A memorial to my mum (A BRTC25 Thunder Fighter in BSG livery).

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Here is a small update. I built the Viper Maintenance Platform Ladder.
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I attached a small trapezoid piece of cardstock to hold the towing arm high enough so that the platform will reach the cockpit.
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The towing arm is held in place.
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Please stay tuned to your local Colonial Broadcast Network for further updates as they occur.
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Ok. this is where the BIG FUN begins. I am now moving on to build the launch bay. However, I am starting with the launch rail, first.
@Revell-Fan and I have been wanting to develop a launch rail system for the BRTC25 Thunder Fighters for quite sometime now. So, this project gave us the perfect opportunity to do just that. Yes, this is based on the BSG version, with a few glaring differences. Mainly, the greebling on the sides of the rail (as well as another that you will see later in the thread).

Here are the main skins and connectors for the rail.
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The main skins are assembled.
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Here are the end pieces and the main skin.
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The end pieces are attached to the main skin.
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Here are the internal formers and internal support panels.
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The internal support panels are attached to the inner walls of the skins.
*NOTE* The internal support panels are necessary to add additional support, strength and rigidity to the rail system as a whole.
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The internal formers are in place.
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Here is the bottom plate for the rail.
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The bottom plate is attached, here are the edge pieces to go around the bottom edge of the rail.
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Here are the greeblings for the back end.
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The greebling is attached.
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Please stay tuned to your local Colonial Broadcast Network for further updates as they occur.
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
As you saw in the previous post, the side greebling has changed. Here is the physical greebling.
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Starting to apply the side greebling.
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Both sides are now finished!
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Please stay tuned to your local Colonial Broadcast Network for further updates as they occur.
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
Staff member
Administrator
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Moving on to the top of the rail. @Revell-Fan and I decided to change the rail system and adding "conveyor rollers" to the top.

The top has been "resurfaced". This shows where the "rollers" are to be placed.
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Here is the part for the roller.
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The roller is is assembled.
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The roller is attached in place.
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A few more rollers attached in place.
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All of the rollers are attached in place.
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These are the parts for the guide rails for the rollers.
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The guide rails for the rollers are assembled.
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The guide rails for the rollers are attached in place.
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*NOTE* If you are ambitious enough, you can make the rollers actually spin. You will have to use (a shed load of) pins and attach them to the guide rails.

Please stay tuned to your local Colonial Broadcast Network for further updates as they occur.
 

micahrogers

Moderator "Where am I, and how did I get here?"
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This is looking better all the time! I love the idea of rollers instead of the ship just sliding down the rail. But to be honest, it would be Mag-Lev and Railgun tech shooting it out.
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
This is looking better all the time! I love the idea of rollers instead of the ship just sliding down the rail. But to be honest, it would be Mag-Lev and Railgun tech shooting it out.
Thank you sir! Too right you are. Mag-lev/Railgun related tech would launch the plane out of the launch tube. However, this is rail (which is located in the launch bay) is for loading the plane into launch tube and on to the launch sled (which is a Mag-lev/Railgun tech related).
@Revell-Fan and I are planning to make a launch tube (for both the Viper launch bay and this one), after a few other projects are finished.
 

micahrogers

Moderator "Where am I, and how did I get here?"
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I just had the idea that the pilot would turn into a pancake during launch if the forces were too high. :noteeth:
Yea, when you look at the types of speeds, and acceleration these types of ships would have, some sort of "Inertial Dampening" becomes a must have. The human body can withstand high G for brief periods, but prolonged or even too high a G load, and we revert back to squish.
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
There is a component on the back of the Launch Rail (which sits right behind the plane), that I like to refer to as the Launch Rail Block (or simply "the block"). This component (which I presume) is used to push the plane into the launch tube (and onto the catapult sled), prior to launch.

Since this launch rail has a Thunder Fighter on it, the block needed to be redesigned. So, with a GREAT DEAL of from @Revell-Fan, we were able to design a completely new Launch Rail Block.

Here are the parts for the former assembly for the block.
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Here are the skins for the block (and the rail guides).
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The skin for the block is formed and the assembled former assembly next to it.
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The former assembly in placed in the assembled block skin.
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The main body of the block is assembled.
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Here are the parts for the coil mounts.
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The coil mounts are assembled.
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The coil mounts are attached to the main body of the block.
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The coils are assembled.
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This is the coil connector.
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The coil is attached to the coil mount.
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The coil connector is attached to the first coil.
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The second coil is attached in place.
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These are the parts for the coil end cap.
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The coil end cap is assembled.
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@Revell-Fan decided to change the bottom of the main body of the block to raise it by 4mm.
Here are the assembled parts for the new underside of the block.
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Starting with the main spacer, in place.
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The mounting plate for the rail guides.
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The rail guides are attached in place.
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