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SS-25 Sickle launcher and missile (Topol) - scratchbuild


bootneck

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I've been meaning to get started on this for a while and the group build is just the shake up I need to get started.

I did attempt to scratchbuild one of these a while ago but I got the measurements all wrong, so I'm starting again. :banghead:

I'll change the title, and update the tags, once the GB has started and we get underway. Looking forward to tomorrow's start!

 

I don't have an actual plan/schematic so I'm drawing my own from photo details I find on the web

001_ss-25_sickle_drawing.jpg

 

Herewith some of the materials I plan to use in my build

001c_materials_used.jpg

 

cheers

Mike

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Nice one Trevor, I hadn't thought of that! :winkgrin:

Mark, not too far off (about 300km) :rolleyes:

Couple of clues:

it has road-wheels (multi-axle)

it does fly (well some bits do)

it 'almost' has a Spacey atmosphere about it

Mike

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Couple of clues:

it has road-wheels (multi-axle)

it does fly (well some bits do)

it 'almost' has a Spacey atmosphere about it

Mike

Got to be an alpha Romeo of old. Multi axel with road wheels (front and back axels), some bits fly (exploding engines and other gubbins) and for spacey, the effects of the smokey dashboard on your good self...

Sean.

Edited by Mozzy19
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Got to be an alpha Romeo of old. Multi axel with road wheels (front and back axels), some bits fly (exploding engines and other gubbins) and for spacey, the effects of the smokey dashboard on your good self...

Sean.

Oh that had me in stiches! Very funny :)

As to what it's going to be, I wanted to say the Hubble Telescope, but I dont think it has many wheels in it (you never said they where road wheels!). Then I thought it could be Curositys sister thats at JPL (I think) that they use to send the actual driving data from to Curosity every night. Then I thought some kinda lunar/mars rover but the distance is too small. It's not the James Webb telescope as it;s not an actual telescope. It's not ESA's rover is it? The one they control with a PS3 controller (I kid you not!)... Other than that... a big pile of steryene? :P

Kind Regards.

Dazz

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Hi Parabat, on the right lines but think bigger. :hmmm: I think the piece of brass tubing is giving it away.

Dazz and Sean, no not a car. :wacko:

Final clue - it has 7 axles

I think the answer may well come from Parabat very soon.

Mike

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Bugger thats a beast and a half! To me thats a SCUD launcher (I don't know much about ICBM/missile launch systems).

Will be watching this one with interest too, and to correct myself earlier, you did say roadwheels... silly me.

Kind Regards,

Dazz

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On 22/02/2013 at 17:18, Parabat said:

Is it a.... Topol?! 7 axles gave it away! Awesome, what a beast!

Bingo! :thumbsup: - Although I was expecting someone to say it is the Topol-M but that is the 8-axle version.

Apologies for not using all the correct nomenclatures, RT-2PM Topol; NATO code SS-25 Sickle; MPB PC-12M TEL but I was wanting to keep it simple during the guessing phase :blink2: .

I don't have any actual plans so I will be drawing up schematics based on photographic information off the web.

So, here we have a SS-25 Sickle T.E.L. (Transporter/Erector/Launcher). I believe the upright stick in the centre denotes half-metre measurements, which makes it about 4m high, so at least I have a start point.

001a_ss-25_sickle_drawing.jpg

cheers

Mike

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The brass tube in the image below is the length from the front of the driver's cab (using the b/w photo in my previous post), to the back of the large disc on the transporter's side. This means the nose cover and the launcher base has still to be added and will make this a couple of centimetre's longer.

 

Mike

 

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I've started cutting out the template for the driver's cab and adding plastic rod to reinforce it. The two front cabin shapes are quite awkward to design and construct so I can see perhaps a couple of attempts on these before I get them right.

Photos to follow

Mike

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Interesting project! Is this the same launcher which features prominently in this years' Zvezda catalogue? From the '80s, very angular with a split cab and the missile in between the two halves?

Will

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Interesting project! Is this the same launcher which features prominently in this years' Zvezda catalogue? From the '80s, very angular with a split cab and the missile in between the two halves?

