Blackadder Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 The Blackadder has a new project and I am posting here from the inception rather than after it was completed as with Lucie. This new project is a Thunderhawk the basic structure of which has been kicked around my basement for a few years; a discarded work my son attempted when I started my Warhound. In all fairness starting college may have been the cause of his waining interest in scratchbuilding. Anyway I have taken up the gauntlet and am attempting to complete this model. The hull is composed of 1/2 inch foam filled posterboard and the images below are of the basic hull as of a week ago. The image uploader isn't working? It's not the size or the format? I'll try later. http://i.imgur.com/Sq1gCl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/HUgckl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/jhMYKl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/LFHlZl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 I came across these 3D images. I don't know who this artist is but I want to have his baby (Well build his baby anyway.) He has actually made a Thunderhawk look not only attractive but downright viable. Below are 3D renderings from this artist which while not 100% FW exact are a tremendous improvement on the original and will be my guide from now on. http://i.imgur.com/WmLVUl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/hi48ql.jpg http://i.imgur.com/a7BvUl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/dv7MXl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ARGaPl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/c6O61l.jpg http://i.imgur.com/YVoJvl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/VU9psl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/4XIzJl.jpg Note that the last image is of the heretofore not seen belly of the beast. http://i.imgur.com/sJhlyl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myxx Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Is my calibrated eye-ball out of whack or is the rendering significantly longer and leaner than the FW edition? (Probably to hold all of it's awesomeness...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loken86 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 WOW thanks for sharing blackadder im attempting to scratch build a thunderhawk so this will help loads but i know yours will be awesome after seeing that warhound you built has Lucie seen any combat yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 Is my calibrated eye-ball out of whack or is the rendering significantly longer and leaner than the FW edition? (Probably to hold all of it's awesomeness...) It is decidedly leaner than the FW original and the exhaust cones are dis-proportionally large which gives the illusion of extra length. I in point of fact added a half inch to my model's empennage after studying this artwork but I'm going with the model as it is which is half way between FW and the 3D version. It certainly looks more airworthy than the FW version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 WOW thanks for sharing blackadder im attempting to scratch build a thunderhawk so this will help loads but i know yours will be awesome after seeing that warhound you built has Lucie seen any combat yet? Lucie broke her middle toe on the first time out but prevailed in spite of her grievous injury or so I am told. I don't know the details. My son plans to field her this Summer and I'll relate the results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulse Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Great start so far on the stratch build, makes me want to carry on with mine! 3D Renderings from Lord Inquisitor film by any chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 No idea I really want to replicate the 3D Thunderhawk posted above. It may be outsized but it looks more airworthy than any Thunderhawk rendering I've yet seen. I can't wait to get to the fine detail. The layered armour and the beveled edge on the fuselage really makes this thing come alive. I'm also opening up the cargo bay so it will have an interior as well. http://i.imgur.com/r8Akml.jpg "One step forward two steps back," that's my motto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 Since this beastie will have a full interior of the cargo bay including the side hatches I have to be careful all is right dimension wise. I am taking meticulous care building the nose hatch/ramp. http://i.imgur.com/dH7iul.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 I've been real busy at work this week not much to show for it. Yesterday I started on the cargo bay interior. Getting smarter in my old age I'm building the interior first so I don't have to work inside out. http://i.imgur.com/NlSxUl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/MLMmLl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/fy7Acl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
their kin Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Oh wow. Your scratch work is stupendous. I'm super jealous. I was incredulous when you said you were going to give all that textured detailing, but you are already pulling it off. Can't wait to see more. -joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Sorry for the delayed reply, I wasn't notified of a response, As you can see my vision of the Thunderhawk is slightly larger than the FW offering. My first impression of the Thunderhawk concept was that it be capable of carrying a Rhino. After all for what else would be the purpose of such a huge loading door? Imagine my disappointment when I found the FW Thunderhawk too diminutive to disgorge even so small a tank as a Rhino. I am still mulling over the necessity of hinging the forward side panels to allow more clearance; hell I probably shall in the end not being satisfied with compromising measures. Image the dramatic effect when your Thunderhawk glides to a touchdown, the ramp drops, the side doors open, and it vomits forth an APC. http://i.imgur.com/wZcIsl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/LC6ytl.jpg Sweet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 I'm going to stick with the cargo bay cockpit and under the air brake flaps. That should be sufficient. I know there is a wealth of detail in the FW kit, (They should invest some of that energy in making their moulds stable.) but what I have seen in most of the resin kits I've rescued is that the hatches are glued shut, the doors are inoperable and if there is a panel that can be removed to veiw some internal component it is invariably cemented in place for eternity. Not so with the Jumbo 'hawk; the interior is coming along nicely but is a chore. Sometimes I wonder why I start these things, they monopolize a lot of time plus I ran out of crucial styrene for the floor ribs and had to make a hobby shop run this morning. I thought I'd never find a use for this size strip but I ran out two strips short of finishing and had to buy more. Now I have more than when I started. (Poor baby Blackadder.) Any way the floor is done and the side panels are clamped in place but I won't be gluing just yet because I still haven't figured out where the landing gear cylinder goes when the nose gear is retracted. Someone's in for a bit of a shock when that nose gear bursts thru the cargo compartment floor (All together now, "Poor engineering planning FW, nowheres near as well thought out as the Warhound. And where are the actuators for the forward cargo hatch/ramp?) All these problems will have to be addressed before the interior detail can be affixed http://i.imgur.com/8IDONl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/oiLVwl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/oiLVwl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Starting on the ramp because I need to install the hinge tube before I can apply the nose armour. Below is a practical demonstration of how to make ribbed flooring. http://i.imgur.com/gnYASl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ubVHDl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/YXl0ul.