While Endeavour has left the station and I am waiting for the Hi-Res photo's of the ISS with Endeavour docked I continued on the shuttle stack for my STS-1 diorama.
Columbia is finished and stacked with its ET and booster set. The rear umbilicals of the shuttle do not line up exactly with the place they should but they keep the stack very snug in place. No risk of falling over there.
On with the crawler. This massive machine with huge tracks (each track shoe weighs a just little less than a ton!) has a very ingenious system of hydraulics which keep the MLP with the shuttle at an angle of 0ยบ during the climb of the slope. With a speed of around 1,5 kilometer per hour the whole combination is not that fast. For smoothing the ride the trucks can steer like normal wheels can. It is not just the caterpillar or tank-method of keeping one trackside still, move the other to accomplish a change of direction. It would be causing too much vibrations and shaking to the shuttle stack.
The main part is done, I am now on to the trucks, the four parts where the tracks are on. I dabbed a little bit of gloss paint on all the windows to give them a more glassy feeling.
Geweldig! Professioneel.
ReplyDeleteHi Jasper
ReplyDeleteI am glad that drove here
Merzo
Nice you found it, Merzo. Welcome.
ReplyDelete