Ariane 5 1/96, pt. 3

What is that saying they use when things go slowly but surely? Steady as she goes? Well, anyway, that's how it goes at the moment.
Small parts, small progress but progress there is.

I was a little annoyed that I hadn't been able to add the third reinforcing ring around the engine cone just out of laziness but I made one in the end. Just by eyeing and using a calliper for all the measurements. Glad with the result. Of course it all looks awfully rough and hopelessly full of gaps but that's macro photography. 
I also made a start with all the umbilical lines and cable runs running over the core tank. The smallest one is made from floral wire I painted grey. It actually is elevated from the hull by tiny pieces of card.
And next to the smallest of the two helium tanks I placed the hydraulic fuel tank for the thrust vector function of the big Vulcain-2 engine. It is analogue to a wrist joint; it can swivel. This makes the engine act like balancing a broomstick on your finger. It can steer the rocket in the right direction. The two solid rocket motors on both sides of the core stage also can vector their thrust.
The last piece I did today was the fuel line and umbilical run extension on the engine cone. I didn't find any good reference to the original thing so I used some of the parts designed by David Brown and used a little fantasy and aluminium tape.

Now the core stage starts to look nice and busy. Up next is the interstage and the other cable run and fuel line. They are longer and end up on the interstage. After that, it's either the two SRB's (EAPs) or the second stage.

That's all for now, it's not much but it is something.
See you all soon and be nice to each other.

--PK