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Automated cargo Moon lander.


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HI, Well,it seems as though everyones scratch building these days,which is great,if no one makes the kit you want,build it.?Anyway,its been thunder/lightening,everybody was frightening,,,,,oops thats a song?,Any way,i had a look at some images for proposed moon landers and found a few,as the ones ive got out of kits,look dated now?i thought,lets make one for free,..20 minutes going through the spares boxes,and ive found enough bits to at least have a go,at one of the images i found,thought i,d do the easy one first?.I thought it cannot do any harm,and the best thing is its free materials,so far its just a old space shuttle stand,some sprue?

So heres a few pics of sorting out which im building,and a couple of hours work,seeing how it will go together?

heres what i was thinking of building....

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and

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First off,sort out some bits to use,...

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found a few girders etc there...

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i can see a robotic arm ,in there somewhere....

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end result,can you see the shuttle crawler there?

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Loads of lovely sprue...

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started by cutting up the crawler,to get some long lengths of angle plastic...

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ive got no idea,how big its going to be,its determined by what plastic ive got?

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thought the shuttle base,would make a good couple of engine housings fo the descent engines?

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something like that,i,ll go for the bell on the right i think?its the Apollo cm engine.

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so lets see how big its going to be?

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thats where the descent engines will be..

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well i was thinking that looks a bit familiar,and about the same size too?

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cutting up the crawler sides

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trying to work out,a shell and engine compartment,that looks a bit like the photo?

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gluing in position

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trying some old plastic bottles for fuel tanks?

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not quite sure,if that looks like i want it to,but nothings fixed in stone yet?

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still reminds me of an eagle though?

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49 p for twelve balls ,brill for fuel tanks?

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well thats it for now,im enjoying building it,just not sure what it will turn out like?i suppose kids will play with it,if its not what i want?

thanks for looking,any comments welcome,thoughts?

cheers Don

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Looking good, Don. Building a model from kit parts that are specifically designed to go together is one thing, but I've always admired those who can take a load of odd plastic bits and get something out of them. :popcorn:

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HI,Gordon,

its just a case of finding an image,that,s do,able,and as i dont measure things,its a case of building one,seeing what the hard bits are,then next time,its a lot easier?im quite intriguid by some of these projects ,just cannot understand,why kit manufacturers dont do some future planned things,because its certain,i wont live to see these projects come too fruition?its just nice to see something that can be,done now?if you get what i mean?

I mean these look dated now.....

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if you see what i mean?

cheers Don

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hi chaps, thanks for the encouragment,im experimenting with foil coverings at the moment,for the fuel tanks,trying to see what looks better?paint/gold foil/silver foil painted?try and post some progress later.

thanks again..Don

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HELLO,

ive done a lickle bit,but still trying different cargo payloads for size,with this being planned as a automated delivery vehicle,its designed to carry moon base set up gear and the planned rovers?,so a bit of scope for future things, on the plus side,im going through scrap plastic,its turning out to be costing nothing only the glue,i knew watching Blue peter/magpie all those years ago,would payoff?...

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hi,i forgot the photo,s doh!

ok stuck some bulkheads on?

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just thought id see what it looks like with a bit of colour.

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a bit more of some body...for the fuel tanks?

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still looks like an Eagle.

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tried just painted fuel tanks,but dont like it?

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so 2nd try foil wrapped then painted.

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looks better...

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yes,thats more spacy?

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going to use some engine bells from martins models as descent engines?

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something like that,but the pics just show two engines at each end,so might change this configuration yet,i,d of thought,smaller ones for landing,the big one,s for lift-off,?

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next up,using some box section,for the legs and manouvering engines...

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it comes off the lighting rig,for the Kiss stage model,

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trying to find some big enough sprue,to make the manouvering engines with?

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I spy some......thick enough,its off the pegasus V2 model,i just knew it was too big to throw away?

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it should look ok,after a bit of whittling....

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the crew of red dwarf and john glenn approves,though ive lost Kryten somewhere,?

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so another look at where im going?need to think of what payload im going for?

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pallet of supplies or this....?

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the possibilities are boundless, methinks only just held back by my lack of modelling skills?

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right i,ll get back to bodging the rest up....that bit of pipe does look inviting though?

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thanks for looking. cheers Don

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H

Land Rover Defender or a Routemaster bus.

Sorry, Couldn't resist.

Pete

hI PETE, yes i can just imagine a bus?lol

anyway,heres some more progress pics,....no thats wrong,not so much progress shots?

ok ive started to make some manouvering engines for the sided,shaping a bit of sprue,with stanley,then drill out,then clean up on the excellent little grinder.

