Modeling a shuttle during launch

[mkjm]

Among other things (Revell 1/144 Saturn V, scratchbuilding an SLS Block 1 and Atlas V) I also have a long term plan for a shuttle fleet displayed in various stages of flight/nonflight, including an ongoing project of a Revell 1/72 displayed in orbit as Atlantis (A la the KSC exhibit), a 1/100 Tamiya that will be Columbia after landing and wheels stop on STS-1 (those air brakes and flaps are great), a Hasegawa egg-shuttle that might be Discovery etc etc.

I would love to do a lift-off scene and have been brainstorming how one could do launch flames and exhaust, and I've looked at both celluclay and heavy gel mediums for artist acrylics. My thought is to take a smaller shuttle stack kit, mount some dowels or pipe through the SRBs. These will be mounted to a display stand, as well as used to build up the gel medium (or celluclay) in layers - smooth flames coming out of the SRBs, and then the exhaust vapor, and using artist acrylics for the white/yellow/orange flame and then white/gray. I have more experience with gel mediums having done canvas panting so I lean towards that for a medium. It's used for water in ship displays, why not a shuttle launch?

I'm hoping with a smaller scale it would be a little more doable, not as heavy. It would only be a few inches off the display stand, maybe 5-6 inches. I'd have to get the model in hand to really figure it out though. Some of the 1/200 or 1/288 stacks seem like they can be picked up on the cheap, the 1/288 Academy kit in particular - I'm not looking to do tile detail or rebuild the ET/SRBs or the cockpit windows, just a clean build that hopefully wouldn't need a tube of putty to fill seams (looking at you, Revell 1/144 Shuttle).

Any thoughts or suggestions on kits, technique? I haven't seen much on this sort of thing and I think it could be a neat project!

Edited July 27, 2016 by mkjm

[niart17]

Check out this guys build. It's a 1/72 scale shuttle but I'm sure the technique could be adapted to any scale. Looks like he used some cotton batting for the smoke. It's very well done.

Bill

[crackerjazz]

Thanks for the link, Bill. Beautiful effect he achieved with the cotton!

[mkjm]

That is a phenomenal display with the cotton! I've seen cotton used in other displays, one where a shuttle was hanging from the ceiling I think with cotton used for the exhaust. I do like the look, but I think something more solid and...sculpture-esq is what I'm looking at accomplishing. Definitely gives me a sort of bar to measure against.

[Hotdog]

His Saturn V is even better!

[flyfort17]

I've seen people use that expanding insulation foam

for smoke and fire effects. Some are really good to.

[crackerjazz]

How'd he do that!? You can practically hear the thunderous sound just viewing the model.