Space Shuttle Atlantis Update

Finishing out the Thai Airways and further construction on Trump Force One have stopped for the moment while I concentrate on getting Space Shuttle Atlantis ready for the IPMS National Convention August 3-6.  I don't know if I will get this thing done, but I am going to try.  Here are the latest build pics.

The top of the SRB's where the parachutes is packed is a light cream color.  The average person (meaning not a scale modeler) usually would not notice this as it is very subtle.

Almost all space shuttle models were tooled very early in the program. No shuttle orbiter model in any scale replicates the thermal blankets which were developed to replace the white tiles on the specific heat vulnerable areas of the upper surface.

The ET (external tank) is a beast and is the single largest component of the shuttle stack.  The kit features molded on texture to represent the insulation, but it is lost when assembling, puttying, and sanding construction seams.  The answer is to use a rattle can of textured paint...

...but not this stuff.  This is "rough" stone texture, which I though I could use if I lightly sanded it a bit.  As I started to do so, it began to come off in chunks.  For some reason, it did not adhere will to the primer underneath.  In the end I had to remove it all with steel wool and start over.  I will still used a textured paint, but one not as rough.

My idea for replicating the thermal blankets was to lay out the pattern piece by piece with Evergreen styrene strip, then mask off and spray a heavily thinned mix of Squadron putty (the stuff in the red and white tube over there).  After that, I went back and manually textured each panel with an armor zimmerit texturing tool.  Zimmerit was a non metallic coating applied to German tanks in WWII so that magnetic mines would not adhere or be detonated. 

The grayish-tan is where the putty was applied.  These are thermal blanket areas.  Most everywhere else on a shuttle is either tiled (underside and high heat areas on top) or covered with a thin insulating felt.  The black tiles are for the high heat areas.  The really high heat areas (leading edge of wings, and nose), are made of RCC (Re-enforced Carbon Carbon).

The look of the putty after the zimmerit tool treatment.  A good effect.  The tiling in front of the blankets is also hand laid out and cut. All this manual work is intended to be representative, not machine perfect.  It is an enhancement to the overall look of the model for normal viewing.  Close up photography of any model will almost always reveal imperfections.

A look at the port side.

The tape is to protect the glass windows.  The one casualty I have had is the glass in the upper aft crew section.  It became unattached during bodywork and I have no access to fix it.  I had to plug the holes and am now forced to use a decal.

Here is the tool used to create the textured effect.

Update and Trump 757

I am still finishing out the Thai Airways 747.  I have to give it an overall gloss coat to protect the extensive decals, put on the wheels and antennas, and do some minor trim detail paintwork.

In the meantime, I have started my annual summer "buddy build" with my friend Tracy Mann.  We have chosen to build 757's from the Minicraft 1/144 kit.  He is going to do a retro American Airlines Astrojet scheme, and I am going to do Trump Force One.  Some pics below:

Basic kit with NASA markings.  I chose this boxing as it comes with the Rolls Royce engines that are also on the Trump jet

Markings supplied with the kit.

Trump Force One.  This jet is all white with the exception of the black top, natural metal leading edges, and personalized trim.

Nice.

That is Tamiya white putty going down the middle of the seam, and Squadron White (which is actually sort of off-white colored) around the nose.  Both putties have there advantages and disadvantages.

Trump's 757 comes with "sharklets" on the wings.  In addition to looking good, these reduce drag from wingtip vortices.  These were add on aftermarket items from an outfit called Contrails and cost me about ten bucks.   They have some issues. The one on the right is what we call a "short shot," meaning the molding is not complete.  Also, the shapes are not consistent, or accurate.  The will have to be modified to get closer to the real thing.

You have to cut off the existing wing faring to make room for the sharklets.

Sharklets installed.  They need to be straightened.

One problem area with almost all airliner kits, (except the newest ones made with "slide mold" technology), is the elimination of the seam that runs down the interior of the intake.  This is because the fan blade piece has to go in between the engine halves when assembled.  This makes it impossible to work the seam. My solution is to cut the intake forward of the fan blade and work on them as a separate assembly.  Once the interior seam is dealt with, the forward intake can be reassembled to rest the engine.  The interior seam, now vertical, will be hidden by the fan blades.

Thai Airways 747 Update

Closing in on getting this thing finished.  The decals alone have taken a couple of weeks work, working for an hour or so about every other night.

Basic paint scheme plus the dragon boat decal applied in order "set" the level of the lower fuselage paint.

Wing stenciling and natural metal leading edges done.

Engine stenciling

Tail stenciling and the products I use to place and set the decals.

Oarsmen and royal canopy applied.

These look like trees, but are actually sails.

Looking good!  The windows are decals as well.

Thai Airways 747 update

Thai Airways 747 Update.

Project Updates

Almost Finished.  I have learned a lot about building airliners...what works and what does not, from building this puppy.

Alan Shepard's Freedom 7 Mercury-Redstone rocket.  First American in space.