LVM Studios Launch Tower Detail Kit LC39S5 officially released

[roma847]

Hi there,

after Revell is now on the market with the limited edition of the Launch Tower Kit 4911, now also LVM Studios has retightened and finally aired the mystery surrounding the long-awaited Detail kit No. 5, which is now officially released and probably will come next week in the shipment.

And here are first pictures of the RSS Exterior Details, as there would be cable trays, walkways, platforms, stairs and much more.

Source: LVM Studios

And thus also the RSS is now fulfilled with real life.

Edited March 30, 2014 by roma847

[GrahamS]

Given the wrong scale of the tower compared to the available shuttles I wonder how many of these will be bought?

Graham

[Mike]

Beautiful! Does it do anything to correct the scale issue perchance?

[kspriss]

Oh, I didn't know there was an issue in scales..was looking forward to getting one of these but if it's that bad...

Steve

[bootneck]

Chris,

the kit is off scale but that does not make it bad, in fact it is an impressive model when built. Personally I would defy anyone looking at the built model (viewing from an average 6ft away) to say that they can actually see a real difference (apart from the doomsayers and rivet counters of course). Look at all the 'N gauge' railway (1:148) dioramas out there, they are enhanced with 1:144 figures, 1:160 trucks and buildings and they all look good together.

I spoke to LVM at length about the scale difference two years ago. They knew about the difference between 1:144 and the actual scale of the Revell kit, and they told me that their PE sets are produced to accurately match the kit's scale and not 1:144.

Someone did a measurements check online once and the parts equate to: Orbiter & External tank = 1:144; Shuttle Tower and RSS = 1:168; and the MLP (Mobile Launch Platform MLP, the base the shuttle sits on) = 1:200. So as you can see, there are some fundemental differences in scales; however the tower and shuttle can be built to look comparable because the MLP small size seems to allow the Shuttle to sit under/beside the tower quite effectively.

Roma847,

Thanks for advising us of LVM's set #5, I have sets 1 to 4 so I shall be getting set 5.

cheers

Mike

[roma847]

Hello guys ,

as I can see, the interest for the LVM Detail kits is great, although the Revell Launch tower kits (4910, 4911) have this significant dilemma of scale.

@Mike:

Yep, LVM's PE detail sets are produced to match the kit's scale mix and not 1:144, with little adjustments.

@Graham:

As Leon van Munster (LVM) has written me today, they have tried to ship/release before the release of Revell but the orders are so big that they have run out of capacity.

BTW, who needs some detailed information about Revell's dilemma of scale, should look at the beginning of my thread Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144), where I have analyzed the scale mix of Revell's Launch tower kits (4910, 4911).

This drawing illustrates clearly the scale dilemma of the old Revell kits, and also of Revell's new Limited Edition, if one would build all OOB. The serious error is evenly the much to small MLP (1:200!!!) of the Revell kit, which does not fit somehow at all the total proportions. In addition it comes that also the FSS Tower and the RSS are too low approx. 7,6 cm, thereby only a scale of approx. 1:168 corresponds. Only the shuttle stack is 1:144.

Therefore my compromise solution of my major project looks as follows:

But this is only one way out.

Edited April 2, 2014 by roma847

[bootneck]

Hi Manfred,

your solution is probably the way that I shall complete my build; that is to construct a Crawler, MLP and Shuttle to 1:160 scale.

Believe it or not, that is likely to be the easier solution, that launch tower and rotating structure is very complex!

Whatever way we do it, make sure to have fun in the process.

Mike

[roma847]

Hi Mike,

have you started your build?

My compromise approach is relatively simple, I just want to increase the height of the FSS/RSS only a little bit.

In your plan you have to mention one important fact, if you want to use one of the two Revel kits 4911 or 4910, you're going not be successful with a shuttle 1:160, because the RSS, especially the Payload Changeout Room (PCR) only fits for an orbiter/stack 1:144, that's the hook or the true problem!

BTW, the fun we will not spoil also by Revell, nothing is impossible!

Edited April 2, 2014 by roma847

[bootneck]

hi Manfred,

No, I am still mid-build of my Apollo era launch tower. The MLP and Crawler are scratchbuilt to 1:144 scale so they will fit the Airfix Saturn V. I am also going to build the Milkstool so that I can use the different Saturn's with it.

As to the Revell launch tower etc., I agree, it is going to require some detailed plans and scale them up/down to the best 'compromise'. As I already have the full LVM sets (just waiting on set #5) plus the Revell kit 04911, it would be more logical to concentrate on that - even if it is just a standalone unit as it is today, without a Shuttle. See image below.

Mike

Launch Tower and RSS/FSS as of March 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

[roma847]

Sorry Mike, I thought you are speaking about your Space shuttle Launch pad project, and this includes a shuttle stack for my taste.

[roma847]

Hello together,

and here's a foretaste of Detail kit LC39S5. By looking into the Assembly instructions (36 p.) can now be seen precisely how many nice PE parts are included, which means a lot of tricky work.

Some resin parts are also included, e.g. for the two trucks and other parts.

[bootneck]

A 35 page instruction manual, now that is impressive, especially as it for only the PE update parts!

Thanks for posting Manfred.

Mike

[roma847]

Only with the truck-wheels, each with two per truck, LVM was very economical, because each truck is running in the original namely on eight wheels.

But that would probably become very tiny, and one can see it anyway hardly.

[roma847]

Hi there,

yesterday came the long-awaited Detail Kit No. 5 with the post, I had already briefly introduced. And I wanted to show you here with some actual images of the PE sinkers and resin accessories.

In a larger sturdy cardboard is this package with a CD that contains all the building instructions of the previous kits with the already known LVM photos of the installed parts as well as numerous reference photos, so among other things, by the FSS with the EES, as well as the Access arms GOX, IAA and OAA.

From the RSS as a main component of the pad LVM but could donate some photos more confidently.

Then to the PE-sinkers, which are the three A4-size,

and these two about A5 size.

There are still a considerable number of resin parts and some Evergreen profiles.

Altogether again a rich offer for friends nice details that are not afraid of these PE parts and their delicate workmanship.

Only a statement for understanding of time, because LVM has developed this detailed kit special and appropriate for the "old" Revell Launch Tower Kits 4910 and 4911 the pad design of the kits corresponds to the detailed features of the early shuttle missions early or mid-80s years.

Only later various equipments and extensions were added, such as the Weather Protection System and much more, such as the then still missing 4th bottom floor on the IAA.

And so all the proud owners and those who will soon be that much fun at work.

Edited April 30, 2014 by roma847