Orion Ascent Abort Test... Little Joe 3?

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I should probably just re-print and re-coat another decal sheet, but since I had already put a couple of heavy coats on it before I dropped it face down with a wet coat, I tried sanding it down with some 400 grit to get the little pieces of dirt out of it without going into the ink layer. It might be usable after another top coat, we'll see.

In other news, his Little Joe I and II brothers are on the way, along with THE #1969 kit.
 
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added some orange trim to the chamferred tips, got a little bleed through from the tape, but will clean that up when I paint the fins metallic silver. You can't tape over the metallic without peeling off the metallic sheen, so I did the trim color first.
 
when I was setting up my masking tape, the orange peeled up in some spots, I guess I did not wait long enough. So, I just went ahead and sanded things down and hit it with the metallic paint, all I had on hand was some of the high-temp BBQ paint, which has a nice metallic luster. I might hand paint the orange tips with some acrylic paint I have on hand, or even an orange Sharpie, maybe. Just about ready for decals, after letting these top coats dry well for a few more days.

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Nothing new to report on this build. Paint is dry enough, decal sheet is ready. I just need some quiet time so I can focus on doing the decals without interruptions. The logos will be easy, but the body tube wrap is always a little tricky, like the Mercury Redstone roll pattern decal, you know?

But, I know everyone likes pictures, so here's another one, painted, not decal-ed yet, with a few new kits that arrived in the mail today for the build pile...
I know I am going to want to make another Little Joe III, but bigger... this 18mm powered guy will just have to do for now.

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Not sure when I will open up those Estes Little Joes, I have another kit-bash idea that I plan to tackle first. So, this is pretty much the end of my Little Joe III, Orion Ascent Abort 2, build thread. I like how it came out, applied lots of techniques used in Dr. Zooch kits with the cardstock fins, tower, nozzles. I realize the decal logos are a little larger than they should be, looks more like NASCAR rather than NASA, but I can read them from across the desk, which is kind of what I was going for.
 
Build Update on the Orion ATB - The heavy trade show season is done and I have been able to get a little more work done. Here are shots of the escape motor nozzle detail (pre sanding) and the separation fairing build-up with styrene sheets.
 

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Build Update on the Orion ATB - The heavy trade show season is done and I have been able to get a little more work done. Here are shots of the escape motor nozzle detail (pre sanding) and the separation fairing build-up with styrene sheets.
the escapemotor nozzles look pretty good. However I’m curious what you are going to do for the steering motor nozzles.
 
the escapemotor nozzles look pretty good. However I’m curious what you are going to do for the steering motor nozzles.
Thanks! I am debating on whether to fashion a "punch" and cut the jettison motor ports in above the abort motor nozzles, or to just paint them on. The steering motor ports just below the base of the nose cone will be decals. Suggestions are welcome.
 
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I was thinking of making little cardstock transitions to simulate the nozzles, and cut ovals in the tower to mount them internally, but did not think the tube would be strong enough after cutting the holes in it. I just opted for black decals for the jettison and steering ports.

You could make the jettison decals look better by using a radial color gradient, to make them appear shaded and hollow from a certain perspective. This would give the illusion of depth from the decal on the surface. Look at how the icons on your computer are shaded to simulate depth, for example.


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Launched this one today. A C6-3 got it plenty high, would have been fine on a C6-5. Still the chute did not unfurl completely, but this thing was light and rigid enough that it did no damage on hard landing on the soft ground.
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Glen, I was browsing on the Model Rocketry, USA Facebook page and saw this. Dude made a finless Orion Abort test rocket. Not BPS thrust vectored, apparently his own design using ball link and universal joints. He says it will launch from Cape Canaveral in July.

 
Why are the steering rocket nozzles missing?
I saw this early last year. It was on public display near the VAB. I guess it is an early boiler-plate model of the real item, perhaps to assist with testing their process flows or for some other purpose. Seemed too well done to be just a display model. It had real value somewhere in the Orion/SLS project.
 
probably was just some kind of test article or mock-up, the jettison motor nozzles are also missing.
 
Hey folks -

After a long hiatus due to a career change, I am finishing my Orion AA2 based on the Estes FatBoy. Unfortunately, I missed my launch window to coincide with this week's test of "the real thing". Still have detail painting to do, but here it is as it stands now. I will carry the satin white up to the nose cone to bisect the cable separation fairing, and add panel lines and details. Any suggestions or recommendations are appreciated!
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Try THESE pics . . .

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasakennedy/albums/72157695213025742


This image should help give some perspective on the size . . .

Dave F.

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I think that is entirely disproportionate. The telephoto effect makes the LAS look way too big.
Telephoto shots reduce foreshortening and tend to flatten subject, so I think you will find the appearance on the truck is remarkably proportional, particularly given it is largely orthogonal to the camera view. It really is a a surprisingly large piece of hardware.
 
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