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Yeah, as soon as I get motor control back in my hand I'll draw up a concept image right now I can barely type.

Draw with your feet, some of us lurker a demand progress

Get better soon

So loose the side-wing sponsons in lieu of these? And you loose the egress door?

Fortunately my dalliance has allowed me to redesign the forward cargo bay; yes the side doors will be lost but!

I can move one of the side doors to the rear wall of the compartment for personnel egress.

The ball turret mounts are a more formidable looking weapon.

The forward facing cannons/bolters/lascannons could be fixed mounts.

I agree that the ball mounts look cool and seem more appropriate for future weapon mounts.

Very glad to hear I was not the only one to love the ball turret idea. Still very nice work, Black.

Thanks, I have a yearning to get back to work on this model, any model actually; still a couple of weeks out though.

Heal well Blackadder, I wanna see Thunderhawk updates

ThunderHawk The Resurrection:

After a six month hiatus I have been shamed into bringing this project to the fore once again.

Starting where I left off with a few new ideas we'll begin with the flying Lascannon airfoils. It strikes me that the Thunderhawk is actually a biplane.

Nothing really to see as most of the work is only detail but I'll keep you abreast of the developments.

http://i.imgur.com/TESoKFb.jpg


Considering this model is made of styrene these foils are surprisingly heavy so the straps I am installing now will actually serve to supply friction to keep these wings in the attack position otherwise they would droop under their own weight.

http://i.imgur.com/WTMQTO9.jpg



Automatically Appended Next Post:
What the F???

I guess it pays to procrastinate; I began with renewed vigor on this project obtaining inspiration from both the 3D rendering and the FW model so this effort will be a compilation of a few Thunderhawk versions including the Video game model.

http://i.imgur.com/7SpklaY.jpg


One thing that surprised me is the scale of the bitz that I know are on the FW model that look minuscule on this model.

Granted my version is not bound by cost and shipping weight and is not notoriously undersized as GW and FW models tend to be. MY T'hawk is 26 inches long whereas the FW version is 19.5 but I was so amazed at the discrepancy that I had to check the FW images to be sure I had the correct bit(z)

http://i.imgur.com/pQUXo1v.jpg

Looking Epic! As always... this blows my mind with the level of detailing and quality of the build! .... kind of..... makes me want to atttempt a flyer..... but maybe a one man glider... not something like this...i will just admire yours.......

If I had my choice I would sooner be building a 'Marauder' which is IMHO the best looking aircraft in the Imp. Navy just as the B-25 and B-26 were the coolest Bombers in WWII, again IMHO.

I can't wait to finis up some of these projects to start on a Marauder.

Pause and Reflect:

Time to step back and see where we are proportion-wise.

Mounting the Flying Lascannons struts shows me I must extend the wing roots about 13 MM which will increase the wingspan about one inch. The Lascannon length is okay so that can be detailed today.

http://i.imgur.com/5s4DHqd.jpg


The overall length of the T'hawk is 26 inches, 7 inches longer than the FW version and I am hard pressed to find a place to photograph the entire model.

http://i.imgur.com/k9Xxgjy.jpg


Likewise the front view; with the struts in the stowed position it looks very much like the 3D image.

http://i.imgur.com/nhIFBJ5.jpg


With the struts deployed it has a decidedly menacing appeal.

http://i.imgur.com/Ap7umoC.jpg


This model is starting to grow on me; mebbe I should work on it more often.............

Jawdropping detailed, for something so huge. Awesome.

Thanks,

A Couple of Building Hints:

I am frequently asked for building plans and templates and I ruefully have to answer there are none. I work strictly off of computer images I find on the 'net. For this model I have largely to thank an artist on 'Deviant Art' for these fabulous 3D imagings. Of course I do not copy his work strictly but also incorporate the best of the FW T'hawk, the T'hawk from the video game trailer and some original thoughts of my own especially when it comes to making movable parts.

http://i.imgur.com/uzMW7Oi.jpg


The other tip is a bit more prosaic but at least I can feel better about being able to share information......

http://i.imgur.com/NwKolGN.jpg


I needed a spacer jig for the rings around the Laser Barrel so I fashioned this in less than a minute and had a rude but effective spacing tool 1,0 MM thick.

