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I managed to save a suitable mouth wash bottle top from the recycling bin, now I just need two more, then I can get back to work on my t-hawk.

Yeah, like I said on your Reaver blog, those vent are pure tedium, but the end effect is so worth the effort...

I'm glad you also pause now and then with your builds, allows me time to catch up with mine

 The_Blackadder wrote:
The Interminable Thunderhawk Vents

Its not that I have forgotten the Thunderhawk but the tedium of making the vent grills is wearing me down and I needed the Reaver diversion to keep intact what little sanity is left to me.

http://i.imgur.com/REu0C7Z.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/qU5rbLL.jpg


Bibblebibblebibblebibblebibble........................

The correct line is "wooble"

Funny when I do it it sounds like Bibblebibblebibblebibblebibble

 The_Blackadder wrote:


Bibblebibblebibblebibblebibble........................

I heard someone call my name, I came as quick as I could.

Wow, again the detail and attention to small parts is amazing. Just gotta ask, how much glue have you used on all these projects?

Funny I have never given a thought to the amount of glue but I use a tube of Testors every other month or so and a bottle of Ambroid ProWeld every four months give or take. Testors works best for large sheets and major component assembly whereas ProWeld works best for small parts and strips i.e. rivets and vent slats.

I rarely use "Superglue" or Epoxy except for dissimilar materials.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Vents Finally Done

After a week of knee surgery convalescence I finally got my groove back and finished the vent slats. Not up to my usual standard but they are in a position that I can readily replace them if I get ambitious.

The main gun superstructure should go together quickly now that these labor intense objects are completed.

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

Superstructure Continues:

If there is a roundabout way to do things leave it to the Blackadder to pursue that course.

The superstructure seems a straightforward trapezoidal structure with nothing out of the ordinary to complicate building it until I decided the perpendicular sides should cant in a few degrees at the top and the three armour plates on either side likewise. This adds a taper to the structure's sides much as the columns curve slightly on the Parthenon to give a better illusion of straightness. Were the sides perfectly perpendicular they would appear to flair at the top.

I also changed the angle of the rear vent panel because my T'hawk is much longer than the original and therefore can be more streamline...... (? Really, Streamline?)

The overall effect is longer, lower and wider than the FW model and even the 3D rendering is slightly blockier.

I hope I don't come to regret these departures.........


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



http://i.imgur.com/d9Ekz6j.jpg

I love seeing project's like this, especially when their being built to such a high standard, and level of detail such as yours.

Now when I'm building ambitious scratch-builds I try to focus on one part, get it finished, then move on to the next,
but a lot of the time I find myself looking at the project, and all I can see is how much more work is left to do, and that can be off putting for me.

so I was just wondering if you ever have that problem,
Although judging by your work, your focus levels are probably way higher than mine .

Either way, great work and I look forward to seeing more.

As you can see if you follow my threads the Thunderhawk is low on my priority "To Do" list. I use the T'hawk when I get in doldrums building my other projects. Occasionally such as now I gain enthusiasm and go hell for leather on the T'hawk but I quite likely may drop it and go back to the Warlord or something else.

Try not focusing on the one item but move around the model building-wise, it may stimulate your interest.

 The_Blackadder wrote:
As you can see if you follow my threads the Thunderhawk is low on my priority "To Do" list. I use the T'hawk when I get in doldrums building my other projects. Occasionally such as now I gain enthusiasm and go hell for leather on the T'hawk but I quite likely may drop it and go back to the Warlord or something else.

Try not focusing on the one item but move around the model building-wise, it may stimulate your interest.

I do that, but I end up never getting anything done.

Jeez Jordan, did I write that quote in your signature?

That's almost profound..................Ha!

This is Epic!! Amazing model and more than doing it justice! The detail the execution and the sheer quality of the build are really something to be admired!
I am not even dreaming for anything quite as outstanding as this for my first scratchbuild piece, but its always good to have insirational artists and builders to look up to!

Doff of the cap to you sir!

Thanks,

Simple Trunnion Mount for Cannon

For those of us with childish bents that have to have moving parts on their models a simple trunnion mount for the main cannon on the T'hawk.

