truckabilly Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 (edited) I would like to introduce this project which I have been working on for the last couple of months. When I first saw pictures of NASA Peterbilts I thought, what a nice model that would be. So, I tried to find some info on these magnificent trucks. I addressed Jeff Lakaszcyck who works at Kennedy Space Center and who took most of the pictures of NASA Peterbilts available on internet. He shared all he knows about the trucks with me and sent me his elsewhere published photos in hi-res and even took some more specially for me. With his kind permission I will use his photos here on the forum. photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck taken from Dutch forum My decision to build a NASA Pete model came at end of their time. The trucks are on their way to retirement. I would like to pay tribute to these trucks that were part of something really big. Though not in close attention of NASA personnel, they played important role in achieving the cosmic goals. Besides the progress of my build I would like to present also a bit of history here and summarize the facts that I have collected about these trucks. The NASA Peterbilts 351 are unique and only 5 were manufactured. Coupled to Paul Recharger trailers produced by Paul Cryogenic Division of Air Reduction Company, their initial role was as nitrogen reclaimers. Held in restricted area they were off pubilc sight. Other than the visit from the American Trucker TV show, and perhaps a few tourists, no one else outside the space center has seen these trucks in person. From the very bottom of my heart I thank Jeff Lakaszcyck who is willing to share the pics with me and keeps me updated with fresh information about NASA Peterbilts. photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck Another source of information for me is a memo web page of E. Ray Smyth, the General Foreman of NASA´s Mobile Gas Department who worked at KSC by the time when the Peterbilts were delivered. In fact, it was him who drove the very first Paul Recharger into the premises of Kennedy Space Center. Peterbilt 351 STL 6x6 coupled to Paul Recharger trailer with 3000 gallon tank working with pressures up to 15000 PSI (103,4 MPa) was something unheard of before. Ray Smyth remembers: „Our 5 new Paul Rechargers started arriving in 1967 and what fine state of the art equipment they were. The Paul Recharger was a very unique machine and had a 500 Horsepower V-12 Detroit diesel engine which at the time had never been put in a truck before. The excessive engine power was not necessary to pull the tractor trailer load, the engine was that powerful to run the 500 KW generator which sit behind the cab and provided the power to run the electric motors turning the 3 pumps and was power for the electric heaters which converted the liquid back to gas. I had the pure pleasure of going to TWA and picking up the very first Paul Recharger that came in. However, I was not allowed to do it alone, Addison Bain had me stop by NASA headquarters to pick him up so he too could join in on the fun. But, I had the most fun because I got to drive the monster first and deliver it to our work area at CCF-34/37. I reckon Addison couldn't stand me having all the fun and he wanted to drive a Paul too. So, he arranged for no one to be notified of the next Paul arrival except himself and then one day here he comes driving into the parking lot at CCF-34/37 with a big grin on his face and I think that was the first time in his life he had ever driven an 18 wheeler type tractor/trailer. I might add the Paul Recharger was not your normal run of the mill 18 wheeler, the Peterbuilt tractor was special built with an extra long chassis to accommodate the generator sitting behind the cab and this excessive length made it bend in the middle when connected to the Paul Recharger Trailer and it was a bear to back up. The Peterbuilt also had front wheel drive which made the turn radius more then excessive. Back in my Texas Oil Well Drilling days, I had pulled a drilling rig down the highways of Texas that was 12 feet wide, 145 feet long, 16 feet high and weighed in excess of 140,000 pounds so driving huge unique tractor trailer rigs was not new to me. I was therefore kind of proud of Addison and also quite surprised when he came swinging through the gate at CCF-34/37 because he drove like a professional. I should know, I had embarrassed myself when I misjudged the turn radius and completely missed the gate when I brought the first Recharger over and had to back up to get through the gate.“ taken from NASA web site taken from NASA web site taken from NASA web site Edited October 1, 2015 by truckabilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petetrucker07 Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I've been wondering who would attempt this. These trucks have intrigued me since I first heard of them years ago. Can't wait to this develop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truckabilly Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 (edited) Five units were delivered to KSC and they were in constatnt service ever since. Collecting miles within the milk runs around the Center they delivered and converted refrigerated liquid gases like nitrogen, oxygen and breathable air for various operations held in the Space Center. With maintenance financed by government the units R-11 through R-15 enjoyed decades of active duty. In late 1980´s or early 1990´s the original steel unilite cabs were replaced by 1100 series aluminium