Thunderhawk with LED lit interior, removable command deck

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**Viktor von Domm**

or you could buy someof these stupid toyguns...those blaster the kids are running around with and anoy all peeps around them...one little push and hell breaks loose...

man i am constantly wondering where you draw that energy to build and build and build...and by the sheer mass of your projects one might think you would chuck some crap iout every once in a while...but no sir, this ain´t gonna happen with you it seems...

brilliant...to the letter...

**The_Blackadder**

I'm looking to build a 'chasing circuit' for Lucie's Turbo Laser and the palsma cannon when I build it. I know there is a chip that will perform that function with a minimum of circuit design with a reostat to adjust the pulse rate.

The problem is that the space in the Turbo Laser tube is quite small and I need at least 5 LEDs to make the effect look right.

I'm thinking bright blue LEDs such as the ones you employed on your initial interior lighting of the cargo bay of the T'hawk but I need the smallest LEDs available to fit in the tubes.

What is your source?

BTW Viktor von Domm; When I first read Star Wars many years ago, my first thought was,"Hey Lucas stole the Darth Vader costume concept from the Marvel Dr Doom character!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

**Viktor von Domm**

i think he did that too... just go and see old pics, concept pics of vader...it is then that i think not only do they share the visual aspects of those two figures but the main characteristics as well...

**Horst**

Know what else would be a good idea for this project?

A super heavy flying stand!

**RSJake**

Sorry, Sorry....carry on. It's just the ideas flow sometimes!

**mxwllmdr**

S'Okay, Jake.

I got to radioshack for LED's but they have a limited selection here so I also hit up the dollar stores for kids toys with LED's in them. Problem with that is that they aren't always the same voltage or wattage or light output. I REALLY wanna do the EL Wire for my Warhounds Plasma Blast Guns and Turbo Lasers, though.

@Vik, have you noticed the bottle of Mountain Dew in almost evey pic I post. I think I need to make it a prominent star in all photos from now on. maybe I can get a sponsorship like dsteingass is trying to get from the hobby shop.

@Horst, what? Like I am not gonna do a stand.... Silly Aurora chapter guy you. Don't you have more tanks to paint?

HUGE Star wars fan, however, is there much in that franchise that wasn't ripped off from somewhere? The bible, Marvel comics.... the list is growing, you know.

**Capitansolstice**

mxwllmdr wrote:

Silly Aurora chapter guy you. Don't you have more tanks to paint?

Horst I think you have got to sig this!

**The_Blackadder**

mxwllmdr wrote:S'Okay, Jake.

I got to radioshack for LED's but they have a limited selection here so I also hit up the dollar stores for kids toys with LED's in them. Problem with that is that they aren't always the same voltage or wattage or light output. I REALLY wanna do the EL Wire for my Warhounds Plasma Blast Guns and Turbo Lasers, though.

I'm thinking rewiring those cheap made in China blue white LED pocket flashlights as a source but haven't torn one apart yet.

another item on my to do list.

HUGE Star wars fan, however, is there much in that franchise that wasn't ripped off from somewhere? The bible, Marvel comics.... the list is growing, you know.

Just my first impression of the DV character right down to the disfigurement and life support. Light saber over finger blaster was a good choice though. Another thought was David Prowse would have made a much better choice for the final scene of SW VI when DV was unmasked instead of having him look like Zippy the pinhead. Prowse also bore a better resemblance to Hayden Christensen.

Yer really off topic now Blackadder.

**HAZZER**

Nice stuff! looks like you've made progress since your last thred on this!

**mxwllmdr**

OK, so be en a minute on this one but I am back at it. I am really happy so far with how this is turning out. Not so concerned with whether or not the interior is precise to the actual FW model so it's leaving me with play in the design that is making it easy to be aesthetic on it. For your perusal:
layout of all the interior walls:

Ok, the gaps in the back are because it isn't glued in. They aren't glued in because they aren't painted.....

Top deck layed in, just a pencil drawing of rough floor plan right now. two front seats and two crew seats in the back.

top deck side walls placed in. Again just a pencil drawing of rough design for these so far. Any suggestions, anyone?

And lights on!!!!

I am toying with the idea of red tint on the lower lights, couldn't get red LED's in the right size and wattage for this circuit.

That's where it is and I expect, barring any unforseen problems, finishing and moving past the interior by tomorrow evening. Next will be the removeable roof and exterior of the gun deck.