Starting with a reinforced 7/16 tube with an 3/8 tube sleeve inserted for strength I bored a 3/16th diameter hole through the exact dead center of the tube to mount the barrel core.

http://i.imgur.com/DzsSh0s.jpg


Using 2 x 6 mm scrap strips for the trunnion mounts in the superstructure clamped in place with clothes pins overnight gave me a strong base to mount the trunnions.

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


With the barrel mount trunnions in place in the slot I'm ready to seal the forward end of the mount to capture the elevation assembly for a simple and effective cannon mount elevation system.

http://i.imgur.com/jfO9HW2.jpg

The_Blackadder wrote:Jeez Jordan, did I write that quote in your signature?

That's almost profound..................Ha!

Indeed you did, sir! Your minute attention to detail and steady stream of updates are an inspiration to us all. Also diggin' the current sig.

MagosBiff90 wrote:This is Epic!! Amazing model and more than doing it justice! The detail the execution and the sheer quality of the build are really something to be admired!
I am not even dreaming for anything quite as outstanding as this for my first scratchbuild piece, but its always good to have insirational artists and builders to look up to!

Just take your time. There's a saying in the home-built aircraft community: "90% there and 90% to go." Once you've got about 90% of the airplane built, it may look just like an aircraft, but now the time has come for all of the piddly little details that actually make it airworthy. Scratch building is the same way. Spend the time on the details; they're what's really gonna put your project over the top. I call it "The 90/10 Shift".

Green Stuff, Certainly Not!

When I make a bad seam as I have just done I feel its important to demonstrate how I remedy the mistake.

http://i.imgur.com/FXw7EYx.jpg


Now Green Stuff I understand is unreasonable costly and I have never purchased a tube and styrene is readily repairable; first I clean the bad seam so an inlay can be inserted:

http://i.imgur.com/rusfoJ5.jpg


I then take a wisp of scrap styrene (Sorry for the blurred image) and slide it into the seam:

http://i.imgur.com/aq8pTx2.jpg


Apply a drop of liquid styrene cement (I use Ambroid ProWeld Thin Cement) and allow to dry for a minute.

File off the excess and you're done:

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

Range Finder Component

I guess the rectangular box on top of the superstructure is some sort of range finder and since the ones included with the sponson mounted lascannons on the Landraider are physically too small I had to scratch a larger one.

Fortunately the Leman Russ fenders are approximately the size required so I used the smallest for the 'Finder.

http://i.imgur.com/diH9vs8.jpg


I used a Jerry can for the interior and a set of binoculars for the range lenses and am dressing the skin to simulate the surface of the item in the 3D image below

http://i.imgur.com/FXw7EYx.jpg

The Risk of Too Much Coverage

The Main gun superstructure was surprisingly easy to build considering how much I put off building it......... Jeez Blackadder that main cannon looks awfully tiny?

Right now the above wing armour is sketched in which should give a bit of a boost to the verisimilitude of the project.

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

Hull Armour

Heavier and Heavier, this model has slabs of simulated armour that causes serious doubt on the ability to actually remain in the air. Engines powerful as they may be eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. Slabs of armour 4 cm thick and covering 10's of square meters of coverage. That said the new armour surely looks cool.

http://i.imgur.com/ey73N3i.jpg


I vacillate on liking this model to incredulity whether it has any chance of airworthiness

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

Hah, yeah, the flying brick... It is crazily over designed (as with all GW / FW stuff) but oh so beautiful...

Your detailing, as ever, is amazing and really brings the piece to life. I will be studying your pics very closely when I finally go back to my t-hawk

Free Raised Letters for Your Models

I scraped these off the mouthwash caps when I built the T'hawk's exhaust cones.

Perfect raised letters (excuse the shaking of the camera in the photo); I cut these off with the chisel tool in the picture but a razor would do as well.

Of course you are limited to the common letters embossed on the caps of products and prescription drug containers but with judicious editing names etc can be worked out.......

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

For more raised letters I've used old credit cards. It at least gave me my name which I to o use on a project and numbers. I haven't bought a set yet, but they make 1/8 and 1/4" stamps that should be able to emboss thin plastic card.