cabs due to corrosion issues. The Kennedy Space Center is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast line, and the air is very salty. It is not unusual for vehicles that are left outside all the time to be completely rusted out in 20 years. photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck Though delivered as all wheel drive, the front driveshafts were removed when it was realized the front drive was no longer necessary. Various parts were replaced over the time and the trucks differ in grills, fuel tanks, stepboards, fenders and some other details too. Out of the five the R-15 Peterbilt is closest to the original appearance from 1967. That is why I chose this one to be a pattern for my replica. Being out of service for several years now it is still coupled to the trailer with several parts removed. photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck But the first retired truck was the R-14 that was parted out about 2005 to support other trucks. With the engine and hood removed it was left standing aside for a while and then it was probably scrapped. The original R-14 trailer was coupled to a newer Peterbilt model Edited October 1, 2015 by truckabilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truckabilly Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 (edited) In September 2014 the R-13 tractor took a trip to Houston on top of a low boy to be partialy taken apart and prepared for auction. These shots were taken by a transport company employee while the truck was resting for the night in Orlando. taken from reddit web site taken from reddit web site taken from reddit web site taken from reddit web site taken from reddit web site taken from reddit web site The R-13 truck is back in KSC, out of service. The R-12 is out of service as well. The R-15 has been out of service for several years and the original R-14 truck does not exist anymore. That makes the R-11 the last one on duty. The last truck standing. photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck photo by Jeff Lakaszcyck My model is based on the Revell AG parts and some resin cast parts. The rest will be scratch built. Even though it is the same Peterbilt model line as my logger, there is not too many shared parts between the two builds. NASA specified 351s differ a lot from the original factory design. Even though I have plenty of photos there is still a lot hidden details on the trucks and especially trailers and there is a whole lot left for imagination and guess work. I do not know any true dimension except for the 127 BBC. Another rock solid dimensions are those of Revell kit parts and resin parts. The rest is just estimated from pictures. I do not claim to be proportion accurate by any means. Edited October 1, 2015 by truckabilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disabled modeler Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 That is wild looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatorincebu Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Wow! Jarda, What a project you are starting. You know I will be following this one closely. Be Well Gator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Wow, That is super cool. What a build this will be. Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIPTROIT 71 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 You've got my attention! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpeterbilt Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 So they wedged a V-12 under that needle nose? Great subject matter. I'm looking forward to the build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilrathy10 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 That's a great project idea, Man.....I like it a lot....I've always been a space nerd along side a truck enthusiast.....Can't wait to see what you come up with..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tesla Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 What an ambitious project! I look forward to watching this develop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinac359 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I have one of these as a planned build also. The photo of one of the trucks with the older Unilite cab shows the trucks as they were originally built - The trucks were later recabbed with the 1100-series cabs. This gives two build idea.. older, original, which is probably what mine will be, or the later version with the 1100-series cab.The trucks were model 351L (L for logger - and had the full walk-on fenders). They were very highly spec'd and customized from the base 351.The original color applied at the factory was all white - white cab, hood, fenders, fuel tanks, wheels and chassis.Some spec's to help in your build: Wheelbase: 235"Hendrickson RSA-380 walking beam rear suspensionFirestone tires originally installed10:00 x 22The hood is the long-hood for the 12v71 and the truck has the deep-core radiator - Most likely the overall BBC is longer than the typical 127" that a 12v71 equipped 351 had, the build sheet doesn't indicate the BBC. I'm looking forward to your build! Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinac359 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Here is where my project sits. The radiator shutters will be sourced from an AMT White-Freightliner Dual Drive kit. I made the hood in late 2011 or early '12.. now it's just waiting for inspiration to hit. