Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6

[Basosz]

You're insane. You are absolutely, certifiably insane. However, if you should die before you finish this, I swear I'm gonna kill you. This is beyond brilliant. I assume that when you're done, those ROFI's will actually sparkle, the water will flow through the sound suppression system, and your Shuttle will really do a lift-off ?

Madness... utter madness.

KEEP IT UP !!

[roma847]

Thanks Basosz for your irresistible compliments,

but at these gloomy prospects I have no other choice than to keep moving on ...

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[noeyedears]

However, if you should die before you finish this, I swear I'm gonna kill you.

made me laugh!

[roma847]

I still have goose bumps ...

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[roma847]

Hi all,

because of difficulties with the gun in the paint shop, the friends had to clean everything again. Presumably they had not enough diluted the colour, so that the nozzle was already clogged after the first double-ROFI.

That's why I've tried again a detail that struck me during the study of ROFI details, but so far I have not followed up.

These are those handles marked with red arrows here.

Source: NASA

As I have now found that the handles relate to the service-flaps that can be opened for maintenance work, as you can see it on the two upper flaps.

On this older picture here, I had shown the service boxes (red arrows) before. Now I have marked the respective handles with green arrows.

Source: NASA

Probably these are latches that need to be pulled out before opening the flap, which you can see on the handle on the top flap in the first image.

Therefore, I first time calculated the dimensions of these handles to see if this doable at all. And with the two larger handles on the side box I have even started to experiment.

As you can already see, the handles with approx 2x1.5 mm are quite tiny, which I have used first 0.3 mm lead wire. It is soft and can indeed bent easily, but the handle can deform quite quickly and proved in further assembly as unfavorable

That's why I would rather be taken soft brass wire and bent over a rounded plastic core. The base plate I had cut out of paper, but also that I could forget, because you can not position accurately enough the small handle when gluing.

With the longer fixed strip it went much better,

than I could cut afterwards. And that is the finished handle.

And as the fitting on the back of LOX-TSM shows, these handles on the boxes doable, now I just need seven more pieces of it.

But the handle on the right side of the upper horizontal box I'll have to forget, because that would be even smaller with about 1,7x0,7 mm and is also sitting under the ladder in a narrow gap (1.5 mm) between the boxes.

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[RichO]

Finding more details!! Will this never end?!?

[roma847]

Hello,

after the painters came from the rapport, it was now finally progressing again.

As suspected, the guys had indeed stirred the colour after the long break, but not sufficiently diluted. If I would have the guys let continue to spray, I could have saved myself the effort with the 0.5 mm ROFI tubes and could probably take some rods.

So it was good that I have remembered the advice of a friend in our German Raumcon forum.

After that I did not follow the the specifications of manufacturer Revell, after one should mix the Aqua colour paint with the thinner Aqua colour mix 4:1, but I followed his suggestion and have selected a mixture ratio of paint to thinner by about 1:3.

And so two passes were then made​​, which here are the parts after the first passage,

and also the ROFI tubes look great.

The second pass is now also done, now everything should still really dry, so tomorrow the fitters can finally begin.

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[roma847]

Finding more details!! Will this never end?!?

Console yourself Rich, now it's enough!

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[noeyedears]

Console yourself Rich, now it's enough!

i dont believe that for one minute

[roma847]

Maybe you're right, one should never say never ...

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[Basosz]

Yeah I'm not buying it. I'm absolutely positive you will find some doorknob or something that isn't yet on your model

[roma847]

Wait and see, probably you are a clairvoyant ...

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[roma847]

Hello Guys,

on the fitters is also no relying, they were reassigned to another site.

Therefore I've also just taken a couple of days to relax and was over the weekend at the Spays Days in Darmstadt, supposedly Germany's largest Model Exhibition for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Space on 600 sqm with over 50 exhibitors and hundreds of exhibits and speakers from all over Europe.

Although it mostly went to SciFi, were also represented a few Real Space models, so among other things, a very impressive paper model of the ISS (1:80) of my friend Michael from Jülich.

But I will not digress too far, because I've also continued.

First, I've fiddled about some small handles for TSMs from 0.4 mm copper wire.

As can be individually handled quite difficult on the small base plates, it is especially favorable for the painting, if you have several glued at a stretch and painted,

which can then be subsequently separated.

Then I started installing the ROFI supply lines what I'm shirked me for long enough. First I made a test fit of the double-ROFI on the back of LOX-TSM,

and then finally glued.

So far so good, the difficulty in mounting the supply lines now is that you must carefully thread before gluing under the ladder through in order not to bend. Simultaneously with the adhesive would be a futile exercise. Even the positioning of the base plate before gluing was not so easy when you do not know exactly where it should sit. That means to try first time with applied supply line and mark slightly, then push the supply line aside and glue the plate.

Then I have the supply line as much as possible aligned to the right in the ROFI bracket and left on the base plate and first carefully glued under the ladder on the box and then at the connection points. The details I save my dear ...

And an additional support from U-profile had to be installed even under the supply line.

Well, all beginnings are difficult, maybe I need to correct something here and there.

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[roma847]

Hi there,

here is the next ROFI update, maybe the second last ...

Today I have installed the other supply line and also the two handholds. Unfortunately it was quite cloudy today, so I initially artificial light needed on the desk.

Although the installation of this line went something better out of hand, but the gluing was still stressful enough, especially the tiny handholds were a real test of patience.

Thus, the rear double ROFI on LOX-TSM is now finally complete and ready to fire.

