Dr. Zooch Return To Flight Space Shuttle build thread- #2

[luke strawwalker]

Here are the rest of the pics of the 'egg carton tank dome' I came up with.

The first pic is how you mark the ET diameter onto the tank dome egg cup, the second pic is test fitting after the dome has been cut out, and the third pic is the finished product. OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Now we're getting to the hard part-- cutting the orbiter mounts and the orbiter itself.

Start off by cutting out the orbiter mounts as instructed, sanding the bevels into the ends, cutting the mount pad and gluing it up, sanding the orbiter mounting dowel notches in it, and gluing it up. Once I got the parts cut and started gluing them up, I set them aside to dry, and started cutting out the orbiter parts.

Start with the crew cabin of the orbiter. It is a complex shape on the wrap sheet. I wonder how long it took Wes to regain his sanity after trying to figure out how to make that shape a flat pattern for a printer!!! Anyway, as with everything, CAREFULLY cut it out. You'll need a breather when you're done if you're like me, because this thing is all curves and intersecting angles and stuff. Be sure you follow the instructions on gluing it up, as there is a definite order here to get it to go together properly. Smear white glue on the appropriate tabs, and set it aside to dry, preferably with a clothespin clamp or smooth jawed hemostat to make sure it stays clamped properly.

Cut out the bulkheads from the wrap sheets and trace them onto balsa, and cut them out. I went ahead and glued the patterns to the balsa to make sure they cut smoothly and properly, and for perhaps a bit of strength. That adds weight though. Anyway, cut the bottom out per the instructions, and cut the payload bay out, and glue it up per the instructions. Be careful gluing it up, because again, there's a definite order to things. Once this stuff is started, set it aside to dry. That brings me up to date-- I started last night at about 7 or 8 and worked til just after 11, and started again this morning at 9:30 and worked until about noon, so this is going quicker than I thought it would. More to come later!

Here's the pics related to this post... Enjoy! OL JR

 

[foose4string]

Lookin' good JR. I like the effect you got from the egg crate. Very cool idea. I have thought of using of floral foam or something along those lines and shaping it if I ever built another. The only thing I would worry about with the egg styrene is it somehow getting crushed or dinged without anything inside to support it, but it is lightweight and looks great.

 

[Dr.Zooch]

Lookin' good JR. I like the effect you got from the egg crate. Very cool idea. I have thought of using of floral foam or something along those lines and shaping it if I ever built another. The only thing I would worry about with the egg styrene is it somehow getting crushed or dinged without anything inside to support it, but it is lightweight and looks great.

I'm more interested in seeing what happens when the engine's heat and the norman back-flow impinge on that styrofoam. I'm not saying that in a bad way either... I'm actually interested to see what will happen.

 

[foose4string]

Even if it does melt, it shouldn't be too hard to repair. I think something like foam board insulation or floral foam might hold up to the heat better...but I'm only guessing at that. Never held any to a match.... or rocket motor before.

 

[mjennings]

cool idea on the egg crate!

Something I found out, if you use the tile wrap on the bottom be sure to split it at the hinge line. I lost some much needed elevator range by gluing it on as one piece. Went back and carefully split it, and she flies pretty well.

I've modified Fooze's Columbia wraps for Challenger, if you are interested. (it wouldn't be hard to change it in to any of the other shuttles in late 80's early 90's time period) If you want to do the current set up with the meatball instead of the worm log start with Fooze's wraps. Just be sure to change the leading edge heat tiles (on the top of the wing) from black to white if it is not Columbia.

 

[luke strawwalker]

You guys gotta bring this stuff up NOW??! Engine backflow recirculation heat, thermal loads, engine thermal transferrence, thermal conductivity, GEESH!!! Maybe I should tackle something easier, like the thermal environment on the thrust structure of an ARES V???

