My 1:18 Thunderfighter build

Z

Zathros

A 12" Buck Rogers, c'mon, that was probably a prosthetic! Her Webpage has a Contact Number. We should all get together and send her a letter, maybe she'd make a post! I would love to see a .PDO model of her. If I could work Pepakura, she'd top the list. There was this "normal" beauty about her. It seems she didn't have to work on it and she had this incredible smile!
 
A 12" Buck Rogers, c'mon, that was probably a prosthetic! Her Webpage has a Contact Number. We should all get together and send her a letter, maybe she'd make a post! I would love to see a .PDO model of her. If I could work Pepakura, she'd top the list. There was this "normal" beauty about her. It seems she didn't have to work on it and she had this incredible smile!


You said it...natural beauty.
 

ASC Mclaren

Well-Known Member
Well..... More build photos, none with Wilma, yet.
 

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Z

Zathros

A couple of ESTES rockets, a 25' foot loop of fishing line attached securely, with the model pointing slightly out, with the secured end on a metal pole, you could probably make a really nice film clip of this ship whizzing by, you could rig it so you let the line out slowly. (I'd go with the really small AAA Rocket motors). Of course, it could burn up and explode on re-entry, forget it, bad idea. It's just so awesome! :)
 
Z

Zathros

I don't know, that's very interesting though, Thanks! I'll have to search it out. :)
 

ASC Mclaren

Well-Known Member
Zathros, check this:
http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/alternate-dimensions/13618-buck-rogers-thunderfighter-build.html
This is the rocket conversion that I saw.
Anyway... I got to thinking.... Based on what Rhaven Blaack mentioned, about Kinkos... And then the "geek" part of my mind had a little conversation in my Sci-Fi head.
Dr. Huer: Buck, Wilma, our combat attrition rate has fallen to an unacceptable level.
Buck: Well, I was working with the Major Danton to over come the limitations of the ship computers.
Dr. Huer: Yes, Buck and that has helped, but our fighters are being shredded.
Wilma: What does Dr. Theopolis and Crichton have to say?
Crichton: That level of banality is beneath my advanced processing, Hmp.
Dr. Theopolis: I have consulted an 6th generation AI computer with an IQ of 6000, that is in service in a commercial compacity, and I believe that that consultant has a solution.
Holly:Hey, dudes! I think I can solve your, whatzit, problem.
(OK, this gets a little cross over geeky, but, it is going somewhere, promise)
Holly: The thing about space is, well it's the colour of space, you know, black. And the thing about your fighters is, well they operate in space, which is black. But your fighters are white, right? Well it's just me, but I think they stand out, you know? White on black, easy to see, right? Well what if, being that you operate in space, which is black, if your fighters were, more black? They would be harder to see. And if the other guys can't see them, maybe they can't shoot them?
Buck: Yeah, in the 20th century, were did that, we called it camouflage.
Dr. Huer & Wilma: Camouflage?
Twiki: Bede bede bede Damn straight Buck!
Dr. Huer: Will it work?
Wilma: It is worth a try, It sounds good.

Just got back from Kinkos. Yes, it is 1:18. Yes, I will be finishing the other fighter, on this thread. I am planning to remove the cockpit from the existing TF, and put them into the repaint. I am hoping that the cockpit that Rhaven Blaack designed can go into the "screen accurate" build.
Anyway....
 

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Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Stealth tf

I have to say, I like your introduction to your version of the STEALTH TF. It looks good so far.

As for the cockpit interiors, Revell-fan is finishing up all of the details and should be sending everything to Martin Seanger soon for approval and release.

Here is a link to a website where a guy repainted the TF in different paint schemes (to include a STEALTH version): http://bagera3005.deviantart.com/gallery/28140062

Here is the STEALTH TF:
Thunder_Fighter_Stealth_marking.jpg

Good luck with it.
 

ASC Mclaren

Well-Known Member
Nice! I have several repaints (without the rainbow, white, light grey, dark grey and near black). I choose to keep the United Earth shield, instead of a USAF star, or any other roundel, for now. I have a version that I am working that has a canopy shade on the bottom. I am working on a working nose gear design that are only semi-canon, maybe adding LED lighting (Engine, Cockpit, navigation), I am also thinking of adding a astro droid socket into the darker TF. Too much spare time?
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Sounds like you have really thought out this project. Your ideas sound really good. I am lloking forward to seeing just how this project turns out.

I wish you the best of luck with it and hope that every thing works out well for you.
 
Z

Zathros

Having converted, albeit many years ago, aircraft, to the small ESTES rocket motors, I found that establishing a center of gravity was probably the first most important step, and the next one was launching the craft at no more that 40 degrees, to obtain a nice glide path afterwards. If you launch straight up, you will need a BIG rocket engine, the craft may not be able to recover from a vertical flight, stall, then re-entry, and you may have a flat spin back. I made use of weighted flying gliders to make sure the craft would glide. This craft will require some stub wings, aileron, rudder and elevator surfaces to control pitch, roll and yaw, during flight mode, and most definitely during the return glide. Unless the plan is to drop it back with a parachute.

I couldn't get that "rocket-reviews" website to open for me, it just hung. I'll try it later. It's a great looking model. I wonder how it'll fly? :)
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Zathros> What do you thing about the HBB-TF or even the TF-MK-III for such a project?
With the HBB-TF there are vertical stabilizers as well as front canards (even though they are blunt and will create drag), they should help with stable flight.
I know that the wing of the MK-III would have to be re-enforced, but it would not flat spin. Not only that, but there would be more then enough wing surface to maintain stable flight.
Granted, both planes needs control surfaces for any kind of controled flight, but like I said before, you should be able to maitain a flat stable (gliding) flight.
If you do try it, I would love to see photos and video (if possible).
 
Z

Zathros

I worked in the Aerospace industry for many years and used to fly Piper Warriors, Cessna's, and other small G.A. stuff. I had to learn about flight characteristics and what not. The reason I think the model would flat spin is because of the location of the engines. there would have to be a lot of weight in the nose to offset and move the C.G. forward. One way of doing this is having the engines pop out when they are done. This is easily done by mounting them a tiny bit loose and no using the retaining clip. You would have to use the engines that explode in the front when finished (to pop out the parachute pack).

I couldn't take on a project like this. it will be a lot of work to make this fly. To be honest, I would not attempt it till I could make a stable gliding model of it. The I would just be tempted to mount a small clear prop on a tiny electric motor and use micro controllers and fly it like an airplane. That would be really cool and you would not have to worry about a crash and burn, not as much because you would have a lot more control of all phases of flight. I would probably modify the canards and every other flight surface so that they were optimized. :).
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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ACS> I was thinking, after you get done with this project, you should enter it in the art gallery of Rustycon, to see what what kind of review you get from it.

Here is the website (if you are interested): http://www.rustycon.com/
 
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