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Part of the fun of scratchbuilding (If you have a penchant for masochism that is.) is inventing ways to replicate in stock styrene the intricacies of injection mould plastic kits etc. There were two ways to approach the manufacture of the object below. One was to attempt to cut the slots in a single piece of sheet plastic and glue it onto a backing. I rejected that straight out because the finished product regardless of the care exercised would be crude and amateurish. The second, the option I chose was to build the corrugations one slat at a time as demonstrated in the previous reply, score the perpendicular channels with a sharp utility knife, widen and deepen the score with a razor saw, and shave out the residue with a chisel bladed Exacto knife. This worked well for the wide center longitudinal reinforcement but how to make the narrow side reinforcements? Start as before with the score and the razor saw to accomplish the primary cut. Then taking your razor saw at a 45° angle carefully widen the score to the required width. If you have jewelers files you can dress the sides of the channels but in this case it was not necessary. Now I'll see if I can repeat the process on the other side without screwing the damned thing up. http://i.imgur.com/tdnTil.jpg Then taking your razor saw at a 45° angle carefully widen the score to the required width. If you have jewelers files you can dress the sides of the channels but in this case it was not necessary. Pictured below are the only tools necessary to accomplish this exercise . Had I to do this over again I would have angled the side channels slightly out at the bottom to dispel the illusion that they converge. http://i.imgur.com/ykj53l.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loken86 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 awesome bro thanks for the decking demo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 Considering it took the better part of a week just to make the loading ramp fruition will be a long time coming. In my defense my workload this week was extremely heavy and I could only devote a half hour in the morning to working on the ramp. The slats had to be secure before the next could be applied or they would move when the spacer was run between them. I also managed to apply the outer skin (1 MM sheet styrene) to the forward hull. I finished up the ramp this morning and taped it into place. Everything is square and true so tomorrow I will start applying the forward armour. This will be the fun part when the model starts to look like something other than a long white shoebox. Right now I am sitting back sipping a well deserved Martini and reflecting on a satisfactory accomplishment. http://i.imgur.com/3hxpjl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/tmSrxl.jpg My patience is holding strong and the worst of the build is behind me now it's just a matter of detail, the part I relish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 Right now I'm gluing on the second layer of sheathing to strengthen the hull and provide a good base for the armour. http://i.imgur.com/o4jBGl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/t4srJl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/4gTFKl.jpg Not really much to see for all the work involved but as a matter of interest the hull is square and true to the width of a sharpened pencil line in cross section and in length. Speaking of length I may have gone overboard in extending the aft hull I'll have to see after the forward armour is installed. I'm trying to avoid the blocky look of the FW model but right now I feel it may be a decimeter too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted September 2, 2011 Author Share Posted September 2, 2011 Whew, after a month of convalescing I'm back and finally feel like building models again. I don't recommend spending three weeks in a hospital. Anyhow here is my first days labor on my long neglected project. I've decided to install the armour as I proceed back to the unfinished stern section. This is probably a mistake but I believe the hull is too long so once the armour in the front is done I'll be better able to trust my eye than actual measurements. As per usual I shall be doing this the hard way. No wonder I have ulcers. http://i.imgur.com/srXdCl.jpg I've laid out the coordinating lines on the hull and am fashioning the armour to fit. This is why it would be prohibitive to duplicate and sell copies of this model aside from copyright infringments http://i.imgur.com/DfBukl.jpg Front view more of the same. The hull walls are approaching the proper thickness now. http://i.imgur.com/DfBukl.jpg Side view of the nose armour which I calcuate to be 1.5 MM thick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 Whoops big errors, have to re-do the nose armour. Strangely I had forgotten I made this enlarged image on my photo editor to plot coordinating intersections. The actual model superimposes rather well on the 3D image with the exception of the most recent work which will be rectified. It appears that 6.0 mm is the proper thickness for the front cargo door and the aligning recesses in the side armour. The image has a two pixel margin of error due to the fuzziness of the enlargement. I can live with that. http://i.imgur.com/nqdIHl.jpg Rather poor in my estimation. http://i.imgur.com/SvWMEl.jpg This is the goal. http://i.imgur.com/QGHdtl.jpg With coordination lines superimposed on model http://i.imgur.com/r11Jcl.jpg With pencil lines adjusted on model; by god that is close enough for government work. E. Blackadder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sioka Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 This beast is gona be fantastic Blackadder, the work you have put in so far looks better than its resin counter part. At some point I would like to try building one from scratch myself but its going to be some time before it happens. As you can see my vision of the Thunderhawk is slightly larger than the FW offering. My first impression of the Thunderhawk concept was that it be capable of carrying a Rhino. After all for what else would be the purpose of such a huge loading door? Imagine my disappointment when I found the FW Thunderhawk too diminutive to disgorge even so small a tank as a Rhino. I totaly agree with you on this. Whats the point in having a drop ship if it lacks the space to carry an a.p.c .... did the Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-priests never see Aliens?? Keep up the good work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted September 3, 2011 Author Share Posted September 3, 2011 Corrected a few mistakes and then added some armour. This ugly beast is starting to grow on me. I can't wait to start on the wings and engines. http://i.imgur.com/stRajl.jpg The lateral line belt armour and the nose section seam in place. and a start on the second layer of upper hull armour. http://i.imgur.com/gbpypl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/rzCrMl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/8Eg9Ql.jpg -- E. Blackadder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Caedrius Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Incredible work! This is a watcher!!!! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shortsonfire79 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Looking good my man. I support your theory that a Rhino could be 'vomited' out of one of these. I'd even think that it could be storing a rhino, with a squad behind it. So that when the bay doors open, they have a hulking armor wall moving with them. Great work so far! I'll be buying one of these from you shortly :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxyogi Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Incredible work! This is a watcher!!!! :P With you there!! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.