http://i.imgur.com/9OQySAw.jpg

Arcane Lascannons and Fist Sized Rivets:

Good, at least the rivets show in both these images, I'm trying a new method of making rivets; in this case the rivets are 0.035 inch styrene rod and shaved to about 0.010 thousandths thick ideally. I can install about six rivets per minute so the 128 rivets per strut (top and bottom) should only take about 20 minutes but actually because of the tedium took about an hour and a half.

http://i.imgur.com/MyjH3rP.jpg


It strikes me that the rivets small as they are are in scale about the size of a fist which would look rather silly on an actual aircraft but my tired old eyes can't deal with anything smaller. I remember with Lucie I actually installed quite a few 0.020 thousandths rivets and at the time 35 thousandths rivets were a cakewalk.

http://i.imgur.com/y5yGZUs.jpg


The other new feature in the images are the Lascannons which are quite the same as on the FW model Baneblade sponsons turrets but scaled up about ten fold. The increased size gives the futuristic weapon a toylike quality but perhaps some more detail will perk them up a tad....

Too Dumb To Walk and Chew Gum:

Well it's not often that a person can demonstrate his stupidity on an International scale but I've managed.

Anyone can present their work on a forum as flawless but not much is to be learned from that; it is also necessary to publicize your errors so new modelers won't be discourage if their efforts are not acceptable on first go.

All the while I've been building these struts the thought has continually crossed my mind I have to seal the crude ends of the camber. So blithely ignoring these subliminal messages I proceeded to add more and more detail until now the omission is so glaringly apparent that my conscious mind also perceives it.

So below to the right is the strut with the rude end end exposed and to the left is the end seamed with 0.010 strips that still need to be dressed:

http://i.imgur.com/v5w0ocG.jpg


Good enough is not in my lexicon so I will bite the bullet and rectify the omission.

http://i.imgur.com/UzD03Af.jpg


Not being one to throw away an opportunity that can demonstrate my maxim, "Good enough is never good enough." I'll do the penance and seal the ends and sand away the surplus so the next time these sections are seen the mistake will be rectified.

http://i.imgur.com/6lD4PY6.jpg


Besides, a touch of humility is good for the soul.

Well I don't see what your talking about, but I am behind you in your quest for outdoing FW and GW. I have been in my own modeling slump recently, not even checking others posts as I'm that dry hobby wise, sorry for not killing the auto append.

I appreciate that, I plan to post a lot today and the 'auto append' nemesis will greatly interfere with my well-being.......

The Cockpit and Canopy:

I only have a few major components to go on this model; the cockpit and canopy, the horizontal stabilizer, the two canard wings, Volcano cannon, and cockpit interior.... whoops and the twin ball turrets, maybe not so few after all.

Below are the six walls and the floor of the cockpit ready for assembly.

http://i.imgur.com/LGg4pr0.jpg


The cockpit recess and the 3D image in the background I am using for inspiration.

http://i.imgur.com/PnL1iP1.jpg


The cockpit walls glued together with angle styrene and 6,3 MM strips used for corner reinforcement and gussets ready to slide into place.

http://i.imgur.com/6v81sHH.jpg


The cockpit walls and canopy will be a removable modular construction and the floor a separate unit for ease of dis-assembly for detailing and painting. the whole will plug in snugly without the need to be glued into place.

http://i.imgur.com/0pmBhx2.jpg


With the cockpit walls established I am ready for the exterior bezel that moulds the canopy to the fuselage.

http://i.imgur.com/1Yj941i.jpg

Auto append nullification in 3....2....1..... We now return you to your irregular host (don't mean to suggest anything about his bowel movements there ).

 The_Blackadder wrote:
All the while I've been building these struts the thought has continually crossed my mind I have to seal the crude ends of the camber. So blithely ignoring these subliminal messages I proceeded to add more and more detail until now the omission is so glaringly apparent that my conscious mind also perceives it. [\quote]

It took me a good while to spot what you were talking about Blackadder, but yeah, once you see it OCD springs into sharp focus and you're right, good enough would not have done justice to this epic undertaking! I feel your pain...

