The hand rails for the CM pilot’s space walk are now built. Soldering small pieces of wire togethre on that scale was a little harder than I expected: I’m a bit out of practice with that stuff, alas. But, they’re done, look at least okay (maybe even better), and are half painted. (Why paint silver-colored wire silver? Because the solder color and the wire color are not quite the same, and this will give a uniform appearance.) I need to let the paint cure a couple of days before I can paint the other side, and then install the rails (all eight separate segments, oy!).

Besides not including all the fly-away umbilical disconnect decals, the fairing for the O₂/H₂ burner and LH₂ feed line (one combined fairing) is not included either in the wrap for the S-IVB or as a molded resin part. (The S-IVB ullage rockets and APS module fairings are molded resin; all the other “jelly bean” parts are part of the wraps). This fairing is much bigger than many of the IU antennae, and about the same size as, for example, the LH₂ fill line fairing. I added this to the aft section of the S-IVB (in the Position II-III quadrant) using some FIXIT^® epoxy clay. Once that’s dry, I’ll figure out how I’ll paint it so it matches the rest of the S-IVB’s white paint.

The S-IVB skirt vents are now painted on.

One of the sway targets on the S-II/S-IVB interstage pulled up; about a quarter of it tore. Not too hard to tack it back down and repair (with paint).

I’m working on getting a big enough Nomex^® blanket for the 5½” airframe. Yes, I could use dog barf (“recovery wadding”), but I much prefer the blankets. With luck, Gene (Fruity Chutes, and a fellow LUNARtic) will have one and we can hook up on such short notice. I have an appropriate engine (Aerotech G40-4), and I want another one or two, being ever optimistic. (I’ve concluded that optimism is a necessary trait for a dedicated model rocketeer. After all, we launch hours and hours and weeks and months of effort rather abruptly into the sky, to altitudes from which complete destruction of the rocket is a distinct possibility. If all goes reasonably well, though, the rocket floats gently back to the ground, and we can risk it yet again!)