Here's my name used on a competition entry, nowhere near your skill level, but had to use scrap materials. I used old credit/ debit cards, gift cards, straws, dice cube container, model railroad tracks, paper clips, sprue and Easter egg basket liner (for the toilet paper ). Hope you don't mind the picture.

Y'know, I own a laser cutter. I could cut a letter set into a sheet of styrene that could be used as a green stuff press mold. Would anyone be interested in that sort of thing? More to the point, would anyone be interested in using such a device on a project and posting results?

No promoting yer own stuff!

The Flying Turbo Laser Spar

The hull trunnion mounts are simple now that I have addressed myself to the fabrication. The only problem is that the wing as I have it situated is about 13 mm too far forward. A simple matter to correct but a good learning experience for me. Don't apply detail until all the basic structure is completed.

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



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


The most amazing thing about this mistake is it brings the wing trailing edge back to the original projected position when I first laid out the model.

The Flying Laser Spar:

Now that the hinge points are established on the hull I can make an estimate on the placement of the Turbo Laser flying spar mount. This structure was added to the FW design to no doubt support the heavy moment of the wing as no amount of gluing could prevent the wings from falling off or drooping on the FW model. Even my wings lightly built as they are suffer from excessive tip droop with my temporary attach screws.

Anyway I guessed at the placement of the wings on the fusilage and for some reason doubted my placement and mounted them 13 mm further than my original guess. Now I have to reposition them further back the same 13 mm.

The Flying Spar core structure I guesstimated to be 145 mm long from hinge point to wing cradle the excess being cut off when the Lasers are manufactured. I placed the width at 35 mm which seems a judicious size to build on and 2.5 mm thick which gives me a nice slot to mount the Turbolasers.

http://i.imgur.com/ck138sv.jpg


All this will begin to make more sense once the spars are mounted on the hinge trunnion, least wise I hope as I am totally making this up as I proceed..........

Flying Lascannon Strut:

Surprisingly the proportions appear okay and when the wing is positioned aft about a centimeter the strut should fall about mid camber (of course ''camber'' isn't something that concerned engineers in the far distant future but we won't go there.)

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


The tubing seems to provide enough friction to maintain the position in "Attack" and "Stowed" mode but I'll double sleeve the tubes just to provide for wear.

http://i.imgur.com/41URWSj.jpg

TurboLaser Struts 1

My old drafting table has seen better days. Since the advent of digital drafting it has been employed as a styrene cutting board instead.

Right now it is a convenient place to image the T'hawk as the model has become too big to readily display on conventional furniture.

http://i.imgur.com/RoDb5QE.jpg


Detailing the struts started with the root camber although "camber" is not the correct word to describe the bowing of the flight surface as it is symmetrical top and underside. Camber technically would refer to an asymmetry between top and bottom curves. Anyway I like the "camber" because it adds interest to otherwise boring flat surfaces with minimal effort.

http://i.imgur.com/oW9Sv3R.jpg


The struts in the stowed position as in the conventional FW original take on a less dynamic demeanor (IMHO) now that I see them in the attack mode. Those of you with FW T'hawks might want to try this configuration for a change from the ordinary.

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

Turbo Struts Continues:

Trying the struts out for fit everything seems in order to mount at least temporarily the Lasers so I can get an approximation where to put the tip saddles.

http://i.imgur.com/AIuz4Ot.jpg


With the struts in the attack position this thing really give a thrilling aspect to the T'hawk concept.............. I'm starting to like this model.

http://i.imgur.com/dySV1XK.jpg


(Note to self; install stops to limit degree of travel for the struts.)

The obligatory little guy for scale comparison. This ship is huge.

http://i.imgur.com/8efdRtY.jpg

Thunderhawk Gun Ship Ball Turret:

It seems my procrastination has paid off. By slacking the pace of progression I find I have an interesting appendage to incorporate into the hull. Whereas the forward cargo bay has two side egress doors I am considering replacing them with the new FW Ball Turret weapons. These should not be too difficult to fabricate from scratch and should make for an interesting amendment to this vehicle.

Huzza for procrastination!

Oh, cool. That would look very good on your Thunderhawk!

Another vote for the ball turrets! They look sweet on the Midi-Hawk, can only imagine what you'll make of them on the Thunderhawk.