Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Thunderhawk

[Blackadder]

Well, back on track The drums (sic) are formed and slightly detailed there is still the intake vanes and the half round stringers on the sides but the overall effect is good.

http://i.imgur.com/nUhDa.jpg
The 11 halves matched in size

http://i.imgur.com/bk44d.jpg
dummyed up with cowls and exhausts

 

[Blackadder]

I have to say the FW engine plumbing looks more authentic. The 3D model has symmetrical plumbing fore and aft and top and bottom; it looks like he took a shortcut and just mirrored the detail. Not a big deal but not how a real engine looks plus there is no fuel control, accessory gearbox, generators or CSD's (Constant speed drives for the generators) and there is no bleed air for the pressurization and air conditioning.

Close as I am to the plumbing I'm going to have to find the FW engines and particularly the bottom view.

I have an excellent top view see the 4th image below.

http://i.imgur.com/2psDp.jpg[

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

http://i.imgur.com/e3JSj.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/MUaA8.jpg

 

[iBib]

Truly amazing!

But I think you are giving GW/FW too much credit regarding their model in the sense that they should resemble something that might actually work. They do take shortcuts with their models in regard to authenticity, a lot of them would never work in real life.

Excellent comments though about what's on the original model and if that makes sense or not, I rarely think about that when assembling and painting models. :mrgreen:

 

[Blackadder]

I've decided to forget about the PVC and make the compressor section out of 0.40 mm sheet styrene I'll do this one to completion and see how it goes. So far every thing is lining up nicely.

http://i.imgur.com/lmh8a.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/V5conl.jpg

 

[Blackadder]

The #3 engine basic framework is complete and as usual it has set a standard that I will be hard pressed to equal. Everything came together so perfect than I could believe with less than a quarter mm error between the top and bottom halves and that will be covered by the fairing inboard of the engine so it won't be seen anyway

Now all that needs be do is to attempt to reasonably duplicate this on the other side.

http://i.imgur.com/60V78.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OX5CP.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ic8rG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/4KqJS.jpg

 

[Blackadder]

Okay, the basic three engines are done now that all needs be done is the final sanding of the mating surfaces where they intersect the wing root and fair them into the wing. An added bonus is that the engines increase the overall wingspan by about 2.5 cm which alleviates my concern that the wings look too short.

Note that the center engine is longer than the wing engines; this is also true on the 3D drawings to make the exhaust housing come out. Can't be helped and I don't think it will detract from the overall look as the bottom of the hull is rarely seen anyway. I'm not sure how it looks on the FW model but the extra length of this model that gives it that more airworthy appearance necessitates strefching the engine. Makes it hell for engine changes though as two variations of engines must be stocked instead of one.

Seriously Blackadder, You're concerned with logistics now; Get a life!

http://i.imgur.com/UTIk8.jpg

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

 

[wlock]

can't believe I missed this till now, amazing

 

[Zathros]

This is really awesome isn't it! Talk about bragging rights! "Look what I got, you can't buy one, let's see you make one!". Inspirational!

 

[Blackadder]

You gentle reader are about to reap the benefit of my stupidity. I went to great lengths to make the core housing of the engine as cylindrical as possible wasting hours in this fabrication. Recent images of the FW engine that have come into my possession have demonstrated to me that this effort while a worthwhile learning experience has been rendered superfluous. It seems there is another curved cowl sitting astride the core housing so I need to make another semi-cylinder of a lesser diameter and affix it to the core cylinder. What is left visible of the core cylinder could have been substituted with a nearly flat piece of stripping a centimeter wide.

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

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

http://i.imgur.com/7UA5e.jpg

Frustrating! HA!

Take that smarty pants Blackadder........

 

[Blackadder]

I'm trying another method to affix the cowl to the engine core. This reminds me of my daughter's paper doll cutouts but we'll see how it works. meanwhile I'm going to get that heat gun.

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

http://i.imgur.com/5sQjZ.jpg

 

[ARMORMAN]

another thought: What about scoring the underside to aid in rolling?

 

[Blackadder]

Well here it's the weekend again and everyone with a life is out enjoying it. Meanwhile I went ahead and detailed up an engine to see what it would look like. There are a few changes from either of the two versions I'm working from and I really wanted to use some of the hex rod I have lying about. so I made it into the fuel injector defuser. It doesn't look too bad and certainly different from the FW tube defuser in the same area. Of course the needs to be a lot more tiny bits to make it look like a real engine but nowheres near as complex as the SR71 engine pictured below................. No that way madness lies.

http://i.imgur.com/uh8EM.jpg
Outrageously complicated fuel control.

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

http://i.imgur.com/2ymYd.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/BfJ8B.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EtxJx.jpg
Damn it's hard to believe that engine doesn't turn into a puddle of slag at that temperature!

 

[ARMORMAN]

Titanium....wonderful substance....

 

[lehcyfer]

Well, you saw that movie, but the creator has amazing renderings in this facebook album

With stuff like that:

 

[Blackadder]

Thanks interesting images and I really like the colour scheme So far top on my list for my particular bird.

Resting on my laurels for far too long but I have not too much to show. I've been working on the engine detail and before I mount them I'd like to try to give them a bit of fire i.e. high intensity LED's. This is my first effort so be kind I only just slapped this together a few minutes ago.

http://i.imgur.com/CWAV6.jpg

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

 

[Blackadder]

Okay, a while back someone asked me what Chapter colours I was going to paint this beauty (possibly not on this forum)? Well I hadn't considered that far down the line but I did receive some suggestions (Thanks Lehcyfer) and I have decided barring a humongous meteorite strike or some other world shattering event I shall be going with this scheme. It just appeals to me adding just the right amount of racial senile decay and a patine of war weary resignation to the inevitable and ultimate end.

Whew, that is a depressing scenario if I do say so myself.

On a more upbeat note; the engines are just about done and I'll be posting an update soon.

With credit to the "Lord Inquisitioner" for the following images.

http://i.imgur.com/Hk1Qr.jpg
Now thats vomit green!

http://i.imgur.com/lH9Pg.jpg
I really like this 3D rendering

http://i.imgur.com/GAQYz.jpg
I just hope my exhausts look this good

http://i.imgur.com/dR9oP.jpg
And my landing gear function this well.

 

[lehcyfer]

I'm glad you've found good use for this stuff

 

[Blackadder]

Not much going on to this date I did some work on the lower portion of the engines and stated detailing the #3 engine upper half.

The biggest change is the following image which was the first taken with my new Rebel T3i Canon DSLR which Egad! is fully manual, I'm actually going to have to learn how to take pictures again. My old Kodak 290 (in the background) was having trouble extending the auto zoom lens (Getting it up as it were. ) so I guess it was time to retire it but this new camera will take some getting use to. I may have to read the manual though I did manage the image below right out of the box.

http://i.imgur.com/rja78.jpg

 

[Zathros]

Gotta get some camera-tosterone!! I'm, a Nikon person, bit my pocket is a Canon Elph person!!

 

[Blackadder]

Another bunch of blurry images but I figured out what I am doing wrong. I need to set the camera to Macro I just gotta find how to do that. Of course I could just read the damned manual but wheres the fun in that?

Yeah Blackadder you'll have the damned thing for 20 years and never find half of what it's capable of.

Gee I'd didn't know it could do that.

Waddaya expect from someone whose VCR flashes 12:00 all the time.

The black tape keeps peeling off.

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

http://i.imgur.com/0jMp4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/W1Cj0.jpg

VCR?