Ariane 5 1/96, pt.12

So, Planck is done. Was it? No, not entirely, actually. I still had to make the small brackets that connected the Service Module bus to the solar panel shield. So I did. You can see photos of it after the jump.
I also started work on Herschel. This build is completely based on John Jogerst's model, which you can find in Jon Leslie's Lower Hudson paper model collection. However, I don't use the model's parts themselves but cut them out of coloured paper and add a lot of scratch built parts in the process. The photo below shows where I am now and how I got there is shown after the jump. 

So, as promised, first the final pictures of Planck's build.

The brackets were made from thick mat paper which I covered in aluminium sticky tape. Like it is on the real thing.

Okay, enough of Planck. On to Herschel. First I always start drawing the object a couple of times to get the hang of the shape and proportions. I started to cut out the main bus, the service module, out of thick yellow card. This main bus is the same as with Planck.

The main bus was edge glued and the bottom was reinforced on the inside. Since I had no way to include a magnet on this one I was already pondering for a while how to connect Herschel to its pedestal ring on the SYLDA cover structure. I was very happy when I discovered Herschel had a circular thickening around its base. I made it so that it would snugly fit inside the pedestal ring. The bus got a layer of chocolate wrapper which I crinkled beforehand. It would be painted later on.  

Side facing surfaces were painted anthracite black, the top was given a silvery colour. Then came the detailing session. Sessions. The original model has the electronic elements simplified and printed on the structure but I made them 3D again. Most of it are sensors and navigation devices, I presume. I took a length of electrical wire from the spares box and started cutting it into tinier measures. Using CA glue I tried to shape the wire into the way it was shown on John Jogerst's model. I felt no need to really deviate from this. It is there to give the model some extra bustle and detail. Also because the cryostat vat, or Devar, as it also is called, will have some wiring running over it. Then I also have to show the other wiring. So there.

Well, that was it for today, thanks for stopping by and see you next time!
--PK