Space Shuttle Atlantis Spacecraft

Tamiya's Space Shuttle Atlantis displayed a highly detailed payload bay, moveable three clustered Rocketdyne RS-25 main engines, and adjustable rudder. Named after the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution's Research Vessel RV Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle OV-104 Atlantis looked impressive as a perfect educational sized 1/100th scale model. I easily dusted the fuselage and kept dust out of the more intricate parts by closing the payload bay doors when not in use, (engine nozzles, not so much, and more difficult to clean). I decided to build the OV-103 Discovery option because of its history making launch of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) into low Earth orbit on mission STS-31. The Hubble would have made an awesome payload option to this model! Painting the Discovery white with black trimming complimented the decal layout, especially around the nose area. The sizeable 1/100th scale worked well as a learning tool and was small enough for easy storage. One must take care when handling the orbiter because its payload bay door broke when it slipped out of my hand. I also felt disappointed about the Discovery's payload of the pallet because I didn't recognize what it was until I read it in the instructions. The detail inside the cockpit with the two orange uniformed astronauts looked good, but I could not see it very well through the windshield. I had difficulty with the placement of the windshield, so it appeared misaligned. Despite these imperfections, my Tamiya 1/100th scale Space Shuttle Discovery still looked GOOD.