Building the SSSP Base [Episode 21] Construction of the Launch/Landing Building Part 2

[Construction is going surprisingly well]

When I built the inverted pyramid tower, I had no idea how to handle the launch gimmick for the Small Beetle, so I went through a lot of trial and error. After all, I started by borrowing an introductory book on linkage mechanisms from the library, so it was a long, long, narrow path.
Well, although it was quite a struggle, the knowledge I gained must have paid off. This time, I was able to come up with the gimmick structure right away.

Once the gimmick structure was decided, it was time to calculate the sizes for each part, such as the hangar tower and the elevator.
Normally, I would need to build the Jet Beetle first to confirm that it would actually fit in the hangar, but as I mentioned in Episode 19, I had a slightly larger-scale Jet Beetle on hand, so I was able to proceed with the work before building the Jet Beetle itself.

Smooth sailing, smooth sailing.

Basically, I use 1mm thick plastic board to build the launch/landing deck, hangar tower, hatch, and elevator.

Basically, I use 1mm thick plastic board to build the launch/landing deck, hangar tower, hatch, and elevator. For the steel trusses, I create the basic shape with 1x1mm plastic rods, and then assemble the diagonal steel beams using 0.25x1mm plastic flat rods.
By the way, the plastic boards and rods are from Tamiya as usual, but the plastic flat rods are from Evergreen, which I bought quite a while ago.

To get a feel for the atmosphere, I also roughly painted it.
The hangar tower and launch/landing deck were painted in a matte light gray-white (Mitsubishi style), just like the inverted pyramid tower.
The hatch is a slightly brighter black and matte, so I painted it with tire black. Looking at the footage from the show, there are marks left behind like those from a blackboard eraser, so I wonder if that was meant to show wear and tear (I don't think they repurposed a small blackboard. Surely not). I tried to imitate it a little, but it didn't seem to have much effect.

Since I went to the trouble, I tried incorporating it into the underground machine room (the base of the model).
The Jet Beetle isn't finished yet, so I had the Small Beetle make a guest appearance for now.

Next, I will build the steel trusses.

Since the launch/landing building is an inverted octagonal pyramid, I need to build steel trusses for eight sides.
It's a repetitive task, but I don't mind work that moves forward as long as I keep my hands moving. In fact, it's quite fun to be able to aim for "faster and more beautiful" results while figuring out various ways to build it.

Once the steel trusses are complete, it's time for the long-awaited Jet Beetle launch gimmick.

[Episode 22] Setting the Time Period for the SSSP Base Part 1 continues to
[Episode 20] Construction of the Launch/Landing Building Part 1 returns to
[Episode 1] The Secret Base Begins returns to