Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Thunderhawk Redux

[Blackadder]

Forward Cargo Interior:

One of the first things (in my optimism) I built for this model was the interior lo these many years ago so yesterday I began adapting the floor and walls to fit the amended exterior.



First I had to cut out the floor to accommodate the nose gear housing which worked out rather well as the front reinforcing stringers gave sufficient height to clear the majority of the housing.



On further inspection of the interior it seems I have room for a few Space Marines on the upper level of the superstructure if the marines can stand and be suspended by a system of beams and hangers; wouldn't that be a rip

 

[Blackadder]

Space Marine Transport Rail

I'm looking to add two rows side by side of Space marines to the interior of my T'hawk. I plan that they will be suspended standing upright from an overhead conveyor system as the most efficient system for transporting these soldiers seeing as they are virtually self-contained one man tanks. I seem to recall an image or sketch of such a device but cannot lay my hands on it. Does anyone have a copy or a source for this image?

Below is what I have so far found which while sufficient for my purposes aren't quite what I have in mind:



I wish I had this image when I was building my T'hawk, it would have made my guesswork that much easier....



This image isn't actually 40K Space Marines but it does get the point across.

 

[Blackadder]

So deploying marines now like the droids from Star Wars clone wars

Most fluff has them sitting in seats with harnesses like a overhead roller coaster ride, but you could always modify the harness from the drop pods to attach to an overhead rail system.

 

[Blackadder]

Cargo Ramp:

I've finally addressed the issue of the front cargo ramp. this is a problem that has vexed me from day one of this project; how to cram a functioning mechanism into the tiny space available without compromising the exterior aspect of the model......



Above we see the model as she exists today with some of the exterior detail as yet to be installed.

And here is the open maw of the beast with my new hinge assembly installed; Whoohoo! it works!



Now to show the mechanics of the rather simple device......


The piano-style hinge is 3/32 evergreen tubing cut into three pieces with two 0.060 by 0.250 inch tongue straps welded to the tubing and reinforced with 0.020 gussets.

A brass wire provides the hinge pin.

The assembly slides out for ease of maintenance and repair as the device may be quite flimsy....



With the ramp entirely removed the detail of the hinge points is readily seen.

 

[Blackadder]

Also note the cargo floor can be slid forward to facilitate reassembly.

The underside of the floor showing the tongue receptacles.



Finally the flexibility of the hinges

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

I like how the Forward Bolters look on the THawk. Even though the original THawk does not have them but they look like they belong there.

 

[Blackadder]

I just googled 'Original Thunderhawk" and came up with this image that I've never seen before which also has a great interior shot



Thanks for the reply.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

OK, I stand corrected!!!

 

[zathros]

Man, this work is so over the top, you couldn't mess it up unless you dropped it in a bucket of fire. It's outstanding. Your work is why I decided to allow plastic only on this forum. This kind of fabrication is superb and directly translates into paper models.

One thing about the "40K" world, it's such a horrid reality, I don't know why people are so intrigued with it. I like some of the ships, few of the tanks, and the big walking machines are just big targets. The recent testing of the new Laser Oscillating Plasma Cannon shows how useless almost anything will be.

 

[Gandolf50]

So deploying marines now like the droids from Star Wars clone wars

Most fluff has them sitting in seats with harnesses like a overhead roller coaster ride, but you could always modify the harness from the drop pods to attach to an overhead rail system.

View attachment 154283

Yep I had trouble finding anything also...but I suppose you mean something like from Attack of the clones on Naboo ( MTT Multi-Transport ) or the Baktoid Platoon Attack Craft which is smaller but does the same thing..no details but should not be to hard to come up with some...

Now I did find another toy version of a transport that might work for you...

you could reverse the elevator and put it up top for a conveyor...instead of that picket fence thing they have...
Personally I like the concept drawings of the interior with just the seats and such...

But it will look GREAT whatever the decision...!!

 

[zathros]

 

[Blackadder]

Man, this work is so over the top, you couldn't mess it up unless you dropped it in a bucket of fire. It's outstanding. Your work is why I decided to allow plastic only on this forum. This kind of fabrication is superb and directly translates into paper models.

One thing about the "40K" world, it's such a horrid reality, I don't know why people are so intrigued with it. I like some of the ships, few of the tanks, and the big walking machines are just big targets. The recent testing of the new Laser Oscillating Plasma Cannon shows how useless almost anything will be.