I'll post the results when we have them, good or bad. Actually, the first problem I came across and seem to have tackled, is painting the eggcrate. Ya know styrofoam isn't best friends with paint solvents, in most cases. If you notice in the pics, I have several 'extras' cut out, and made a few attempts to get the 'process' down for making them, before I picked the best of the litter for installation on the ET. The rest I experimented with, using various coatings to 'seal' the styrofoam for painting. I coated one with white glue in about three seperate rubbed on coats, one in Elmer's carpenter's glue for about three seperate coats, and one coated with a couple coats of Titebond II dark. I hit them with some HEAVY coats of red primer last night, and all appear to have held up good. The first sample I did, uncoated, sorta 'fried' from the solvent, getting pinholes and pits in it, which was to be expected. I may brush on a coat of acrylic paint on the actual installed tank dome before I paint the thing, for extra insurance. I cleaned out the Walmart bottle paints when they had them on sale at 25 cents a bottle when they got out of the plastic model kit business, or at least scaled back bigtime, so I've got like 4 bottles of acrylic white, and a bunch of color enamel.

I'll keep yall apprised. Better get back to work... took my daughter and nephews to the train museum this morning.

Foose, will you post you're shuttle wraps here, or do you prefer PM's or email?? If you don't want to bother, I understand.

Later! OL JR

 

[foose4string]

I've modified Fooze's Columbia wraps for Challenger, if you are interested. (it wouldn't be hard to change it in to any of the other shuttles in late 80's early 90's time period) If you want to do the current set up with the meatball instead of the worm log start with Fooze's wraps. Just be sure to change the leading edge heat tiles (on the top of the wing) from black to white if it is not Columbia.

Looks like he is well under way with the stock shuttle wraps. Probably best to go with those the first go around.

I have also modified the the Columbia wraps to include the Discovery and Atlantis...I may have also done a Challenger, but I can't remember now. I adjusted the NASA logos accordingly. I can't take credit for making the first Columbia wraps though. I had the idea to take a fairly detailed paper model that was available on the 'net and modify it to fit the Zooch shuttle. But, not possessing the skills do it myself at the time, had another forum member do them for me (who preferred to remain anonymous last I checked).

Usual dislaimer here.....

Dr. Zooch doesn't mind that we are his shuttle as a basis for these modified wraps, but will not offer support for anyone deciding to use them! It's best to build it stock and then do the experimenting later.

 

[foose4string]

Foose, will you post you're shuttle wraps here, or do you prefer PM's or email?? If you don't want to bother, I understand.

Later! OL JR

No bother at all. I think the files might be too large to post here. If you want to PM me with your email address, I'll send them over. I'm on the laptop, and the files reside on the computer in the bedroom. The Mrs is sleeping in that room and won't be up for a few hours for her night shift at the Hospital. Once that PC becomes available, I'll send to you.

Also, I want to note something. These are not actually a "wrap" in the true sense. In other words, they are not meant to overlay the existing wraps. I say this only because I have seen someone do exactly that. That adds too much weight to this tiny glider. They are to be used as a replacement for the nose and payload sections. The wings and rudder are to be printed on sticker paper(or as a computer paper laminate) and applied to the balsa(which you may or may not want to seal first). It has been my experience when using these "wraps" that a tiny bit of extra weight is needed in the nose to get it to trim properly.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Thanks Craig, PM sent. OL JR

 

[foose4string]

JR, I don't mean to hijack your thread but since you asked for the wraps....

Here's what the Zooch shuttle looks like as the Discovery. This is the one I am currently flying. Knowing this one might need some extra nose ballast when it came time to trim, I refrained from gluing the nose section on until the last minute. I taped it on temporarily until I got it balanced the way I wanted, then glued into place. If you have some BB's try embedding one into the supplied clay. That's probably all it'll need.

Make sure you glue the supplied hinge material(Tyvek) to the balsa before applying the wraps. The wraps do a nice job of hiding the hinge. I pretty sure Zooch has you do the same. And, MJennings is correct. It's a good idea to split the bottom wing skin at the elevator if your using Zooch's uber cool bottom skin(an actual image taken of the shuttle BTW). On the "Columbia" wraps I used, it is already split.

I have built several of these gliders now, and have made a couple mods along the way. For instance, the elastic catch and screw panel on the rear has been modified. Those normally would be made from balsa, but I have a hard time making those tiny cuts without causing the balsa to crumble or split. It usually takes a couple attempts to get one that is usable. I resolved this by laminating cardstock in a 3 ply and cutting those parts from the laminated cardstock. The parts are very stiff after the glue dries, but you can soak with CA to make it rock hard if you want, but it's not necessary.

