Construction of the Service Arm #1 prototype - First Element
- Mischa
- LUT model
As promised, the starting shot for the Babylonian Tower. As test construction and feasibility study of the Service Arm #1, in its official name Service Arm S-IC Intertank.
It refueled the Saturn V with liquid oxygen (LOX), and was retracted before the launch.
Service Arm #1
Here the swing arm in the model ...
Service Arm #1. Courtesy of NASA
... and so it looked in the good old days, when people still flew to the moon instead of playing Farmville. Altogether 424 parts are planned, whereby I fear already now that some will probably not make it into the final kit because of crazy tininess. Also the arm and the extension platform (white) are planned to stay movable, we will see if it can be pulled through.
Frame of the First Element
Yes, and here they are, the first parts. The crawler kit had a certain model-building folklore and its difficulties, but this here opens a new league for those who always wanted to know exactly where God lives. On the framework I tried different techniques to peel the piece out of the paper somehow. It works best with a credit card as a ruler. How prophetic. A magnifying lamp is obligatory anyway.
Frame of the First Element
The pivoting axle also carries the arm in the model and is designed accordingly stable with 300g cardboard parts. In the beginning, I was skeptical against the paper. But after I got used to its doughy consistency, I like it quite well - it doesn't tear apart, and glue residues can be removed very well.
Frame of the First Element
Trying on the transparent foil. The latticework comes into its own quite well, even against a light background. The decreased print quality of my aging color laser, however, becomes evident.
Frame of the First Element
The First Element of the swing arm #1 is finished. On the Saturn side (right in the picture) you can see the connections to the Second Element, four 8-sided plates in the corners.
Combining the First and Second Element into one part would have been possible in principle, but would have made the assembly even more difficult. The main problem, besides the cutting, is to manipulate the filigree thing in a way that avoids a disaster. The base plates were actually painted red - I put a corrugated aluminum texture over them, but it doesn't show to advantage with my laser printing.
Frame of the First Element
Yes, the ceiling lights. The LUT has tens of thousands of them, but I limit myself to the swing arms and some other exposed places where they are clearly visible. I have cancelled some tiny parts for now - they are hardly visible anyway.
Frame of the First Element
At the bottom we see the brackets for the beam cables. Some swing arms use them very extensively, but at service arm #1 they are empty.
