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Cheers lads - hmm, Star Wars white you say... TBH, It will most likely be a simple paint scheme - been looking at some of the WW2 Luftwaffe paint jobs for inspiration - but plenty to be done before I can contemplate that stage...

Star wars white, yes. And red accents. Why red? Do you really need to ask? I'm thinking of the original X-wings.

I have a growing suspicion that you have purchased a thunderbolt from FW and are just showing that to us. It really looks great.

This is my current thought process for colour schemes...



My preference is the second one with the yellow nose... Really like the look

On another note - trying to decide what to buy myself for Christmas ask Santa for - I'm currently toying with the Infinity Operation: Icestorm box set... so my question to the community - would you recommend this and why?

Wow nice work! Great attention to detail in scratch building. Look forward to seeing it painted! I prefer the second pic too

I definitely recommend Icestorm! Good way to learn infinity if you're interested. And a good place to start if you like either faction. But imo the models themselves are worth it Great detail and much better defined than the old stuff. There's some scale creep compared to older figs if that sort of thing bugs you but I prefer the new stuff all the way.

Cheers ckig - from what I've been reading and seeing about Operation Icestorm and Infinity in general I think I'm on a safe bet to order a copy

UPDATE TIME

Jet engines scratchbuild...





And the comparison to the FW model that I'm trying to replicate (ish)

Great work Rug'. It's looking excellent.

Excellent work bud, looks spot on.

Operation Icestorm is on my list too, a word of warning, I tried ordering and failed dismally due to stock issues, if you want it for Christmas better start looking, it is only going to get worse as we get closer.

I would definately NOT recommend Wayland Games, bad experience for me.

Everyone loves the box set though and it seems a great starting point.

Thanks guys - well I went and bought Icestorm - found that Troll Trader has several copies available on ebay and delivery is stated as this coming Wed / Thu (showing as 4 still available now @ £67.50 post free): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351216769505?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Looking forward to Xmas day now

Trolltrader is brilliant, used him lots and never ever let me down, love his second hand section. Got to wait till Thursday before I can order (damn it!) Never thought to look on his sight for it,

It's going to be hard to tell its a scratch build when its finished

And yay for icestorm! Did you manage to get one with the csu exclusive? I know it's a preorder bonus but who knows. Looking forward to it too!

Yes yes yes...... really like both of those paint schemes..... but I think option 2 would be the winner! Love seeing howthis I is progressing...

Fantastic work, just gets better and better .

Camkierhi wrote:Trolltrader is brilliant, used him lots and never ever let me down, love his second hand section. Got to wait till Thursday before I can order (damn it!) Never thought to look on his sight for it,

Seriously impressed with Troll Trader - ordered Icestorm on Sunday and received on Thursday - even found a little pack of greenstuff thrown in with the packaging foam thingies, it pays to check the box for extras

ckig wrote:It's going to be hard to tell its a scratch build when its finished

And yay for icestorm! Did you manage to get one with the csu exclusive? I know it's a preorder bonus but who knows. Looking forward to it too!

Yeah, it has a LE miniature from the looks of it Got to wait for Christmas Day as the game has now been wrapped...

MagosBiff90 wrote:Yes yes yes...... really like both of those paint schemes..... but I think option 2 would be the winner! Love seeing howthis I is progressing...

Cheers Magos

hk1x1 wrote:Fantastic work, just gets better and better .

Thanks mate

My Crimbo pressie

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

He still has 7 available

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351216769505?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Engines pretty much done...

Engines looking fab dude, this whole thing is looking pretty amazing.

I had my chance and blew it with I:OI. Too close to xmas and 3 kids now. Have to wait til the new year. I am sure you will enjoy yours and we will soon be graced with some beautiful model pics. I am honestly glad for you, as so many seem to be struggling to get there's. Trolltrader is the best.

Quick question..How much of the Thunderbolt is glued together? Have you got it so you can take it appart for painting? Your detailing is so awesome, but you are going to have a few really awkward spots for painting!

Thanks mate... The Xmas woes - kids have to come first when it comes to available cash (closely followed by the wife)

As for what's glued and what's not... The main body is pretty much all solid, including the rear tail fins but these parts are separate for ease of panting... Central fuselage cover, cockpit; cockpit canopy; front lascannons; underside ammo canisters (not sure what these are actually called); wings; jet engines...

That's definitely some great work on the engines.