Rather than using the stock 1/8 inch(shock cord) elastic for the elevator(which gets glued to the bottom), I use some very thin, round, sewing elastic(got mine at WM- several yards for a buck or so). I make two small holes on each corner of the elevator with a straight pin or tiny bit and feed each end of the elastic through the holes and knot on the bottom with a simple overhand knot.

\When cutting out the rudder I make a little tab on the bottom. Reinforce the top of the rear box by adding a little balsa spar inside. Then, cut a slot for the rudder tab to slide into. This adds a little bit more stiffness to the rudder joint and adds more gluing surface.

That's all I can think of.....for now.

 

[Dr.Zooch]

Foose has some great tips- but as he said- build AND fly stock first, then build custom. His own experience was that his tricked up orbiter didn't fly at first. We were at an MDRA launch and he explained the issue- a hand toss confirmed that it looked terrific, but flew like an old work glove.

This kit's orbiter is feather weight- in other words, designed to be very low mass. This is because one secret to making the Dr. Zooch shuttle stack fly up, rather than sideways like the old Estes 1284, is to have it boost through the center of mass. To explain a bit more- there are what I call- 3 different phases of stability in model rocket launches (engineers- hold with me here- I'm using simplified terms to illustrate). First there is what I like to call the mechanical phase, where the physical connection between the launch lug and launch rod provides the stability. The second phase is where the inertial tendencies of the stack provide the stability- in other words, thrusting through the center of mass ("an object in motion will tend to stay in motion, in a straight line until acted upon by an outside unbalanced force"- some guy named after a fig cookie) The third phase is the aerodynamic phase, where the fins and airframe provide most of the stability. Now these phases blend and interface into one another to vastly differing degrees depending on the rocket. In the case of the Dr. Zooch shuttle stack specifically, the first phase is about 22 inches up the rod and the second phase, involving the mass of the stack actually runs from there until shortly before ejection. The third phase is brief but has some effect through most of the second phase. In other words, the aerodynamic fins are required, but their role is small compared to the mass. I hate to say this, but you can fly it with very small FlameFins. I won't say how small, but foose can tell you if you saw how small the fins are that I've flown it on you'd be frightened. Of course, if I crash mine- it doesn't cost me a thing... you builders out there should not try it with yours. Still, the fins- although required- are not as influential as the mass trick.

A side result of all that was that the orbiter needed to be very small and very low-mass in order for the kit to fly well. When Foose added all of the paper, glue and other items (most of which are aft) he shifted the CG of the orbiter aft quite a bit. Although the orbiter mass was still within the envelope for a stable boost, the CG was killing him. I took the beat-up orbiter I was flying and we balanced it- then we took foose's amazing looking orbiter and found the balance point on it. It was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch or so aft of mine. I thought foose's head was going to explode when I took a knife, cut open a spot under the nose and shoved a sliver of lead into it. Of course it flew better... but I'm not sure he'll ever forgive me for that one.

So- build and FLY stock first- find your CG and then whatever you do, make sure your orbiter's CG is the same as the stock one.

 

[foose4string]

I thought foose's head was going to explode when I took a knife, cut open a spot under the nose and shoved a sliver of lead into it. Of course it flew better... but I'm not sure he'll ever forgive me for that one.

Awe c'mon, I wasn't as bad as all that. ....or was I?
There may have a been a short gasp or something at first cut. I didn't really care as long as we could make it fly. That was the important thing. That one ended up sailing away into the trees near my house if I recall...which is a looong way from the spot it was launched.