I'm only in it for the hardware. I've never played a game. My idea of a wargame is chess. My son got me interested when he was about 12 YO and we built models together. The cost of the new resin models from Forge World was prohibitive so I attempted scratchbuilding and repairing wrecks I found on ebay. I love the larger models especially the tanks and the Titans, the Thunderhawk not so much but I took over the T'hawk project from my son when he began to lose interest; the design and engineering was a bit beyond him at that time. Thank you for allowing my work on this paper modeling forum. I was not aware of that when I first submitted my work but I must say I appreciate the amount of responses I receive here, more than I receive on some plastic modeling forums in some cases.

 

[subnuke]

We are modelers here and love to have other modelers in the group. You won't find any rules on how things must be built like other places. That's why I feel most at home here compared to other modeling forums. Build what you want, when you want, the way you want. That's my motto.

 

[zathros]

I'm only in it for the hardware. I've never played a game. My idea of a wargame is chess. My son got me interested when he was about 12 YO and we built models together. The cost of the new resin models from Forge World was prohibitive so I attempted scratchbuilding and repairing wrecks I found on ebay. I love the larger models especially the tanks and the Titans, the Thunderhawk not so much but I took over the T'hawk project from my son when he began to lose interest; the design and engineering was a bit beyond him at that time. Thank you for allowing my work on this paper modeling forum. I was not aware of that when I first submitted my work but I must say I appreciate the amount of responses I receive here, more than I receive on some plastic modeling forums in some cases.

Talent like yours is welcome, and is the heart of this forum, how could you not be welcomed? I bet you'd knock paper models, or mixed media models, which we welcome with wholeheartedness, out of the Ballpark.

 

[Blackadder]

meanwhile the cockpit interior continues apace............



Servo Assist?

Having worked in the commercial aviation industry for a good portion of my adult life up to and including 747 jumbo jets I've yet to see control columns as robust as these on the Thunderhawk so my supposition is that the servo assists are actually in the control columns. Cumbersome but viable I suppose.



I was hoping that the cockpit paraphenalia would disguise the fact that the pilots had no legs (being actually Rhino machinegunners) but no such luck.



So I need a rational as to why they are lower extremity deficient.........



The Misery Compromise

After a futile attempt to garner a set of legs from my bitz box I settled on purchasing a landspeeder cockpit on ebay. What strikes me the most is the near miss I made regarding the scale of the cockpit accoutrements



With very little adjustments at all it will be child's play to reassemble the cockpit with gen-u-wine FW artifacts; a source of great personal satisfaction to me.



While I have the cockpit in pieces perhaps I'll indulge myself in a bit of pre-assembly painting....



Whoops but first I'd better file down the sprue attachment residue :blush:

 

[Blackadder]

Department of Redundancy Department:

Enough Blackadder enough! Too many images of virtually the same thing but ahh; subtly not......

Micro variations that only I can perceive are happening and rather than a flurry of un recorded activity I'll bore you with incessant detailed updates.


The new cockpit revamped from the old fits much better under the canopy and the figures will be seen better duplicating the FW version....



The straight on shot reveals the fit of the landspeeder crew is a dead on duplicate of the resin original.

 

[Blackadder]

Rule of the Incredibly Small:

I seem to be going to a lot of trouble with an interior that no one will be able to appreciate fully but there is a bit of fun in testing my limits besides which I wasn't even aware that FW included all this detail in their cockpit before I began researching it.



This first image overexposed as it is tries to give a hint of the just finished center and side consoles.

This next image show the detail better; I tried to replicate the FW center control panel to varying degrees of success.....



This next shot is more like it showing the computer monitors and control buttons....



Over the shoulder view where I will be applying paper green cutouts for the cockpit displays.



Finally, a front end shot showing the beautifully details pilot seats that no one gets to see after the crew is glued in.



I may just magnetize their little bottoms.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

The cockpit interior is looking good!

 

[Blackadder]

Thank you,

First Try:

Today was my first attempt to paint heads and faces so after reviewed 'Buy Painted's' tutorial:

and discovering it's gonna cost a lot of money to get all these one shot paint vials I decided to mix my own out of the paint I had on hand.



So I started with Vallejo Model Air 71.112 Sand for the flesh base.

and then applied a Violet wash made out of Game Color 'Royal Purple' 16 and 'Warlord Purple' 72014

The head in the cockpit is a practice head from my bitz box that is pretty beat up and had a coat of Testors Enamel.



For ease of painting and to allow for the backrest detail to be seen I magnetized the upper torsos so the can be removed readily.



The heads when finished will be mounted on wire and plugged into the neck recess.

 

[Blackadder]

The Futurama Head Museum:

"A life of quiet dignity;"

These in the first image aren't completed but perhaps shows the intermediate stage of the paint process.



These in the image below are a bit further along.....



Try as I might I cannot get decent images of the front row, this is the best I can do...........




The head in the middle has part of the skull exposed and the head on the far right; has most of the skull damged and covered with a partial metal prosthesis.