Thanks MT - I like them, kept the build simple but I reckon they are reasonably effective

Started work on the pilot - based on a Cadian. Sculpted some basic sitting legs - not too worried about the details as they won't be seen... Repositioned the arms - right arm has a grenade in hand and left arm is the heavy weapon one, but twisted around. Kind of looks like he's using some forms of controls hopefully.


And here is Biggles in his new home...



Alas though, he is far too low, so will need to make some alterations to his seat, otherwise he'll be called Baron von Munchkin...


Next job is some greenstuff work too make him less Cadian and more Top Gun pilot

After that, I'm pretty much done - last job is the power conduits running from the jets into the central fuselage, although I'm still unsure how to do those - been thinking of getting some pre-made Zinge Industries cables...

Great job all round. Very impressed.

Hmmm a bitz store may have the pilots from the Vendetta/Valkyrie, they have the visors and masks of a pilot, but Green Stuff may also save the day!

The long work on this is showing off nicely as it is painstakingly great done detailing work Rug!

Awesome. Just that.

Good to see it coming near completion, too, will be waiting to see some paint on it!

Conduits: Zinge's flexibles are surely a great option. Rolled green stuff could do it too... Talked about this some time ago: didn't you find any suitable under flexible cable conduits? (industrial an/or automotive?)

Either way, it'd be great.

This was probably asked way back at the beginning but I have totally forgotted... are you working from any schematics or plans? Or is it all from images? either way top job... just wondered. the engines look sweet.... and did you decide on a paint scheme?

Impressive. Most impressive. Did I already say impressive?

One criticism, about the pilot. That head seems just wrong for a pilot. I have no idea about what could be right, something with a proper pilot's helmet. Sorry to be of little help with suggestions.

Dr H wrote:Great job all round. Very impressed.

Thanks Dr

shasolenzabi wrote:Hmmm a bitz store may have the pilots from the Vendetta/Valkyrie, they have the visors and masks of a pilot, but Green Stuff may also save the day!

The long work on this is showing off nicely as it is painstakingly great done detailing work Rug!

Cheers Shas, I did look at the bitz sites but wasn't keen on the Vend/Valk parts, plus no-one seemed to have any stock (on the UK sites that is). Greenstuff it is...

Littletower wrote:Awesome. Just that.

Good to see it coming near completion, too, will be waiting to see some paint on it!

Conduits: Zinge's flexibles are surely a great option. Rolled green stuff could do it too... Talked about this some time ago: didn't you find any suitable under flexible cable conduits? (industrial an/or automotive?)

Either way, it'd be great.

Thanks LT - yeah, you did previously mention cable conduits, I just haven't found any at the right price / right diameter - I continue to look, but self sculpted is probably the way to go...

MagosBiff90 wrote:This was probably asked way back at the beginning but I have totally forgotted... are you working from any schematics or plans? Or is it all from images? either way top job... just wondered. the engines look sweet.... and did you decide on a paint scheme?

Yes indeed - started with the Eli Patoroch templates that are floating round on the net. They aren't perfect, but for the basic form and dimensions they seem pretty good. Later stages of the build and detailing have purely been from images of the actual FW model.

Not 100% on the paint scheme yet, most likely though the one with the yellow nose that I previously posted, I really like that one ...

Red Harvest wrote:Impressive. Most impressive. Did I already say impressive?

One criticism, about the pilot. That head seems just wrong for a pilot. I have no idea about what could be right, something with a proper pilot's helmet. Sorry to be of little help with suggestions.

I'm not sue if you said impressive ??

As for the pilot - he is in fact already booked in for some major plastic surgery, he said to me that his nose is too big and wants to have some crows feet removed around his eyes. I also suspect that he's going for pec implants, tummy tuck and newly shaped chin - he's really quite vain. After the surgery, he's going to purchase a new outfit or two Watch this space...

Update (although not much of one...)

Plastic surgery commences

Surely should be a sheepskin coat and Biggles scarf?!!

Looking good.

Good sculpting on the body.

Have a good Christmas.

Been a while since I had time to take knife and steel rule in hand (not a euphemism)...

Didn't feel like working on any of the existing projects or assembling my new Infinity figures, so... inspired by The_Blackadder I've started a new scratchbuild...


Not much to see yet, very early days for this one...

Ah, not a fan of the "finish one thing before I start another" school of scratch-building. Me neither.

Please don't make the front guns as ridiculously long as they are on the photo.

Best of luck with it. I'll be lurking watching.