Will

Hi Will,

that's the one. I would have liked to get that one, just to reverse engineer it down to 1:144 but it could be the end of 2013 before it is released.

Mike

RT-2PMTopoltransporter1a_zpsf2635c74.jpg

SicklebyZvezdaresized_zpscc5e33f1.jpg

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There's a lot to do here, to get these bits of styrene sheets and strips to look like an ICBM transporter/launcher so I'd better get started.

I've finally found an image of both sides of the vehicle and have been able to scan it and resize it to 1:144 scale. This will really help.

001_ss-25_sickle_drawing.jpg

 

 

The driver's section is a split two-cabin component, separated by the ICBM containers nose section. Once the sizes had been identified, I cut the floor base and then started to build each cabin. The right, driver's, side is a short section, whereas the left, crew, side is a double cabin unit and stretches further back.

002_cabin_section_started.jpg

 

 

 

003_cabin_section_started.jpg

 

Whilst those pieces are drying, I will get on with the chassis. I have drawn out a template and will cut out the chassis ready for adding the driver's cabin etc.

005_chassis_template.jpg

 

.

006_chassis_template_cut_out.jpg

 

 

I think the hardest part will be constructing the wheels and tyres so I'll make a basic start here. As there will be 15 wheels (14 main and 1 spare) I plan to build one complete wheel and then make a cast for the remainder to be produced in resin.

I intend to build the tyre first. I can't find a single piece of plastic tubing which has the correct inner and outer diameters so I will build one up, from tubes of varying thickness.

007_tyre_components1.jpg

 

 

Once I've got the parts glued together, giving me the correct outer measurements and the correct hole size for the wheel when it is inserted, I will fill the joins and then sand them smooth.

008_tyre_parts_glued.jpg

 

 

009_tyre_parts_filled.jpg

 

 

Then, the tyre will need to be cut from the rest of the tubes in order that I can do the same to the other side of the wheel.

012_tyre_piece_sawn_off_holder.jpg

 

 

With the tyre now at the right size and basic shape, I can round off the edges ready for the treads to be added. Working with white plastic can make it difficult to see whether the rounding off the edges will be equal so, to help me here, I have used a pencil to shade the complete tyre. When it comes to filing, I should be able to check whether the chamfer is even by looking at the white showing through the grey of the pencil marks.

014_tyre_marked_ready_for_filing.jpg

 

Right, now for the difficult part which is adding the tyre treads. I've looked at various drawings and there is a distinct V-shaped pattern to the tread.

In order to be able to keep control of the tyre, whilst I'm trying to work on such a small thing, I have made a little bench rig to hold the tyre. It is just a piece of tubing, similar in size as the internal diameter of the tyre and this tube is taped to a wooden block.

Once the tyre is positioned on the tubing I can then add each tread piece and then rotate the tyre to the next position. Each tread piece will be 2mm long, although I shall be using 3mm so that I have an overlap to file down at the sides.

017_first_treads_on_tyre.jpg

 

 

After I had completed a full revolution of treads on one side, I put the block aside to dry overnight before starting the other side of treads

018_one_side_of_treads_done.jpg

 

 

With the one side of treads completely set, I then proceeded to repeat the operation on the other side. Again, once complete the whole thing has been set aside to dry overnight.

020_treads_completed.jpg

 

The next phase of this tyre build will be to sand down the sides of the treads so that they merge with the tyre wall. Hopefully nothing will fall off when I attempt that!

That's it for tonight. I'll try to get some more done tomorrow.

cheers

Mike

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They're coming to take me away ha ha, ho ho, hee hee; :banghead: to the funny farm, where nice young men in clean white coats..... :fool:

They're coming to take me away! :frantic:

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They're coming to take me away ha ha, ho ho, hee hee; :banghead: to the funny farm, where nice young men in clean white coats..... :fool:

They're coming to take me away! :frantic:

Gotta love a little bit of Neuroticfish in your model making. ;)

Loving this build. :)

Kind Regards,

Dazz

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