pad, Launch Pad 39-B. :thumbsup:

 

QYX5fj.jpg
Source: 16streets.com/MacLaren

 

And as you can see, the transporter at that time looked a bit different, 

 

23YSNp.jpg
Source: 16streets.com/MacLaren

 

so I had to do some more research first. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Hello everybody,

 

in order to get usable dimensions for the scratch-building of the Payload Canister Transporter, I had to open up other sources, which took some time. For this I researched the Proceedings of various NASA conferences in which I actually found what I was looking for. cool.gif

 

Among other things, I came across this old photo of the transporter, which initially caused quite a bit of confusion for me, up037692.gif

 

CyTYUh.jpg
Source: Space Congress Proceedings 2. - 1980 (17th) A New Era In Technology (W. H. Rock)

 

because one can see that the transporter has 24 twin wheel sets and therefore had not only 24 but a total of 48 wheels. :woot.gif:

 

Of course I had to get to the bottom of this and asked my friend James MacLaren about it, who also confirmed it to me, especially since he also wondered about it when he first saw this vehicle. 

 

Another open question was whether the transporter only had a driver's cabin on one side, as initially shown in the pictures, or perhaps on both sides, as is also was the case with the Crawler. hmmm.gif

 

And he also answered this question right away by saying that the transporter of the time had a cabin both on the front and on the back, although he was actually of the opinion (original sound):  In truth, the thing did not have a front side or a back side. Didn't matter which way it was pointed. Driver gets in and "go". Real simple that way. :rofl: Wherewith this detail was clarified too. up039822.gif

 

The confirmation for this I finally got in a contribution by M. E. Donahue: Payload Transportation at KSC, held at the Space Shuttle Technical Conference (1983)

 

uenGBq.jpg
Source: NASA Conference Publication 2342 Part 2 (M. E. Donahue)

 

On it one can also read that the electrical, environmental, fluid and gas, and instrumentation services required by the payload during transportation are supplied by separate Subsystems, which one can see in the drawing above (Figure 3), 

 

- the Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS Modules), 

 

- the Environmental Control System (ECS Module), 

 

- the Instrumentation and Communication Subsystem (I&CS Module) and

 

- the Fluid and Gas Subsystem (F&GS) (F&GS Module).

 

This transporter is a true masterpiece of transport technology. Its elevating flat bed has a height of 1,8 m (6') but can be lowered to 1,6 m (5'-3'') depending on the terrain or raised to 2,1 m (7'±3'').  up039822.gif

 

Its 24 twin wheel sets can be steered independently of one another and enable the transporter to move forwards, backwards and sideways or diagonally, or to rotate around its own axis like a merry-go-round. All each have separate brake and stabilization lifting systems, if you will a Jack of all trades device. up046885.gif

 

Because payload handling will require precise movements, the transporter has a "creep mode" that permits it to move as slowly as 0,64 cm/s (0,25 in/s) or 0,023 km/h (0,014 mph). analintruder.gif

 

From this drawing I determined the dimensions of the Payload Canister for my scale (1:160), 

 

kujTrp.jpg
Source: NASA Conference Publication 2342 Part 2 (M. E. Donahue)

 

L = 65' = 124 mm (1:160) x B = 18' = 34 mm (1:160) x H = 18'-7'' = 35 mm (1:160),

 

and in the text one can also find the dimensions of the Transporter, so now I know what's in store for me.

 

L = 65' = 124 mm (1:160) x B = 23' = 44 mm (1:160) x H = 6' = 11,5 mm (1:160)

 

And that's enough for me to scratch-building, since I now know what the side view looked like, as well as the 'front/back side', as in this photo from the STS-6 CD-ROM can be seen here. 

 

E2qAoS.jpg
Source: retrospaceimages.com (STS-6)

 

Now I can think about whether I should start building the Transporter right away or postpone it for the time being ... hmmm.gif

 

The wheel sets remind me a lot of the 14 wheel sets of the main landing gears of my Antonov An-225, which is also waiting for me in my cupboard ... :whistle:

 

kWXm8H.jpg

 

Antonow_An-225_-_Rollfeld.jpg
Source: flugzeug-lexikon.de (ILA_2010)

 

In terms of structure, they should look similar to these one, only that the Transporter has twin wheel sets. huh.gif

 

Antonov-225_main_landing_gear_2.jpg
Source: wikimedia.org

 

That's just in order to get attuned a bit. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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