1:16 Space Shuttle flight deck

zathros · Oct 24, 2017

Wow!! I mean !O!!! You really have consistency of excellence, unlike nothing I've seen before. This has to be one of the finest conceptualizations to actual models I have ever seen. The attention of detail is astounding. You'll need an Argon filled case. It doesn't have to be pressurized, just filled and sealed, to protect it from entropy.

Cybergrinder · Nov 9, 2017

Can't believe I missed this build

Fantastic Tonino, you are a master, in the league of @uhu02 ! :Bravo::Bravo::Bravo:

Tonino · Dec 9, 2017

Hello my friends, I'm still alive (to recall Valve's Portal soundtrack...

) I didn't stop building, even if my available time is currently very little. I'm going on a little step at a time so I don't have great progresses to show, just some detailing.

The first thing I want to show you is the fire extinguisher.
It was the first detail I made to test my designer skills.
The first prototype was printed on matt paper. Looking at it I realized that a fire extinguisher is usually painted in glossy red so I printed it on photographic paper and now it looks much better.

On the left the first try, on the right the final version.

The extinguisher in its final collocation.

The next task is to complete commander's and pilot's seats. As some of you maybe remember, I already built one seat calling it "final version" but, as you know, nothing is final till the real end of a work, so I studied well my prototype (as I decided to rename it) and, with a little help from my friends (thanks @Nando !) I enhanced the original model in many parts.

Firs of all I added some raised details in the rear section.

The rear panels completed

Here you see I added all velcro patches and a box in the upper rear section of the backrest.
Then I corrected the lateral bars that was too short and forced backrest in a wrong forward-shifted position.

I decided to cut away all elements (bars and metal plaques) to enhance 3D looking.

The photo is pretty ugly but I can assure you it looks fine.

Some belt curving...

And some ultra-micro detailing with buckles and locking devices

(to be continued)

Tonino · Dec 9, 2017

... seat building is finished ... (? I think this time it is really "final"...)

A close-up to the enhanced belts and buckles.

blake7 · Dec 9, 2017

WOW! Your skills are totally amazing!

Rhaven Blaack · Dec 9, 2017

Your skills are professional level and work is OUTSTANDING!!!

zathros · Dec 9, 2017

Those seats are kits iin themselves!! This is top notch desgn and build Tonino. You are at the top of the game!!

xaero892 · Dec 10, 2017

Agreed! I wish I was even half as good as you. Nicely done. :bowdown:

thumbsupthumbsup

Revell-Fan · Dec 10, 2017

UNBELIEVABLE!!! :bowdown:

Cybergrinder · Dec 10, 2017

Tonino = UHU02 for skill and detail!!! WOW !

Tonino · Dec 11, 2017

Too kind... really I feel I'd be not even worthy to clean UHU02's shoes... :bowdown:

...at least as for designing skills...

while as for building... well perhaps I'm some step closer (but not too many) to the Master...

Tonino · Dec 11, 2017

These day I feel inspired... Maybe it's the bad weather.

Another little step ahead: RHC boxes, necessary complement to front seats.

20 tiny parts to add a small box in front of the seats.

Some parts are triple-layered to reach the necessary thickness.

This is a little box that will be attached to the lower side. I didn't include it in my first prototype because I hadn't a good photo depicting this component. I assumed it is identical to the one placed in aft deck that is better seen in photos.

Another small step towards completion.

Now I've to deal with joysticks... see you next episode

Revell-Fan · Dec 12, 2017

Tonino said:
Too kind...

We are not kind. We are honest. thumbsup

zathros · Dec 12, 2017

You are in your own right, a Master Builder. You also designed this cockpit from pics and schematics, that makes you a Master Designer as well. This thread proves it. Comparion's aren't necessary or even worthy. It's like comparing Leonardo DaVince to Michealangelo. Both are great.

Tonino · Dec 12, 2017

I'm experiencing big satisfactions here!

Revell-Fan · Dec 12, 2017

OK, sometimes we are kind, too.

Tonino · Dec 19, 2017

I'm very proud to announce I've just released a critical detail that was really worrying me: the joystick! Now I'm very satisfied with the result of this long trial and error process.
But let's go in order...
Perhaps some of you remember my first joystick experiment (this post) the handle was too "square" and slim to be convincing... I didn't like it very much.
Now I started with another idea: to use the same amount of "slices" as in last try but giving a more "fatty" look curving the handle from inside. I'll explain myself better:

First of all I selected only a subset of my original series of slices adding two reduced slices at the extremities.

Then I cut and pasted all the shapes with white glue to form a "sandwich" that is still pretty square.

When the glue has set I inserted a thin needle in the handle from below (ouch!)

This gave a rounded shape to the handle

Then I covered all with a generous amount of CA glue.

This operation uniformed the shapes, smoothened the edges, fixed the roundness and hardened the paper making the handle hard as plastic

(to be continued...)

Tonino · Dec 19, 2017

... then I painted it with a first layer of matt black to better appreciate the surfaces and started sanding all the paper edges still visible with very fine sandpaper.