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandit1 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Here is where my project sits. The radiator shutters will be sourced from an AMT White-Freightliner Dual Drive kit. I made the hood in late 2011 or early '12.. now it's just waiting for inspiration to hit. Tim Maybe this thread would be the build inspiration needed to build your 351L tim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred63 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Hi Jarda, this is one build I will follow, if this model comes out like your logger, it will be a sight to behold. Ronnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truckabilly Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 (edited) Some spec's to help in your build: Wheelbase: 235" Hendrickson RSA-380 walking beam rear suspension Firestone tires originally installed10:00 x 22 The hood is the long-hood for the 12v71 and the truck has the deep-core radiator - Most likely the overall BBC is longer than the typical 127" that a 12v71 equipped 351 had. Tim, thank you for the spec´s. I didn´t think of the possibility that the BBC could be even longer. But it´s probably true because when I squeeze my 12v71 in, there is not room enough under the hood for a deep-core radiator. For the shutters I have the same piece as used for my logger. I only modified it a little to be a bit longer. I never knew the wheelbase figure. Got some tips but each was different. So, I stopped caring and just made a scale drawing with WB estimated from the photos. 235" is 238 milimeters in 1/25 scale. My estimated WB is 240 milimeters. Not bad, I think. I think there is one more build idea... the 1100 series cab combined with either full walk-on fenders or the shortened ones with bigger fuel tanks. I chose the recabbed version because it looks even more weird. I started my build as usual with the engine. I didn´t have the buzzin´ dozen but I had two 6v71s which I combined to get a 12v71. More to follow. Edited September 30, 2015 by truckabilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petetrucker07 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Lookin really good. Your off and rollin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Dog Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinac359 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Nice work on the engine! 240" wheelbase - darned close ! Tim Tim, thank you for the spec´s. I didn´t think of the possibility that the BBC could be even longer. But it´s probably true because when I squeeze my 12v71 in, there is not room enough under the hood for a deep-core radiator. For the shutters I have the same piece as used for my logger. I only modified it a little to be a bit longer. I never knew the wheelbase figure. Got some tips but each was different. So, I stopped caring and just made a scale drawing with WB estimated from the photos. 235" is 238 milimeters in 1/25 scale. My estimated WB is 240 milimeters. Not bad, I think. I think there is one more build idea... the 1100 series cab combined with either full walk-on fenders or the shortened ones with bigger fuel tanks. I chose the recabbed version because it looks even more weird. I started my build as usual with the engine. I didn´t have the buzzin´ dozen but I had two 6v71s which I combined to get a 12v71. More to follow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIPTROIT 71 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 That engine is very impressive!!! I want to see more of this build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatorincebu Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Jarda, I can see where this is going to be one very interesting build thread. Your motor looks really good. Be Well Gator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Force Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Great work so far Jarda, I'm following this project with great interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truckabilly Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 (edited) Thanks everone for positive feedback. I appreciate it. Now for the front driven axle. Like I said before, the front drive shafts were removed on all Peterbilts and there won´t be none on my model either. I got me a KFS driven axle but to my surprise it was much too big for a 1/25 Pete (and any other truck for that matter). First I thought I would make a complete one of my own but I couldn´t imagine creating the middle part, the diff. So, I took the original KFS axle and cut off the ends. Then with a help of proxxon cutter, file and sand paper I began to reshape the axle untill it was small enough for my needs. I removed a layer of material as thick as the flange in the back. The flange actually disappeared and it looked awful... I cut off the rear end completely and made a new one out of Evergreen stock. I reduced the axle ends as well the same way as the main part. But the steering parts are new made of Revell kit parts and plastic tube. The hubs are KFS, reshaped to look like the those on NASA Pete. The tie rod is made of bended aluminium tube. I will make my own springs but I have to buy some more Evergreen stuff first. Till then... Edited October 3, 2015 by truckabilly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superpeterbilt Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Excellent work Jarda. This is off to a great start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petetrucker07 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Awesome work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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