1/72 Space Shuttle Atlantis - Super-detailing, long-term project thread!

Hi all,

Good to be part of the forum! This thread will detail my build of a Revell 1:72 Space Shuttle which I have just began. Any advice or tips or if anyone wants to share details on anything similar they have done, that would be more than appreciated!

So with the movie Gravity getting rave reviews (I'm going to see it tomorrow on the worlds 3rd largest screen in 3D) and the recent successes of SpaceX and Orbital I am pretty excited about space in general and Atlantis is the only shuttle I've seen in person when I flew from Australia to see it launch on STS-129. It'll make a nice diorama for me to mount the commemorative coin I got from KSC that's buried in a draw!

I plan to mount it identically to how the real Atlantis is mounted at KSC and go all out on the detailing to make it as real as possible, add lighting etc. I haven't built a model in years so it make take me some time and I have no photos right now, but in the mean time for some inspiration check out this amazing 1:72 Space Shuttle. What better to build a model of than NOT-arguably the greatest engineering feat of mankind?

Wow, that's a model!!!!!

Chiming in to add my subscription to this thread! I'm looking forward to watching this build.

Do you plan on building it pristine and clean, or weathered?

I may follow along as well. I have one I plan to do Atlantis on it's stack!!! Would love to do "in flight"

DS Operative said:

Do you plan on building it pristine and clean, or weathered?

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Definitely weathered. I wanna try to build and mount it to look as close at the actual Atlantis at KSC. I love the way they didn't restore it back to pristine new condition like they do with most aircraft in aviation museums. It looks like it landed from its last mission and then was hoisted onto its mounts (I know there was more involved than that)! The weathering adds so much to me, it shows it had a history and was once a hard working machine

Welcome to AXM Paper Space Scale Models Have you seen this site? There is a lot of info on all of the Space Shuttles including Atlantis. The paper models available are free and have an amazing amount of detail.

I haven't seen that site before, similar but not that one. There is some awesome stuff on there.

Btw I saw gravity on Thursday -- AMAZING -- everyone has to see it, visually spectacular! See it in IMAX 3D if you can.

I haven't done much work on my shuttle though. I did grind down some seat post for the extra seats that are stowed while on orbit, as well as open up the middeck openings. I also have scratch built a couple of control columns and the partitions mid way down the flight deck that weren't part of the model.

I plan to scratch build a middeck as well but it will essentially be a box with an LED in it, so you will just see white light shining up through the openings to the flight deck.