I built the Discovery knowing the extra nose ballast would be be needed. No surgery required for that one, and even managed to trim it all by myself. Used the 3 grams that was needed for the stock shuttle and added a bb sized split shot.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Ok, I've got a (slightly) offtopic question for you guys... HOW DO YOU PUT TEXT BEFORE AND AFTER THE PICTURES?? Is that 'embedding' the picture in the text, and if it is, how do you do it?? When I tried, it just gives me the option to use a picture on the net, when I'm using pics from my digicam downloaded onto my hard drive and resized to fit the forum (I actually let the forum resize them when I download them, since it seems to be doing a good job of it automatically. I then resave these pics with new names, so I can use them when I cross post this thread over on YORF, and then I just downsize my original pics to about 90%-75% (depending on the filesize) in Paint and use those when I crosspost this onto RP, since it has MUCH bigger pic size limits).

Geesh I'm such a computer noob sometimes... LOL

Thanks for any advice... OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

That orbiter looks AMAZING... I was just TOTALLY blown away by the wrap files you sent me (thanks again Craig!) and seeing the finished product just reminds me how far I have to go... I've probably already made a hash of my glider... LOL I build heavy, what can I say??

I KNOW I goofed up the payload bay a bit... I used the edge of a steel ruler to turn the glue tabs for a nice sharp edge; unfortunately I didn't realize that I put one of my heavy meathooks down on the wrap and put an inch long crease in one of the bay doors near the back. I probably should have trimmed my bulkheads a bit more before installing them in the payload bay ends as well, because I can see the 'points' where the flat sides start turning round across the top, and they were a tight fit. The center of the payload bay isn't exactly rounding out as much as I'd like, either-- it's still 'hooped' or humpbacked more than I'd prefer. Probably should have 'precurled' it more... (did I do that at all?? can't recall...) Oh well, I'm learning; this is my first 'paper model' so to speak, and I probably picked a doosey to start on, but I'm holding my own I guess...

I was rather proud of how the crew cabin turned out, and the OMS pods... I DEFINITELY precurled them, the glue tabs and front edge, and curled the side 'points' (on top of the glue tabs when done) inward, to get that nice, compound, rounded rectangular look of the real thing. I was gonna put balsa bulkheads at the rear, but elected to stiffen them with a layer of white glue poured in the back and swished around to seal the seams and stiffen the paper from the inside. Hope that doesn't add too much aft weight.

I put a goodly glob of white glue in the nose after installing the clay noseweight as per the instructions, and swished it around to help stiffen the cabin.

One other thing I did that probably shouldn't have... I just glued the paper bulkhead templates to the balsa and then cut them out... for extra strength. Not sure how much weight that'll add... I did the same for the adjusting screw and elastic hook plate on the back-- adds a LOT of strength, but also some weight in about the worst place for it. I plan on adding the SSME nozzles, but I'll probably trim them down a bit first, since my back edges are a bit rough.

Other than that, I'm going stock with the orbiter, though I DO want that bottom wrap-- it's just too cool NOT to use! I'd like wing skins on top, but that's probably not a good idea this go round... Block I shuttles are too heavy anyway (grins). I'll settle for CA hardening the balsa and a sanded off coat of Elmer's filler, and a thin coat of white spray paint.

Here's some more pics... OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

I've also gone back to the SRB's and installed the paper bands over the printed ones. They REALLY make the SRB's look SO cool, though the pictures don't really do them justice. I cut the black and white bands at 1/16 inch to more closely match the bands on the printed wraps, and to allow the 'gold bands' adjoining some of the black and white bands to show through under or over the raised black or white bands. The effect is REALLY neat.

I figured out a fairly painless way to apply the white glue to the back of the strips, once I was about halfway through. I took a plastic box of wire nuts I had on the workbench and put a nice size drop of white glue on top, and smeared it around a bit, about half the size of a penny, and then simply dragged the back of the strip across the glue and out onto the plastic surface-- instant even thin layer of glue. Switch ends and do the other end and it's ready to roll onto the SRB. Every so often, use a paper towel or Kleenex to wipe up the remaining glue on the box before it dries, and put down a new drop and spread it. Works like a champ.

I also went back and finished the detailing on the ET. Installed the final 2 orbiter mount pegs on the base plate, the LOX tunnel, and the cable tray per the instructions. I also went back and spread a couple healthy layers of Titebond II dark on the aft hydrogen tank dome egg carton to seal it against heat and spray paint solvent. One more layer and she should be good to go.

