Building the SSSP Base [Episode 33] Jet Beetle Launch!

[The Jet Beetle has finally been deployed]

The Jet Beetle markings are complete.

I immediately recreated the launch scene from the show in a video. After all, it has to be the Jet Beetle coming up the elevator.

By the way, in the episode where Aboras appears (Episode 19), the small Beetle launches from the octagonal building, so I can't say the launch scenes in my previous videos were wrong. But that was a catapult launch, after all.
I am extremely satisfied to have finally recreated the authentic launch scene. The Beetle ends up looking a bit like a Stormtrooper hitting its head on the closing hatch of a corridor, but let's just call that its charm.

It took a lot to get this far.
First, the octagonal building broke.

On the launch deck, there are two white rails for opening and closing the hatch, and there are narrow openings next to them. In other words, there are two long, thin holes, and because of the lack of structural strength, it had broken many times before. This time, it split into three large pieces.
It was my fault for trying to force it into the base of the station during the work.
Since just gluing it back together seemed likely to result in it breaking again, I decided to rethink the structure. Specifically, I divided it into two parts: the central section with the elevator lifting mechanism, and the steel truss section containing the left and right launch decks, so that the central section could be pulled out easily.

Or rather, I had no choice but to divide it.
It wasn't just a strength issue; if I didn't make it so the octagonal building could be removed from the base of the station, I wouldn't be able to perform maintenance.
By making it so only the central section can be removed freely, I can make repairs if trouble occurs with the elevator's lifting mechanism, and since the steel truss section can be glued to the base of the station, the problem of the entire octagonal building wobbling when the elevator moves should also be resolved.

Then, I also rebuilt the hatch.
The elevator wasn't moving smoothly, so I filed down various parts and rebuilt the linkage mechanism, but in the process, the rectangular shape of the hatch became distorted and it wouldn't close properly.
Moreover, in the footage from the show, the two white rails are hidden by the hatch, but in the model, they were visible. I had to fix this too.
After thinking about what to do, I decided to layer a slightly wider hatch over the original one. This allowed the rails to be hidden by the hatch.

I made many other adjustments as well, and the launch of the Jet Beetle has finally been realized.
Now, please enjoy the short video featuring the customary "SSSP Song".

[Episode 34] Installation of the Guidance Lights Part 1 continues to
[Episode 32] The Jet Beetle is Complete back to
[Episode 1] The Secret Base Begins back to