History 
​In 1982 ESA started the development of the ariane 4. The design was based on the ariane 3 launcher. To get a greater lifting capacity the first stage was lengthened, the solid strap-on boosters were upgraded and new liquid strap-on boosters were added. The payload section was redesigned to carry bigger satellites.

By using different configurations of strap-on boosters and pay-load sections ariane 4 became a very flexible launcher:

• no strap-on boosters (Ariane 40)

• two solid strap-on boosters (Ariane 42P)

• four solid strap-on boosters (Ariane 44P)

• two liquid strap-on boosters (Ariane 42L)

• four solid strap-on boosters (Ariane 44L)

• two solid strap-on boosters two liquid strap-on boosters (Ariane 44LP)

In june 15, 1988 the first ariane 4 was launched. It was the ariane 44LP version carrying ESA’s Meteosat P2, the PanAmSat I and an amateur satellite Oscar 13 into orbit.

Ariane 4 became a very successful launcher. It was fully adapted to the growing marked for commercial satellites.

Ariane was taken out off service in February 2003, after the 116th launch. The communication satellite was at this time becoming still bigger, which forced Ariane Space to launch more and more satellites as single payloads. This was from an economical point of view not affordable in the long term. Ariane 4 was replaced by the more powerfull ariane 5.

Sources:
(This is only a little selection of the many sources for the model.)

www.capcomespace.net  (In french - but simply the best)

www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Launchers_Home

www.arianespace.com

www.astronautix.com

www.skyrocket.de/

Photos of the ariane 44LP mockup in Sevilla taken by Karsten. Slettebo. 

Rockets of the world by Peter Alway

Tim Furniss: History of space vehicles  

Brian Harvey: Europe's Space Programme: To Ariane and Beyond