Still need to do the forward attach bipod for the orbiter. When I did the aft struts, I carved a small notch in the tube to 'seat' the dowel into the tank wall itself, and used Titebond II dark for (hopefully) a little more strength than white glue, especially considering the wood.

Here's the pics... OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Here's the pics of the sealing the aft hydrogen tank dome with Titebond II dark...

My idea of using the acrylic Testors water based paint I got at W/M to seal the aft ET dome seems to be a bust... the stuff is absolutely awful! I tried brushing it on the nosecones, and the darn stuff is like watercolors! Honestly, I think my daughter's 99 cent 'paint kit' (the little plastic sheet with dimples in it with powdered 'paint' you dip your brush in water and than rub the paint to make the color 'paint' you want) would do just as good a job, if not better. So, today I'll just get a spray can and go outside and do it. Probably shoot the ET cone white too just for a good base coat, since it's so highly noticeable out there in front.

Later! OL JR

 

[Dr.Zooch]

IOne other thing I did that probably shouldn't have... I just glued the paper bulkhead templates to the balsa and then cut them out... for extra strength. Not sure how much weight that'll add...

Don't worry about this- I've designed margin just for that. Those bulkheads will be fine with the templated glued on- however, if you need to make another orbiter- you'll have no templates.

BTW- those bulkheads are taken from cross-sectional drawings of the actual shuttle. I shrunk them down, but when you place a builkhead- you're placing a piece that is the actual shuttle shape for that location. That's why there are some odd markings on the bulkhead templates- I left them on just for fun.

 

[mjennings]

Looking good! Don't worry about the tiny goofs every time I fly mine people like to get close to it and ohh and ahh, and we are always way more critical of our work than anyone else will ever be (unless they are a scale judge, but that is a different story all together.)

Hey Fooze you wouldn't happen to have a few more shots of the SSME's installed or during assembly, I could never get anything to look right so I left the back plane raw balsa.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Thanks mjennings... I appreciate it... This IS a learning experience for me! This is THE most challenging kit I've ever built. I know the Doc doesn't exactly use 'skill levels' but this one has to be kinda 'up there'. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Just hope it's not a train!!! LOL
OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Okay, back to work... So, I pretty much finished with the ET, after giving the aft dome one more coat of Titebond II dark and after it dried, I did put a coat of the acrylic white on it just to make double sure it's sealed.

I had cut the dowels and NOTCHED the tiny suckers for the front bipod (notched the two 'bipod' dowels to hold the front shuttle attach dowel between them) and then had a change of heart. I figured that wouldnt' hold up more than one flight if I was lucky, and just went ahead and did the balsa block method instead. I DID sand it into a sorta 'topless pyramid' (I know, sounds like a REALLY bad theme strip bar in Vegas) and notched it for the forward shuttle attach dowel. After carefully measuring the location of the forward attach lug in relation to the body flap lugs, I then located the forward attach point on the ET. I had to make a tiny notch in the bottom of the intertank wrap, lightly sanded the glassine off the spot, and glued it to the tube. I halved the remaining launch lug per the instructions, (though I halved it at an angle to make it 'raked' and cut the back at an angle too just for kicks) and located them on the tube as well. One is nestled up close to the hydrogen feedline on the rear shuttle attach pad, and the other is nestled up right against the forward shuttle attach block. SO it's a good thing I went for the wood block method instead of the bipod dowel method, because they would have probably been in the way of the forward lug if I had used the dowels.

I also went ahead and built the flamefins to stabilize the stack in flight. I halved the BT-5 tube per the instructions, put the alignment marks on them per the alignment sheet in the kit (you actually mark the fins as if you were installing four, but you put them at 12, 3 and 6 positions, instead of 12, 4, and 8 positions like you normally would for three fins. Basically you're leaving off the fourth fin.) I cut 6 flame fins from the last sheet of kit balsa, and had a devil of a time getting them all on there with the grain running properly, but making the front tip a hair shorter did the trick. I glued the fins on, hardened them with CA, sanded them smooth, and glued on the two forward mounting rings. They slide into the SRB's for flight, sorta like a removeable motor mount with fins... The fit was a little loose, so I went ahead and painted the rings as well, since that will probably snug them up a bit. I got a can of 7747 Sunburst Yellow in Rustoleum brand to paint them, as it was the brightest yellow I could find. The Rustoleum paints go on SO much better than the stupid New Krylons do... and they have the old style 'cheapy' nozzles, which are infinitely better than the new fancy nozzle on the Krylon.

