Justin Davenport Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 As Promised.....I have started construction on my 1/144th scale STS-121 stack. That's right, I'm going whole hog again, not just the orbiter. I'm treating each component as a separate model...and I'm starting with the External Tank first. I had a hard time deciding between the Revell and the Airfix kit, so guess what I did? I started both! I will build both kits simultaneously, at least for now, and see how it goes. If they both turn out well, I'll use the other one for a different shuttle stack TBD. The Airfix kit will need scratchbuilding of components but is a very good base for this. The Revell kit has more detail on the tank but I just spent a couple of hours sanding away at the incorrect "ribs" in the structure. I'll also need to sand away all the intertank detail. I've got some Plastruct .020 sheet coming my way that looks like it'll work for the intertank detail. I plan on taking my time with this build and doing even more than I did for the STS-114 build last year, getting the shading on the wing leading edge panels this time, and doing other little things I left out last year. Here's the pic of the Airfix & Revell tanks together. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jbl Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 Hello Justin! I'm back! Glad to see you to an another shuttle project. By the way, how many at this time you do? regards jbl Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted July 31, 2006 Author Share Posted July 31, 2006 I'm back....I've been busy working on this and other things. I'm doing the Revell and Airfix kits at once, and I'll see which one becomes 121 and which one is made into something else...in essence, the Revell kit was supposed to be my "testbed" but it may end up becoming the "one". But I've still got a way to go. I've been working on the Revell kit this weekend, the Airfix kit is waiting for some intertank ribbing. I used the Plastruct .020 metal corrugated sheet (thanks Andy!) plus some existing Evergreen sheet for the ribbing at the ET attach points. The most challenging part was getting the Plastruct sheeting to fit and blend in with the existing LO2 feedline end point (the bullet shaped thingie) as well as the recessed box on the back of the tank, and I'm still not totally done. I also cut out some small plastic triangles and made them into feedline attach points to (sort of) match the Airfix kit's. I'm trying to make them as identical as possible...not an easy task! I still have to figure out how to get the feedline fairing done for the Airfix kit w/out destroying my remaining Revell ET....we'll see how I do it. (I'm thinking of using the "heat and smash" method). I've also assembled two pairs of Revell SRB's...the first one had an unsightly dent in its profile after I sanded away a seam so I assembled the second pair and it looks good so far. As always, two kits are better than one! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted July 31, 2006 Author Share Posted July 31, 2006 Here's a closeup of the intertank rib detail. I'm using Rust Oleum rusty metal primer on this tank, and when I finish getting all the flaws out, Testors Sloth Brown is going on it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted July 31, 2006 Author Share Posted July 31, 2006 Finally, for right now, here's one of the Cutting Edge SSME's....I airbrushed Testors Metalizer Gunmetal on two sets of CE and two sets of Real Space resin SSME's. I'll see which one I use but I like both sets. The Real Space SSME's look a little more detailed but the CE SSME's have no flash and look "cleaner". But both of them are very good to use. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Mullen Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 Looking good so far Justin ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted August 1, 2006 Author Share Posted August 1, 2006 Thanks Andy....I've just sprayed another coat of primer on the tank after some more sanding and detailing of the intertank ribs, trying to get them to look good in certain areas. Last night I also did more work on the Revell SRB's. The Revell tank's looking pretty good to me, but tonight I'll start on the Airfix intertank detailing and see how it goes. More pics to come tonight. Justin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
D_IcarUS_ Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 Great job on that Shutlle, so far. :P ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted August 7, 2006 Author Share Posted August 7, 2006 Thanks....here's some more pics. I'm finished with working on the Revell tank for the time being as there are some imperfections in the intertank ribbing I don't know if I can work out. But the intertank ribbing on the Airfix kit looks much better and this may be the 121 kit after all. But I'll use the Revell tank as my ET color testbed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted August 7, 2006 Author Share Posted August 7, 2006 I'm planning on painting the Airfix tank Sloth Brown after I finish getting it primed with rust primer, then I'll get the piping and intertank area done with lighter colors, then I'll pre-color the LOX line fairing and cable tray pipes and glue them on. That way I don't have to worry about stray brush strokes. Then I'll use modeling clay to do the ice frost ramps. Right now I have most of the tank covered with rust primer and the two SRB's are partially assembled, I have lots of work left on them before I'm even ready to prime, much less paint. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted August 20, 2006 Author Share Posted August 20, 2006 I've been preoccupied with the Eagle but I've done some work on the external tanks. The Revell ET is here, painted Sloth Brown. I will paint the light areas with Italian Camo. Yellow and see if it looks all right, this is my test article. I had painted the ET Orange Ochre earlier but I didn't like the look of it so I went over it with Sloth Brown. I had painted Sloth Brown over the primer earlier and now I do believe there is a difference - the rust primer makes the sloth brown darker, which really is what I want. But I will also experiment with a light rust overspray. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted August 20, 2006 Author Share Posted August 20, 2006 Here's the Airfix tank which as of right now will be the "real thing" on my finished STS-121 kit. If I use the Airfix tank I will also use the Airfix SRB's and orbiter....the tank is the backbone of the shuttle and also the determining factor in my kit. The Airfix intertank's ribbing is "cleaner" than the Revell one and I incorporated some lessons learned from the Revell tank in the intertank and SRB attachment ribbing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justin Davenport Posted September 4, 2006 Author Share Posted September 4, 2006 (edited) It's been a while since my last update....but I have now gotten Sloth Brown airbrushed onto the ET and after some runs and a couple of sanding runs I've finally gotten it to look like I want it to. But I am considering a light overspray of Testors bottle Rust color to simulate streaks in the insulation as well as to darken and redden the overall ET color a bit. But I will see, right now my tank looks so good I don't want to chance ruining it. But I still have to do the Italian Camouflage Yellow and cream portions as well as the ice frost ramps and oxygen line fairing. I will see what happens. Edit: This is the Airfix ET. I'll do some more overspray testing on the Revell ET, see if I want a Gunze color that I have...it looks like it might redden it without it getting too dark. Edited September 5, 2006 by Justin Davenport Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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