Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hello everyone,

I decided to take my chance on scratchbuild old version of Thunderhawk.
As the model is OOP, quite hard to get, I don't like new version (and because I'm a poor bastard), I decided to make my own at last.

I decided to use a well known papercraft version, made by Patoroch, as a blueprints for my model. The paper model is good enough to use it as a point of enter for further work. Sadly never had an occasion to "touch" original Thunderbird, and it's hard to find a measures from it, thus I have to believe that papercraft version is near original scale. I've spent last week on analysing the Patoroch model, checking others versions, etc.

As to materials, in short, I'll be using a cardboard of all sorts. The plan is to build as many elements from paper as I can, however I probably will have to use few plastic bits and parts.

For now I draw few elements, side walls and first layer of front floor. The floor had to be corrected, now it will be more accurate. The walls will be 4mm+ thick. However the original one is much thicker (at least 6mm I think). I have some problems with angle of nose, the paper model blew this part (also canopy).

I decided to change few parts from the original. First one will be the back brakes, I want to make them like in the newer version, that they will open to the back. I'm also thinking about front side guns, maybe also make them as in the new version. Generally this will be a part of my Raven Guard project, so I want to cover the engines on wings with armour (that doesn't mean that I want to skip this part).

This project will take me a while, but I decided to start a thread now. I could use some help from someone who owns the original Thunderbird, so if you have one and you have a will to help, please PM me

Little update with interior.

I decided to go "inside" with floor and roof, side walls will grow outside. Probably should make it half both ways, one layer inside one outside, but I'm leaving it like it is for now. Without original dimensions and having only papercraft version I have to go for compromise here.
Also as you see, the interior isn't too accurate (like almost everything in this model), so I'm trying to fix it.

Last update for today (and maybe for few days), but I had some time and did a progress with remodelling interior. It is as close as I can get for now with what I have.

I did some progress on remodelling interior and exterior walls and roof (the front part and canopy is a mess). The biggest problem will be the exterior side of floor and landing gear. The papercraft model isn't too accurate here, there's also not many pictures from below.
I'm also thinking about front guns, here's one of my ideas - the cover is from stormraven, guns comes from fireraptor (but I have classic sm hb aswell). It's just a thought, still thinking about making the guns from cardboard, or just order a land raider for bits transplantation.

Little steps...but just because I stopped on front landing gear and it was nightmare. I had not enough good pictures of this part, so with only three pictures I at last set few things on this element.
Also glued first layers of floor, and dry fitted it all.
I know it's ain't much, but it's a honest job

Wow, they’re really detailed drawings. Good luck pulling this off

This is one hell of a project. Good on you man! I'm excited to see how it progresses.

Thank you both for kind words, that's really boosting me up. I wish to make it ASAP, but the patience is what I really need here.
The only thing why I didn't glued anything and keep measuring and drawing on model is because I want to scan it to keep the blueprints for next project.
Few thoughts after what I've done for now:
Cardboard, and generally paper, is really good material, easy to work with. You can think that is too weak for our hobby. The only con is that it absorbs water, so you have to be careful in choosing of glue and putty. But after priming painting and seal it with varnish, paper is as good as plastic.
Paper Thunderhawk was made based on Thunderhawk drawings, but not the model itself. It looks good on first sight, but there's a lot of differences. Anyway it is still useful for a start.
I still have a baneblade, so I can reproduce the back and front of gun. I wish I have a predator in my hands, of even land raider as a donor.
The more I watch photos of the inside, the more GW bits I see that was used. Part of missile launcher, top part of heavy melta, seats and middle panel from land speeder. This is just an example.

Wow that's some nice detail you're building up! I've scratch built one before but not to that detail.

Waaagh_Baraon wrote:
Wow that's some nice detail you're building up! I've scratch built one before but not to that detail.

Thank you but I'm just recreating something already made, and I saw your orcs flyers, that's a piece of awesome job there.