Here's the pics...

More to come... OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Next up, I continued working on the orbiter. I sanded the leading edges of the wings to the shape described in the instructions, basically rounding off the top edge to the bottom edge to gain lift. I finished building up the rear propulsion section and the payload bay section, and glued them both to the wings as per the instructions. I cut the body flap out, cut one of the launch lugs in the kit into a 1/4 inch piece and halved the rest, and glued the two halves onto the body flap, and glued one side of the flap deployment elastic onto one corner of the rearmost flap on one corner. The 1/4 inch piece of lug gets glued to the wing centerline near the front of the orbiter. After all that had set up, I glued on the Tyvec paper included in the kit for the body flap hinge, with white glue. I hardened the wings with CA and then sanded them lightly to remove the 'grit' that the CA inevitably raises. Once that was done, I went ahead and glued on the forward crew cabin as per the instructions, and cut a small balsa piece to fill the small gap between the cabin and front end of the wing plate. I then moved on to the rear, and glued on the rudder, and trimmed and glued on the engine bells, after having painted them gunmetal gray and letting them dry. I glued on the other half the Tyvec paper hinge for the body flap to the main wing, leaving a small gap between them so the body flap can fully raise at deployment. I used my steel ruler and some clothespins to hold everything pressed tightly together while the glue dried, with a piece of wax paper in between to keep the ruler clean. After that was all dry, I then deployed the body flap full up, and carefully pulled the elastic flap deployer over the hook on the rear bulkhead, and keeping it taut, wrapped it over the opposing body flap corner and secured it with a clothespin, and rubbed a big drop of Titebond II into it and onto the corner of the body flap to glue it in place. After this dried, I went over it again with a smaller drop of glue, let that dry, and cut the remaining cord off.

I then carefully cut the belly wrap, which is an ingeniously resized photo of the actual shuttle re-entry tiles. Using the body flap template, I carefully cut the body flap part of the wrap off the back of the orbiter belly wrap so it can be glued seperately to the body flap. Don't glue it up as one piece or the body flap will be unable to deploy at tank sep and the orbiter will crash. I then carefully fitted the front portion to the orbiter belly, and satisfied with the fit, was ready to glue it on. I started thinking of how to mark the wrap so I could cut a small square hole in it for the front orbiter attachment lug, which was already glued onto the belly of the orbiter. I put a small drop of Titebond II on the lug, then carefully aligned the back of the wrap with the edges, and worked my way forward, preventing the underside of the wrap from touching the glue drop until I was satisfied everything was properly aligned. Let the wrap touch the glue, then lift it straight up, and lay it on the work mat, and cut 1/4 inch square out around the glue drop. Wipe what's left off the lug, and it's clean as a whistle. Works like a champ! After carefully cutting the hole for the lug, and checking the size and alignment, I then glued the belly wrap down with a good smear of white glue across the underside of the wings and belly.

The body flap tile wrap is a bit more challenging, since you have TWO alignment lugs to work around, but the same principle applies. You don't have to use a glue spot to mark it, just line it up, mark the centers with a pencil, and cut the notches for the lugs, since they go all the way to the front of the body flap anyway. Once you've notched for the mounting lugs, I made a small slit on either side of the rear part of the body flap, so those corners can go over the elastic glued on the rear corners of the flap, and the rest of the wrap can lay flat, and not interfere with the mounting lugs, since the ET rear tank mounting dowels have to be able to slide out of those lugs umimpeded at orbiter deploy. Glue the wrap on with a light coat of white glue, and it's a good idea to burnish it down, especially in the area immediately behind the orbiter mounting lugs, to make SURE it's all flat and won't interfere with deployment.