Keep up the sterling efforts

Sorry, silly me using aircraft jargon i.e. "Camber" which refers to the curved part of an airfoil er ah, wing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camber_(aerodynamics)

I should have indicated the area with an arrow.

Cockpit Flange:

This is coming along so quickly it's hard to believe how much I begrudge devoting time to this model. I'd much prefer working on the Reaver project which I plan to pick up again tomorrow.

The cockpit rough work is just about completed and I am ready to start framing the canopy.

http://i.imgur.com/mVblXDh.jpg


It really paid off giving the time to make precision cuts etc because the plug in cockpit wall slide in well like they were made for it.

http://i.imgur.com/HU3q9fH.jpg


I am a lazy fellow and I hate filing and sanding filler so making things fit properly in the first place pays dividends in the long run.

http://i.imgur.com/u3WVP9j.jpg


The apron in front of the cockpit needed to be extended over the bonnet.

http://i.imgur.com/RaKm5NU.jpg


and it still needs about another 3.0 MM extension so the windscreen will have the proper angle but it's enough for now.

http://i.imgur.com/LvDV57M.jpg

I've never been a particular fan of the look of the 'proper' Thunderhawk. Too boxy and clunky by far.

Yours is shaping up to look amazing. Nice to see the blog return!

Yeah it's got all the appeal of a flying brick..

Canopy:

Hard to believe such a simple structure would be so hard to duplicate.

I suppose I should have done a drawing to get the angles and proportions right instead of extrapolating from the screen in fact as I write this I'm thinking, "Why didn't I do a drawing????"

http://i.imgur.com/fd7UclF.jpg


Well we'll see where dead reckoning takes us and it is a reasonable facsimile so much the better otherwise, "Back to the drawing board."

http://i.imgur.com/Tp6kgMj.jpg


I took these images rather more for my benefit than any sense of beneficence because I need a 2 dimensional image to see what this construct looks like so far.

It's difficult to get proportions right on a 3D object when working from a 2D image. Yeah a drawing would have been better....

http://i.imgur.com/Z8U8bBH.jpg


Another problem is the next step because there is a certain amount of fudging when 3D art is presented. What looks correct on a flat projection does not translate always into an actual object. (At least in my experience.....)

http://i.imgur.com/M2mT22a.jpg


The angled facets of the triangular side windows I have doubts about because I think the glass (perspex) will be bent to make the real object representation. something the artist needn't be concerned about.

You still do better without a drawing than 99.9% of the rest of us with drawings, a support staff and a credit card .

Canopy Alteration:

I don't like either the FW canopy or the 3D version but I lean more toward the 3D version.

http://i.imgur.com/EFF5kSB.jpg


It seems to me that the framework around the windows should be as narrow as possible but I mustn't let my prejudices alter the look of the T'hawk too much.

http://i.imgur.com/9ebv197.jpg


Anyway the steps that I deem necessary to frame the canopy should make it clear how it was done

Or not.

what is there to say.... EPIC!

Really great attention to detail! I salute your work ethic! this thing is going to dominate all before it!

Thanks,

Limit of Visibility:

To cut the lower sill of the side windows requires a lot of pure guesswork. I have no tools that can measure the tiny compound angles required to reproduce the sill strip which in it's rectangular form is 1,0 X 2,5 MM/0.040 X 0.100 inches.

The strip on the right lower corner already shaped........

http://i.imgur.com/s5nEZni.jpg


I beveled the edge of the strip by drawing it's length across the blade of the 'Utility knife' at what my best guess is the correct angle. Then I pared back the rear edge of the window frame on the base piece to correspond to the adjusted width if the sill strip. that cut is almost perpendicular to the frame of the after cabin. I then cut a compound angle to accommodate both the front slope of the cockpit and the cant of the side window frame and glued in place. I repeated the procedure for the other side.

http://i.imgur.com/qWr7qjk.jpg


After gluing both side sills in place I adjusted both the converging angles and the cant angles of the frame by eye as no tool is small enough to measure the angle.

http://i.imgur.com/c3RHQFw.jpg

Exemplary work indeed. I can't imagine taking on a project this big- I'm starting to sweat just thinking about the set-back Chimera I aim to build...