Suggestions? C&C? what do you guys think of the door to the main gun room? what are some examples of good detail for this wall?

**Samus_aran115**

Wow! Looks great! Can't wait to see how it turns out.

**infinite_six**

Cool idea! I'm definitely subbed.

**Budgie**

Id definitely go for either red or green lights for the troop compartment.... Otherwise, fantastic work, mate... Id love to see the end product..

**Capitansolstice**

Red tint would be epic

**Galorn**

mxwllmdr wrote:OK, so be en a minute on this one but I am back at it. I am really happy so far with how this is turning out. Not so concerned with whether or not the interior is precise to the actual FW model so it's leaving me with play in the design that is making it easy to be aesthetic on it. For your perusal:
layout of all the interior walls:

Ok, the gaps in the back are because it isn't glued in. They aren't glued in because they aren't painted.....

Top deck layed in, just a pencil drawing of rough floor plan right now. two front seats and two crew seats in the back.

top deck side walls placed in. Again just a pencil drawing of rough design for these so far. Any suggestions, anyone?

And lights on!!!!

I am toying with the idea of red tint on the lower lights, couldn't get red LED's in the right size and wattage for this circuit.

That's where it is and I expect, barring any unforseen problems, finishing and moving past the interior by tomorrow evening. Next will be the removeable roof and exterior of the gun deck.

Suggestions? C&C? what do you guys think of the door to the main gun room? what are some examples of good detail for this wall?

I'd say Blue tint for the "tac" lights as a Go/Nogo light would be red and green...

**mxwllmdr**

OOOh, good looking out, Galorn. That's dead on......

**CommissarKhaine**

*Drools a bit over the interior* I love your work, and I am baffled at your working speed... Keep it up!

**mxwllmdr**

Thanks, again Khaine.

My speed is directly related to the fact that I have so many projects going at once. I know that sounds counter-intuitive but I have ADHD so the more I have going the more focused I seem to be when I am working on any one of them.

**The_Blackadder**

Absolutely fantastic, I'm so glad I haven't sealed my interior access yet because I wanna install lighting as well. BTW I like the blue lit interior but red lit interior is also viable as it prevents the loss of 'visual purple' in night operations.

**cjharrisman**

A very good build, your lighitng the model the exact same way i am lighting my thunderhawk. Awesome

**mxwllmdr**

Thanks, Black, having you drop in here is a compliment all in it's own right.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
You to, CJHarrisman, I read your LED's in models thread and the thunderhawk thread. Good looking stuff over there.

**cjharrisman**

Cheers for the reply,. i have been putting lights into models for a few years, usually on things bigger then the Thunderhawk, like the 3ft enterprise model, but the FW Thunderhawk is a challenge as there is a lot of drilling to do , and it creates a huge mess. I like your idea of using the circuit board and also the square box section of styrene as lighting channels. IHave some of that myself so i might borrow your technique.
With me being in uni a lot i get little time to work on it.

I like how your gunship is coming along as its an imposing project. and lighting it makes such a difference.

**Sarpedon_702**

What you have right here is pretty awesome-tastic.

**mxwllmdr**

Thanks, CJ and Sarpedon, This is actually my second T-hawk. It is however the first lit one.

CJ, what do you know about EL Wire?

**logg_frogg**

I'm really impressed with the building techniques you are using! The lighting is just the icing on the cake.

I'm like sin for keeping up to this blog!

**cjharrisman**

I have not used much EL wire to be honest. But from what experience i do have for it it seemed to emit a strange buzzing high pitched noise from the inverter for the batteries.

A little tip for you , if your going to have a slight diffused effect on your LED you can sand the surface of the LED lightly with a high grade sand paper. it will diffuse the light making it less sharp.

**mxwllmdr**

cjharrisman wrote: I like your idea of using the circuit board and also the square box section of styrene as lighting channels.

The circuit board keeps the LED wire leads from snapping off when you bend them and the tubular Styrene tubing is a standard supply here in my workshop.

OOOH, need to make an order.....

**HAZZER**

Use a clear but tintted paint!

**mxwllmdr**

Thanx, Frogg, welcome aboard.

@Haz, that's what I was thinking, in navy blue.

**TheAngrySquig**

Sorry if you answered this, but, what chapter is it for?