SUB-ORBITAL TRANSPORT VEHICLE

Launch Platform and Booster Assembly

An Ohio Class Submarine became the basis for the Sub Orbital Transport Vehicle, a heavy lifting body for carrying cargo long distances around the Earth. 1/32 scale aircraft drop tanks and various fins, wings and vertical stabilisers were added, with the use of copious amounts of putty to join it all together. White and blue became the primary colours, with details added by pen drawing and pinstripe tape sections.

The launch platform started life as the body of a large scale truck assembly begun a few years ago. A pontoon bridge kit was added, along with brass tube, resin cast pieces and kit details. The base for this superstructure was cut from 3mm sheet styrene. Detail consisted of many resin cast pieces added with Super Glue.

The large base section on the bottom of the platform was an old computer monitor that I bought for $7 from the recycle centre. Panels were removed, sheet styrene backed up the openings and kit parts added for detail. The monitor’s hinge became the poseable support for the platform in launch position.

The rocket booster assembly was created from sheet styrene and detailed with plastic tubing and kit parts. A profiler gauge gave the cross sectional shape of the transport vehicle so the sheet plastic would conform to the correct contours.

Painting was done with spray cans, details were picked out in various colours and pinstriping tape added to complete the various sub-assemblies. All in all, this project took some six months to complete, though not all at the same time.