 Elnibbus wrote:
Exemplary work indeed. I can't imagine taking on a project this big- I'm starting to sweat just thinking about the set-back Chimera I aim to build...

"There is no thinking, either do or do not!" Ha! I'm turning into the second most irritating character in the SW universe.

I've already achieved emulating the most obnoxious character in the Blackadder series; perhaps* even exceeded.

Seriously I would be hard pressed to work on a project such as a Chimera. I marvel at the patience required to attempt that. On the other hand all my builds are pretty much modular so in effect it is like building a lot of smaller models. What is a set-back Chimera?

*No "perhaps" qualification needed Blackadder..........




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Reinforcing the Roof Frame:

Ostensibly I will be building the side and roof frame without support and from very thin material besides. To reinforce the joints I glued two scraps of quarter millimeter/ one one hundredths strip styrene as an internal gusset.

http://i.imgur.com/Sl4xBj7.jpg


This will give solid support for the roof frames until the canted side frames can be assembled.

http://i.imgur.com/9I9Z8C0.jpg


In addition the gussets will supply support once the construction is completed so the cabin will not have weak joints holding it together.

At least, that is the plan.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The Best of Intentions:

I started this tutorial with the best of intentions but I went too far too quickly and forgot to take interim images. Since I last posted I next cut and installed the two windscreen panels and roughed in the gusset supports for the angled roof frames.

http://i.imgur.com/vL9IJQt.jpg


I installed the side window canted frame on the left side but left the right side window undone to show the underlying work.

First a few images showing the 3D model in relation to the foreground model. The copy while not perfect is satisfactory.

http://i.imgur.com/M79w4lP.jpg


The cockpit remains removable which makes it easy to work on otherwise I would have had to make the roof section separate and installed it in one piece which may or may not have been easier but perhaps the fit wouldn't have as good.

http://i.imgur.com/yBSOT2r.jpg


The two front windscreens are measured in a ratio of 2 to 1 approximately. I'll see have that looks but I have the option of increasing the width toward the centerline which I believe would look better.

http://i.imgur.com/wbzBF8I.jpg


The top view shows the modified moon roof with slightly longer front panes which give a more streamlined appearance to the canopy.

http://i.imgur.com/jyU1B58.jpg


Streamlined? Really BA?

Ready For Final Detail:

I put the final frame pieces on last night, gave every joint a thin brush of Ambroid ProWeld Plastic Welder and let dry.

This morning accomplished a basic sanding to meld the seams and the basic cockpit canopy is done.

http://i.imgur.com/mJobNNH.jpg


I have to add the detail still but that's for another day.

http://i.imgur.com/UADZHDa.jpg


The front windscreen still seems like the panels should be bigger.

http://i.imgur.com/AMnmlwm.jpg


Everything else is satisfactory.

http://i.imgur.com/VjdrUWq.jpg


There is still the rear Cupola to make.

http://i.imgur.com/THcpbEv.jpg


Onward to the horizontal stabilizer..................


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Shake Your Tail Feather:

Well I don't want the tail to shake but I do want it removable because during transport anything that sticks out is libel to damage. A slide in horizontal stabilizer seems the way to go.

I began by making the rails the stab (shortened for convenience) will ride on as it slides into place.

I used 0.080 X 0.100 inch / 2,0 MM X 2,5 MM strips for the rails giving the robustness to stand dozens of assemblies without undue wear.

http://i.imgur.com/062B6K5.jpg


The tail horizontal plane measures 8.0 inches by 3.0 inches 202,0 MM by 75 MM by my calculations and the core is 1,0 MM/0.040 inch thick sheet styrene. I give these measurement so it can be compared to a FW model as I have no idea what the FW product relate-able size is.

http://i.imgur.com/iJqkpNd.jpg


Another view of the rails that engage the vertical stab rails.

http://i.imgur.com/rq4X6NI.jpg


The basic tail slid into place and secure. A simple solution to a vexing problem.

http://i.imgur.com/J67tvdT.jpg

Wonderful progress - you're sorely tempting me to get my T'Hawk back on the go... (and one of these days I'll actually complete a model that I attempt to build...)