Space Shuttle Endeavour with ET and SRB's in 1/96 [Part 6]

So right after posting the last installment, I took a long and hard look at the tank and decided it wasn't good enough by far. I carefully disassembled the cone from the ribbed intertank section and tried to do the same with the large part. That didn't go entirely well and I had to throw that part away. I could save the end cap, though.

This is what I ended up with after the demolishing:

And then the re-assembling started. I was a little worried that it would put me back at least a week. But did it? no. Well... read the rest. Then you 'll know.

Of course it didn't. The large portion of the ET was done the next day. I even made better reinforcing inside. I also cut open the intertank section and reduced the cross section drastically, so the ribbing of the intertank would be parallel with the outside of the orange/brown part of the tank. It was protruding way too much. With some new inner parts in the intertank I refitted the cone and later the main tank body and added some necessary strips for rings around the intertank part and created a tight fit.

Then I continued to reattach the end cap and after that I started sanding again. After two hours of continuous work I was almost where I was before I diasssembled the ET. But it looks much better now. I am glad I did it.

I accentuated the access doors on the intertank with outlines which made them a little more stand out and gave them a better outline. Time for the new cable run and other lines over the hull.

The cable run was made anew and a lot narrower, and I made a lot of small attachment points for the pressure lines which are coming from the two tanks (probably to bleed off excess gas.) The attachment points worked like a charm. I used CA to glue the thin metal welding wire. I first painted them dark grey to make them resemble the pressure lines. next to then, the cable run.

So. Right now this is where the build is. Next post hopefully will be somewhere in the 2nd part of next week.
Thanks for your visit, and see you soon
--PK