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splendid! heres a fun idea - they could have some little toilets at the bow like on old wooden warships - just a set hanging over space with a hole in the middle. Or maybe not - possibly a little undignified!
Cant wait to see it all come together

holy crap! that thing is sheer awesomeness

I can't believe my eyes! I dream about doing this kind of thing and watching you kinda takes the wind out of my sails. I'm feeling the need to ask... May I paint that!

Thanks guys
@MeatShield - I'm honored, but really, would you give this baby out of your hands?
I have soooo many ideas for painting the ATHENA, that I have to constrain myself not to rush the build.
@weetyskemain44 - hehe, the last bridge version had some painters on it:


so who knows...

Well, I continued with the ATHENA and the next piece on my list was the radar and sensor array.
So experimented a bit


Placed a table tennis ball as radar dome on a pole


but that didn't look so good, so went without the pole, but added various antennae and sensors


I still need to add cables and details


as well as the ornaments


but all in all, I'm quite pleased how it integrates into the overall lines and shape of the ATHENA

Thanks for reading.
I look forward to your feedback, comments, and suggestions.
Cheers
Klaus

The little painters are cute - they remind me of the starting sequence from comedy sci-fi tv show "red dwarf" were there is a little space man painting the side of an ENORMOUS space ship with a tiny roller brush

Radar dome looks awesome, glad you didn't go with the pole version.

hmmm i´m not totaly bought on that radar ball... i think you should add some lines like



so it looks more not like a ball...
sorry if i talk against your work. your doing a wonderful job here and give much insight into a project we all can but dream of...

vik

It's true. I often have to tell my self that I can't paint something until I've had a good week to look at it, because so many times I find myself just staring at a converted piece that I'm pleased with so intently that I miss the obvious flaw somewhere else on the same mini.

Thanks guys,

@Viktor von Domm - don't worry, I do post here especially to get feedback - even if it is negative, but yours is constructive anyway
I thought about the radar, and I understand the issue, but look at these two images:


As you can see, that's the way the sea-radars are - plain as a ball

Well, it seems the new radar and sensor array really evoke differnet opinions. I do agree that the new bridge has a more modern look and feel to it, especially the new radar bridge. But on the other side, the angles are almost identical to those I used on the ZEUS. But I really think the paintjob will make the difference in the end...
We'll see.
Anyhow, I did continue and added the cables to the sensors and radar.


To the front I added mainly rivets and a parchment for a scroll.


Here you can see the rear with the stacks and stuff.
She will NOT receive an hangar. It will only be a landing platform and some hooks.
This will give me a large rear wall area, that I can use for a big painting of Athena
But at the first level you can see the two angled sides, these will receive doors - kind of a small hangar, but not for the large VTOLS, rather for small drones (shamelessly stolen from Tinners at WIP - http://z11.invisionfree.com/Work_In_Progre...howtopic=16981).


And here are finally 3 shots with the Hydras in place




I really hope you like it
Cheers
Klaus

to tell you the truth i have during the research for my post also found lots of perfectly ballish balls as radars...

well you can´t trust someone who wants to make a point desperatly^^ lol

have been found out...*takes cover*

vik

Splendid as always. While I agree that the round ball radar is prefectly realistic, the one with all the facets would look a bit more hightech IMO - not that i think the ball-shaped one is bad, mind you .

Nice to see it come together!

the rounder radar is used to detect planes and such, the golfball is weather radar, i forget the reasoning behind this.

Problem with the ball at present, is that it is looking like a ping-pong ball placed on top of the bridge.
It would be improved imho by flattening the bottom by taking a (lacks correct geometric term) off so it sits as per the examples shown.

That's the problem with doing work so special as this Klaus.
We have such high expectations that every small detail will get scrutinsed and pounced upon for the slightest perceived error!

This Athena ship is different from the first one you had post and i think it's better! are they two option of same project or they are two different wip?

the new build rocks man!! I was not totally sold on the flying carrier but this version works.


oh and again the skill and time put into this is insane.

I agree with Chibi, needs to be something around the bottom of the ball, maybe just a strip of plasticard so it looks like it's sitting on a platform.

i second that...would look more like tech and not something that might roll off...

vik

My jaw dropped. Not even exaggerating at all!

Your work is inspiring. Keep it up, can't wait to see what kind of creations you turn out!

All tichy radar issues aside... still is one of the most beautiful and lovingly constructed pieces I have ever seen
I hope everyday is update-day!

I love this project so much, I want to see an airship fleet. And for the first time I have a use for my deployment photos...

what the heck is that??? some rocket launcher system???

vik

Klaus how are you so fast builder? What is your secret? Do you have scratchbuilding servitors or something?

Sorry for the lack of updates, but the last weeks were horrible.
First I got an "angina" which developed into a suspected pneumonia, and now calmed down to some very heavy coughing. And on Friday we had to put our 16 year old cat JoJo to sleep.
It was very hard for me to let our litte princess go, even though I did know it was time - almost too late for a pieceful and dignified end.
I hope she's now at a better place, beyond pain and cancer.

As you can imagine, this completely "took the wind out of my sails"... but since I don't know when and how I will continue, I wanted at least to wrap up what I've done since the last update.

Here you can see the space available as landing platform.
Big enough for the CHARON,

the THANTALOS

and the STRIX


And then I started to work on the main turret. As discussed I'm aiming at a triple Earthshaker.

And this is the final turret

It still needs a lot of details and the ornaments, as well as it isn't the final position


As said, I don't know when and how I will continue, as with JoJo most of my motivation is gone.
Maybe I will do something completely different, maybe I will submerge into the wold of some computer game again...I really don't know.

mydeepest condolence for your loss. loosing someone is always a hardship in ones life no matter if human or animal. i can totaly understand you for having to motivation to go creative now.
also i hope you get better soon. take your time. all in all it is a hobby and should lighten your days. but if you need your time of grievance than that is a good thing. there are people how cant do that and it will hit them eventually.


best wishes vik

Cool airship, out of interest is it loosely based on the ships seen on the front cover of the current codex? I feel your cat related pain My 11 yo cat also died recently, he got shot, was never given his body by the gamekeeper so this suggests he crawled off somewhere to die painfully, poor blighter. Maybe Jojo and Stoofa are hissing at each other in cat heaven as we speak.

Really sorry to hear about your loss. I've been following this project for quite a while now and you're amazingly talented. I hope you are able to find some peace and wish you well in what ever you choose to do next.

I have to hate you now,,, It all looks sooo amazing I envy you and I really love the look of the fighter plane with the broken wings

So sorry to hear of all this.

In your own time matey.
You'll pick the project up when you are good and ready.
Fwiw it is looking ever more awesome.

More importantly, sorry to hear about poor Jojo.
Is a big loss when pets leave us.
Take care of yourself and hope you get better soon.

Sorry to hear about your loss.
The ship is really awesome!
Take care!

Awsome work on the turret. Its HUGE!