Detailing your Revell 1/144 Space Shuttle Part 2 - Aftermarket PE and resin set

So now that we have dealt with where you can get the shuttle decals (again we will only focus on the Revell 1/144 scale space shuttle), let’s move on to how we can help you get your shuttle to look like … well, an actual orbiter, or at least close to it.

Observe the following images obtained from Revell’s website on how their 1/144 shuttle Atlantis will look like when completed out of the box. Notice that while the build-up is beautiful, the shuttle does look plain and bare.

The tile decals should help add in some noise details to her otherwise smooth surface.

but what about those inaccurate engine thrusters? And the payload bay? Let's take a look at these after the jump.


So just how exactly should the main engine thruster nozzle look like? I have attached a few images of the real thing for comparison. You can actually scratch build the piping details unto the nozzle if you want to but that would mean repeating the effort for all 3 of them, You would need to get all 3 exactly a like while the smaller thruster nozzle at the rear will need to be re-sculpt. OR you can do what I did – I go look for an aftermarket replacement.

Space Shuttle main engine

The Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25, otherwise known as the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is a liquid-fuel cryogenic rocket engine. The RS-25 was used in clusters of three engines mounted in the aft structure of the Orbiter, with fuel being drawn from the external tank. The engines were used for propulsion during the entirety of the spacecraft's ascent, with additional thrust being provided by two solid rocket boosters and the orbiter's two AJ-10-190 Orbital Maneuvering System engines.The RS-25 engine consists of various pumps, valves and other components which work in concert to produce thrust.

Notice the pipings on those things? They are missing with the Revell kit. Getting aftermarket parts for these had been an issue for a long time with a lot of Space Shuttle enthusiast, simply because many do not know where to look. So to help all of you out, let me introduce to you Real Space Models, Makers of resin kits of factual spacecraft and launch vehicles.Offering high quality, accurate multimedia kits and conversions.



RealSpaceModels 1/144 Space Shuttle Main Engines

The Space Shuttle Main Engines are the first re-usable rocket engines in history. Designed for up to 80+ flights the SSMEs have built a reputation for reliability. Unfortunately for modelers the depiction of these amazing engines is poor in the available 1/144 Shuttle kits. Now that problem has been solved with this set of SSMEs and Orbital Manuvering System (OMS) engine nozzles. Exacting details come from actual NASA diagrams used as reference to create the masters of these resin nozzles. Also available in 1/72 scale.

http://www.realspacemodels.com/html/ssme44pg.html

The Space Shuttle Payload Bay

The space Shuttle is essentially a 60-foot space truck bed for cosmic hauls into orbit. The payload bay is 18.3 m long and 4.6 m wide (60 ft by 15 ft), has payload attachment points along its full length, and is adaptable enough to accommodate as many as five unmanned spacecraft of various sizes and shapes in one mission. The cargo bay is equipped  with a 15 m (50 ft) robot arm for lifting and releasing, or grasping and retrieving satellites in space.

Maximum payload: 25 060 kg
Payload to low Earth orbit: 24 310 kg
Payload bay dimensions: 4.6 x 18 m

You can see clearly here the silver coloured inner door section of the shuttle bay door. They are apparently not smooth at all and  they look like there are rows after rows of something lining over them (sorry, NASA won’t tell me what they are).

Note the floor and wall surface. You'll see that they are actually covered in some kind of material and they are not exactly metal. You can also see yellow handles located at the side lining of the payload bay, as well as on the side wall near the cockpit section. Yes, those are handles for the astronauts to hold on to when they begin their space walks.

From these images above, it’s clear you will need photo etch parts for your detailing work. Hence let me introduce a company from Czech Republic called New Ware Models. They specialize mainly on after market parts for real space models as follows:

• Resin space models
• Combined resin - injection molded space models
• PE detail sets
• Conversion sets for the existing kits
• Decals

Their products mainly cater to these following scales

• 1/144 for launch vehicles, space shuttles, space stations and large interplanetary manned spacecrafts
• 1/72 for rockets and small launch vehicles 
• 1/48 for manned and unmanned spacecrafts, space stations, mars and manned moon landers 
• 1/32 for manned spacecrafts

New Ware 1/144 Space Shuttle Upgrade

PE set for the 1/144 Space Shuttle kit from Revell. Set contains enough PE parts for 2 Shuttle version, in orbit with open payload and in its launch configuration. Includes cargo bay doors interior, radiator panels, EVA handles for cargo bay interior, Habitat and Spacelab modules, umbilical panels, forward RCSs covers and others. More than 130 PE parts altogether. Included in the instruction sheet are also steps to correct the cargo bay body.

http://ninfinger.org/models/newware/shuttledetail.html

http://ninfinger.org/models/newware/shuttledetail.html

http://ninfinger.org/models/newware/shuttledetail.html

NWM001 1/144 Space Shuttle Airbrush Masks

There is also a painting mask made specially for the Revell 1/144 kit. This set can be used to masks all the orbiters in existance (but the set only has one mask per orbiter. You will need 5 to work on all 5 different orbiters). To be used together with masking tapes for the larger areas.

Both set are also available at CultTVman Hobbyshop