8480 Enhancement

[Blakbird]

In my never-ending quest to make more cool renders, I have finally arrived at 8480, the Space Shuttle. This is one of my favorite Technic sets of all time due to its uniqueness and all-around technical awesomeness. It has everything you could want in a set. Well, almost everything.

Has anyone ever made a scale set of Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) and the External Fuel Tank to go with the Orbiter? A search of Brickshelf did not turn up anything. Ultimately, I'd like to actually build these, but for now using an MPD for a render would be perfectly acceptable. Ideally, the style would match the 8480. In other words, it would be a mostly open "skeletal" structure, not a Model Team like structure. Don't get me wrong, I love combining Technic and Model Team, but it wouldn't fit with this orbiter.

For the truly adventurous, I'd like to also do the Crawler Transporter (with the new treads!) and the Mobile Launch Platform.

[Lasse D]

I don't think boosters will be fun to build as they don't have much functionality; a key element of the shuttle.

Building a different satellite or transporter (as you mention) sounds much more interesting, and I guess the boosters and tower can be added for completeness as in

[CP5670]

Has anyone ever made a scale set of Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) and the External Fuel Tank to go with the Orbiter? A search of Brickshelf did not turn up anything. Ultimately, I'd like to actually build these, but for now using an MPD for a render would be perfectly acceptable. Ideally, the style would match the 8480. In other words, it would be a mostly open "skeletal" structure, not a Model Team like structure. Don't get me wrong, I love combining Technic and Model Team, but it wouldn't fit with this orbiter.

I have had this concept in mind ever since I got the set in 1996. The SRB/tank assembly wouldn't add much in terms of functionality, but it would look great. I haven't seen any attempts at doing this on Brickshelf though.

Some people have made some quite large crawler transporters that would roughly match the 8480 in scale. This is one example. I have also seen a larger, blue one on Brickshelf before, but I can't find it now.

[Blakbird]

I don't think boosters will be fun to build as they don't have much functionality; a key element of the shuttle.

Building a different satellite or transporter (as you mention) sounds much more interesting, and I guess the boosters and tower can be added for completeness as in

Most of the functionality would come from the crawler. I would make it R/C using PF motors and receivers, super geared down to crawl slow (although still probably faster than the real one, even if you don't account for scale).

The SRBs and tank would really just be there to mount the shuttle to the crawler and because they look cool. You could model some of the internal fuel tanks and pumps I suppose, but it would still be a bit bland. Unless of course I kicked it up a notch with some of my Ammonium Perchlorate rocket propellant!

I could also install a recovery system on the SRBs (ejection system with parachutes), and a remote disconnect for both the SRBs and the orbiter from the external tank.

[Musikfreak]

I've built boosters for mine back in the days when I was young and the set was new.

The fuel tank was electrified with Sound & Light System to "burn" red when switched on (back then I thought that the fuel tank was a third rocketbooster ). The side ones where too small to fit an own battery box.

One of the things I loved was the release mechanism. It was spring loaded and with the flick of a switch the side boosters flew off (like you see in the movies - always loved that). And with another switch you could disengage the main tank (not spring loaded) from the shuttle.

Unfortunately the result, while technically interesting, wasn't all that hassle free. I wanted it to look real and made the sideboosters stick out the back just like the real one. With that structure the shuttle couldn't stand straight up without falling over or stressing the booster locks way too much. So I had to build a starting ramp which supported the shuttle. It should have looked like the 6339 but I hadn't got enought pieces and they were coloured differently and the shuttle had to be supported on many places because it is quite heavy so it just looked strange and not like a real tower - worked though.

But with these giant pieces (the main tank was huge) you coudn't really play that much and because back than I mainly played with all my models I soon took it apart. Had no camera back then and so there are no pictures. But I can assure you that it looked quite bad cause I was lousy at building round structures. The boosters all looked very angled.

Before I started I had also plans to build a flying carrier just like 6544 but with the "desaster" in finishing the staring ramp I finally decided against it.

[Rijkvv]

You can also add the Fiber Optic System to the boosters if you have some extra. And use the fuel tank to hold the battery box.

[Mol]

I would like to know if anyone has pictures or any build instructions for this..