Beside the window the colors come out a bit better.

Then I've already times tried on the simple ROFI on the front side what is a little bit easier without a ladder.

The ladder above also has enough space and fits well on the holding clamps,

and will be glued then as a last.

This assembly sequence would probably have been also more favorable on the back side, but afterwards one is just always smarter.

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[roma847]

Hello friends,

I was so glad I had the two supply lines finally mounted on the rear ROFI, and already there was a rude awakening. After clamping of the TSM in the small Proxxon vice in preparation for the installation of the front ROFI suddenly something small fell in front of me on the desk, but luckily not on the floor, because otherwise I would have probably not noticed.

Well, and that was to my surprise the small external supply line of the rear ROFI, which I must have accidentally crashed into during handling. This is quite possible, since I can barely touch somewhere correctly because of the many details the TSM now. Fortunately for him, the supply line but was as far as intact and not bent. Presumably, the main adhesion point on the box under the ladder had too little Sechu, especially since the adhesive contacts at the two connection points of the line (0.4 mm) on the base plate and in the ROFI holder should be hardly sustainable.

But somehow the mishap probably have to happen to me, because I was not completely satisfied before any case because the end of this outer line on the base plate was slightly longer than of the inner line. on that occasion now I could still correct, so that the line now but better fits into the picture.

Before I go on like on the front, here again two pictures of the back after the repair with better lighting conditions.

Then it went on to the front with the single-ROFI. First, the base plate was then glued and then the ROFI. While the ladder was well suited to the retaining clips, but the gluing of the ladder itself was stressful as usual and did not work the first time around.

But now it's done and it actually looks pretty good.

The upper transition rung then made the glorious completion.

Now the LOX-TSM was finally finished after a long and stony road except for the lowermost retaining clip, but it will be installed after the forthcoming SSWS mounting.

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[RichO]

Really great detail Manfred!! The TSM's are beautiful! A well deserved pat on the back for such a detailed, time consuming, clinic on model building.

BTW: It was nice to see you and Michael together again. The ISS model is really impressive, he did a good job.

[roma847]

Thanks Rich for your nice feedback,

yep, the two TSMs are actually small extra projects for themselves of the MLP, very challenging in detail and therefore rather time consuming, but ultimately, just as I had imagined it.

BTW, the Space days were really a great exhibition with a lot of fantastic models, unfortunately only few Real Space Models.

Edited December 24, 2014 by roma847

[roma847]

Hello all together,

before the holidays I will briefly report yet again. Since my last post of the final assembly of the ROFIs on LOX TSM some time has passed so. But this break has sometimes done very well to get some rest and to protect the eyes.

In the meantime, I was a little busy with the 3D printing , albeit only with theory. The practical application one can admire in all its many forms in Shapeways and marvel at what all there is in the space area.

I have now started with the ROFIs on LH2 TSM, which have still missing. But honestly, you get quite out of practice in dealing with these delicate parts, and so I must only grope slowly.

And here a few last photos before the celebration. First, I have glued the double-ROFI under the ladder on the back, but what greatly facilitated the further fittings.

Since there anything else I had to adjust the size and shape of the feed line with the bow, the paint was damaged something, so I removed them again to renew it. Here is one of several fittings then, just so provisionally with the two feed lines,

and here with the base plate and the support. As I said, this is all getting used to again.

And one of the two union nuts had to be replaced.

Meanwhile, the feed line is newly painted and can now be mounted. But that will probably only after the holidays.

In this sense, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

For your interest and helpful feedback throughout the year, I would like to again thank you heartily.

[noeyedears]

glad you are still going, thought you may have given up! happy xmas!

[Greased Lightning]

[roma847]

glad you are still going, thought you may have given up! happy xmas!

No, no, no Guys! My slogan is: Never give up, even when things are difficult.

In the new year I give full throttle again.

[roma847]

The show must go on, also with lighting ...

[Madhatter]

whilst I am totally lost with all of the acronyms and what part of the tower it is your actually building, I still appreciate the workmanship that's going into this. I thought I worked well with tiny bits but your taking it to a whole new level

Am looking forward to the continuation of this.

[roma847]

Thanks for your nice words,

the so-called ROFI are the Radially Outward Firing Ignitors for flaring possibly emanating hydrogen from the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) on the two Tail Servive Masts (TSM), which are standing on the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP), not on the tower.

The function of these ROFIs you can see on p. 10 # 182 in a video.

Edited January 3, 2015 by roma847

[roma847]

Hi all together,

I hope you all had a relaxing holidays and a good start into the new year.

I have charged my battery again and will also restart. So continue with the installation of the supply lines of the ROFI on the back of LH2 TSM. The difficulty was in the line with the bow that it had to be threaded through under the ladder and between the supports and positioned behind the ROFI tube. And in this state it had to be glued at the support points without slipping. Then only had to be glued the little support under the bow,

so I was glad finally, when it was done.

The installation of the other supply line was fortunately a little easier because they did not have extra threaded.

Thus the two ROFIs were finally mounted on the backs of both TSM's, thank God!

And since a long time except TSMs and ROFIs nothing left be seen of the MLP, here a few pictures to remember.

Although the whole procedure with the PE ladders and ROFIs was overall pretty tedious and stressful, but I can be very happy with the result.

And as you can see in the front view, missing at the LH2 TSM now only the front ROFI and the ladder, which will then make the final tomorrow.

And then we'll see.