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they need to protrude over the bulkhead,so building a panel out a bit?

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one batch of fuel tanks ready for paint

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thanks nigel,i can see a rover ,coming out of this?

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cleaning up the engine bells,in hindsight,it is better to shape them first,then cut them to length ,easier to hold..

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drilled out..

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cheers Don

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HI CHAPS,thanks for looking..and comments,

in future when making engine nozzles,use a pencil sharpener,its easier.....

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so trying to bulk out the bulkheads,

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gluing the fuel tank bay together..

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it looks better,needs a bit of filler here and there,...?

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as im not using gold foil,saving that for best,im using the kitchen type,and a bit of paint,trying to fit it without tearing it,unsuccessfully,i might add?

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glue it in

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nope it keeps tearing,but paint will cover it?

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going to use that for supporting the tanks.

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now.im going to have to think about the leg posisitions,and as i refer to the photo im using,i realise,its not shown as a actual thing,its just a representation,so theres no detail?...i,ll have to make it up?

AS its launched in a payload shroud,its legs will have to fold alongside the body ,i presume,so it will have to revolve,and lock in place?so i found four of these,they just need,a bit cutting out,so the legs stops in place?well i think i know what i mean......?

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use this as the leg outer?you,ll see what i mean later...

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going to use these dowels to attach the leg,i,ll probably just fix it in one pposistion,but will put the movable bits in,so you get the idea?or not

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trim me foil...

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bit of colour...

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going to put rod in the leg slot so the legs extend,because in the pic its pretty high up,to drop the buggy down..?

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thats better...

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the extending bit there for you?

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right need to fill up the engine bay with bits?

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painting some strip decoration...for later

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thats the paint on one end,

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the box of scrap is getting bigger?

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well legs on,its looking a bit bigger than i planned,but hey ho....

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need to finish off the leg joints,then need to think about the engines and fuel tank bay?

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thats the other end done,needs some paint,yet

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its a cadbury mini roll holder,for chrimbo decorations,if all else fails?

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it does,nt look too bad in the flesh,going to slap some paint on now?thanks for looking,what do you think?

cheers Don


[nerd mode] I see an Airfix RAF Recovery Set in there too [/nerd mode]

Good work mate - looking forward to seeing the finished article !

Hi mart,well spotted...

cheers Don

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Looking really good Don, what paint did you use for the gold? - it looks just right. You have quite an impressive spares box to pull out such a machine from essentially nothing.

hi nigel.the paint is Montanna gold-----gold....

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its all good stuff...

cheers Don

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Hello,just a little bit further on,been trying different things,to make the payload/moon buggy,its going to be a pig?i just know,anyway heres some up to date pics...

thats how the tanks will sit..

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thats the other end ...

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just trying to sort out the legs,and pads..for position..

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going through,some scrap though,which is good?

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manouvering engines dont look too bad,three more to do...

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Wanging a lot of my favourite filler about?

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so making a few more engine blocks...

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got as many cracks and joints filled,slap some colour on now to hide all the bodge,s...

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making some engine bells

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four done...

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Now im thinking of the cargo,the moon lander/bus..going by the pics im using,im going to have to decide on the wheels/type/size,and then build the body to fit..

so here goes,im using a section of 1.5 inch pvc pipe,because its lying round,no other reason?

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so a bit of forward planning...not..49pfor these ping pong balls,look like moon bus wheels to me?

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so cut a ball in half,tried that,no good,as the edge was still radiused,so couldn,t put ant tracks on the edge,as thety were not flat,so i cut a section of pipe,pushed it over the half ball,and glued,this way i got a flat edge to work on...does that make sense?

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a bit of sanding,and it doesnt look too bad,i,ll do one and see how it looks?

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now,just need some flat plastic to stick round the edge for traction,must be something in here?

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because its going to be stacks of repetitive cutting,so rigged a sizing jig?

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So im being a wheelwright tonight,Thanks for looking...

cheers Don

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The spherical wheels have a nice '50s/'60s sci-fi feel to them, I think that'll work well. You can always claim (for realism) that they're housing for hub motors or something like that.

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Don,

Like those wheels.

Here's a thought for the future (No pun intended, but hey!)

Engine bells.

Plastic thimble's with half a large bead stuck on top?

They would all be rather large, but it might work?

Can't find any out here but I'll raid the market stall in Lincoln when I go home.

Pete

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