© 2007 |
Rollout External Tank
This page has been made to model the External Tank as in the "Rollout" stage. It is optional as an alternative model to represent a Stack configuration during rollout of the Orbiter attached to the External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters. When the External Tank arrives to Kennedy Space Center it arrives via a barge from the Michoud plant in New Orleans. Then is taken to the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) where is prepared and attached to the Solid Rocket Boosters and to the Shuttle. Once the Shuttle stack is assembled, it leaves the VAB and heads to the launch pad during the rollout phase. Due to weather and to the elements, the External tank changes color from light yellow-orange to the rusty-brown color that everybody is familiar with. The photos below are from NASA website and shows the shuttle stack during rollout. Note the light color of the tank. The early shuttle missions did not show this color mainly because the External tank foam covering was different. Several NASA photos from as early as 1994 show the External tank with this light color, therefore my models will have this color starting with my Stack3 ET modification (see my REFERENCE page). My Stacks 4 and 5 will also share this color. Note that during the rollout phase, the Solid Rocket Boosters have distinctive yellow-orange panels in the upper section of the SRB. My models are represented with this feature as well.
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In order to build the models below in Rollout version, please obtain the correspondent Orbiter and SRB files from their respective download pages. Look for column STS# 86, 89, 107 and 115 to get those files.
Rolloutstack386.pdf (2.40 mb) Use Orbiter STS-86
Rolloutstack389.pdf (2.40 mb) Use Orbiter STS-89
Rollout ET Stack4 version (1 model) |
Rolloutstack4.pdf (2.56 mb) Use Orbiter STS-107
Rollout ET Stack5 version (1 model) |
Rolloutstack5.pdf (2.41 mb) Use Orbiter STS-115
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