Happy New Year, everyone! Finally, I've finished building this monster. I will add nice and long article later in the next year. And now you may watch the video of the results of almost year of my work.

 

Well, I think the time has finally come to start creating the biggest thing I have ever built - "Mechazilla". Officially known as Orbital Launch Integration Tower (OLIT) located in SpaceX' StarBase in Boca-Chica. 

Boxes that I want to be checked:

-Tower should has as much functions of original one as possible. (Like QDA and Launch mount) 

-Functions are in higher priority than looks, but it nonetheless needs to resemble the real structure

-It has to be power by C+ Hubs and motors

-The most important - Tower has to be able to lift something Starship-ish (But i'm still no sure what exactly, may be I'll make something from Saturn V) 

 

For the beginning, I've made this prototype of a "chopstick" 

 

Edited December 31, 20222 yr by cyberdyne systems

Excellent project choice! I love watching the live channel from boca chica on youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/NASASpaceflightVideos - If anyone hasn't watched the live launches, then you really need to!

Looking forward to updates on this project.

(and the inevitable starship + superheavy that you'll build next! )

 

IMG_20220217_235955 by SkyNet2@1, on Flickr

After finishing the Clockwork Locomotive (which you may find in Trains theme) I've returned to Mechazilla.

This is the current progress on chopsticks. They are reworked and reinforced. 

The Mechazilla rises! Up and up.

This first iteration with 15m beams on sides was a bit too much for the scale. Also I don't have so many of these beams. 

So I rebuilt it with 13m beams. Thats better. SmartHub and motors for operating "Chopsticks" are mounted on a carriage inside the tower. That is why I need to have this slot for the whole heights of the tower

The building continues. I've made prototype for Quick Disconnect Arm

 

And some very early prototype for the Orbital Launch Mount. 

 

Edited May 3, 20222 yr by cyberdyne systems

 

 

Upper sections of the tower with winches.

I like this project a lot !

It's coming along nicely, does the "chopstick" elevator work smoothly. I only ask because I built a similar mechanism before but I could never get it to work smoothly, it looked like a stop motion movie and was quite herky jerky when going up or down, too much binding, I believe. Anyway good luck.

This is incredible!

Happy New Year, everyone! Finally, I've finished building this monster. I will add nice and long article later in the next year. And now you may watch the video of the results of almost year of my work.