Titan IIIe "Voyager" 1/96 #9

One SRM down, one to go. The Solid Rocket Motor was a great and straightforward build. I mainly used CA (super glue) and that made it a bit risky. It was however, the quickest and easiest way to get the hull together. PVA and Aleene's tacky glue I have hardly do a well enough job in this case. Anyway, it worked.

I created a lot of details using other paper, and built in a rod (plastic, okay) for positioning the stack on a pedestal later on. The second SRM will be on its way this week.

A notable different thing compared to the shuttle SRB's are the long red tanks alongside these solids. They were used for thrust vectoring, steering the rocket by changing the direction of the rockets' exhaust flow. Thus the rocket could roll, pitch and yaw more easily. The tanks contained a liquid that was inserted right into the stream of the exhaust gases. This made the flow change its direction. Nowadays, the engine bells of the solid rocket motors can rotate on their horizontal axis. The nozzles are skewed cones that thus have a 'natural' offset in relation to the rocket. By rotating them, the exhaust flow automatically goes slightly in another direction. The method used in the UA-1205, which was the name of the Titan's booster type, was quite advanced for its time but was soon replaced by the rotating nozzle method. The successor of the Titan III, the aptly named Titan 4, flew with boosters more like the STS ones.

Back to the build. The nose cone of the shroud also was finished. Took a couple of tries. For the best, because the third one was bang on. After cutting and glueing to the rest of the fairing, it hardly showed a seam and with a small magnet in the nose it closes up brilliantly. It just needs a small strip over the edge of the seam.

Here are some pictures. More after the break, as usual.

Finally, it starts to look like the actual rocket, now.

The hull of the first SRM. It looks beautiful, like this. Silk gloss photo paper did the trick. Again.

 

Details on the lower part. The stringers are from black paper.

The TVC tank. metallic parts are made with aluminium sticky tape.

Strapped to the booster.

Fluid insertion pipe. made from aluminium sticky tape, rolled on a knitting needle.

There's a plastic tube inside. This actually is the most unrealistic part of the rocket, since the original nozzles are actually bell-shaped and go in much deeper and not just a lower part of a nozzle.

Trial and error game with nose cones.

Shroud halves. Left on top there's a half of a metal washer, right I glued a small magnet.

These seams are very easy to get rid of. The fit is good for something that has to come apart now and then.

See what I mean?