Here's some pics... OL JR

 

[JAL3]

It really is looking good...and discouraging me from opening mine which would suffer in comparison.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Next I started painting the ET. After building up an old spare curtain rod with some masking tape and installed an old motor case on it, (man I hope the boss doesn't find out about that one!) I installed the ET onto the motor case and moved it outside for painting.

I decided to go the NEW Krylon route, just to see how it looks with the new stuff. I found out something interesting after I got started. Look back at that photo of the REAL ET being moved out from Michoud to the barge for shipment to KSC (or maybe they're trucking it off the barge at KSC to the VAB) and you'll see how 'yellow' it looks. Looking at the photo mjennings posted later on showing the foam with the hail dings patched and you can see the thing is actually a lot lighter than we typically paint it. I think it's a perception thing-- big stuff usually LOOKS darker than it really is, especially when sandwiched between two 12 foot white SRB's and with a huge white top orbiter hung off it. Long story short, I started off with the Bauhaus Gold in NEW Krylon, painted the ET with 2 or 3 light coats for a base, and looking at the color decided that it's ALMOST A PERFECT MATCH with the 'aged' Hot Stuff foam sample I had on the dryer by the back door. I even took a photo with the foam sample to make my point. Basically, if you want an EASY paint job that is an EXCELLENT MATCH for the ET, just get a can of NEW Krylon BAUHAUS GOLD and give it a few coats and call it a day.

Here's some pics... note the foam sample color match... OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Of course, me being a bit of an experimenter, decided to go ahead and do the full 'Zooch method' with the New Krylon just to see how it turned out. First, another coat of Bauhaus Gold since it was still kinda translucent after only a couple coats...

My daylight was fading, so I took two pics, the first without a flash, and the second one with. I kept the CFL porch light on while I was working and taking pics.

Here's the pics... OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Next was a mist coat of Pumpkin Orange. "Mist coats" are kind of a misnomer with the New Krylon, as the nozzle tends to cropdust the paint on, so you have to 'whip' the can past the model as you paint; move MUCH faster than you are used to moving the can when using 'regular' (IE GOOD) spray paint...

Here's the pics... first with no flash, then with the flash. OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Then we put on a mist coat of Ruddy Brown Primer in the NEW Krylon...

Remember to paint like Speedy Gonzales!!!

Pic one no flash, pic two flash on. OL JR

 

[luke strawwalker]

Finally, I went over it again with a light mist coat of Bauhaus Gold again, just to lighten the whole thing up. It takes on the Orange and Brown though, to give it a little 'character'. We'll see how it looks tomorrow in daylight.

I forgot to mention... I also masked the orbiter mounting dowels as the instructions suggest, to prevent paint from causing the orbiter to 'bind up' at deployment.

First the no flash pic then the flash pic. OL JR

 

[JAL3]

First the no flash pic then the flash pic. OL JR

Ya forgot the pics!!!

EDIT

Now they're up

 

[foose4string]

JR, looking good. Keep going you're on the home stretch! This is one of those models that sucks you in and won't rest until it's completed.

- I want to side track for just sec(hope you don't mind JR) -

I've gotten several PM's about the alternate shuttle wraps for this. PLEASE do NOT bug Dr. Zooch for a copy of the detailed wraps! - He doesn't have them and doesn't offer support for them. If this starts to become a sore spot for Dr. Zooch or Delta7, I will quit offering them and ask anyone I've sent them to, to do the same. These will require some patience and skill- some (positive)experience with paper modeling and gliders preferred. Building it stock is challenging enough, as JR and anyone who has built one can attest. Let's be smart about this.

I contacted Bob Harrington(BobH48), the person I contacted to create these wraps, and asked if I can give him credit. He said he didn't mind so long is nobody is directly profiting from them. I have made a few changes to them along the way, but most of the skill and hard work was his doing. Bob has drawn graphics sheets/ patterns for some down scaled classics, and they turned out super. He also happens to be a fantastic paper modeler. He was a perfect fit for this undertaking, as this combined his drawing skills and appreciation for paper modeling. They turned out better than I ever imagined. Thanks Bob!


Bob's mini clones can be found on Lessgravity's rocketry blog.

Now, back to your regularly schedule program....