Buck Rogers Thunderfighter mods

[Rhaven Blaack]

It looks like you are really coming along quite nicely. Everything is really looking good so far.

I am almost finished with the initial builds of the four-seater. Once I am finished with that I can move on to layout and cleaning up the lines and colour and texture.

 

[ThunderChild]

You guys are really moving fast with this. Great job so far!

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

Four-seater update!!!

Here is an update on the cockpit interior. I know that it is (more then likely) not canon, but I really did not have any photos of the interior of the four seater, so this is what I came up with. I am going to scan the parts layout in to the computer, clean them up with Corel Draw, then add colour and texture.









Enjoy!!!

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

More four-seater photos!!!

Here are more for the four-seater photos (I put it side-by-side with the two-seater for comparison).











Like I said before, I will now add colour and texture to it.

ENJOY!!!

 

[silveroxide]

Since the four seater has a center console, I would remove the center leg console separator. The joy stick control could be attached to a side wall console or kept in the center console. I wish I had the time and I would scratch something up to show you what I mean. Looking good and waiting to see how you make the instruments, and the color scheme.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

I am using the center leg consoles for keyboards for data input.
Below are two photos that I am using as a guide for my design. I know that it is a cockpit interior for an EA-6 Prowler, but unfortunately I really had nothing else that is canon to go by.





I setting it up to where, in case of an emergency, any of the four can take over and fly the plane. I am also designing it to be more of a recon and radar (dradis) jamming plane, like the Prowler.

I am now cleaning up the lines in Corel Draw. I am still not certain about the instrument panel, but the colour scheme (for the most part) will be grey and black.

Since the four seater has a center console, I would remove the center leg console separator. The joy stick control could be attached to a side wall console or kept in the center console. I wish I had the time and I would scratch something up to show you what I mean. Looking good and waiting to see how you make the instruments, and the color scheme.

 

[Revell-Fan]

Great build, RB! However, the center joystick should be replaced by two joysticks on each front seat; the back seats are for passengers only and do not have a joystick.

 

[silveroxide]

Since you have done the cockpit in a module format, It should be easy to construct it into an escape module that drops into the fuselage and can be removed or inserted as you wish.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

I thought about doing that, but sence I could not find any canon views of the QUAD interior, I would take a little creative licencing and do it this way. I know that it really is not canon, but like I said, I could not find anything that I could use as a guide, so I came up with this.

Great build, RB! However, the center joystick should be replaced by two joysticks on each front seat; the back seats are for passengers only and do not have a joystick.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

I have been playing with that idea, but if I do it, the canopy of the two-seaterwould not slide open, it would have to be hinged to open.

Since you have done the cockpit in a module format, It should be easy to construct it into an escape module that drops into the fuselage and can be removed or inserted as you wish.

 

[dlazarus6660]

Download help

Could someone help me download this model. My 'puter does not recognize the format. I can do .zip or .pdf files but not PNG files.

 

[Rhaven Blaack]

If you have MS PAINT or MS PICTURE MANAGER, you should be able to open the files in either program. You may need to download the programs.

Could someone help me download this model. My 'puter does not recognize the format. I can do .zip or .pdf files but not PNG files.

 

[Revell-Fan]

Hello again!

Sorry for the long wait but I had some major trouble. My PC got infected by a nasty virus. The system was so badly damaged that it had to be re-installed. In addition, the virus destroyed all my *.html files I collected from the web during the last five years. Everything was gone: tutorials, assembly instructions, zealot threads, e-books and so on. I spent nearly my whole holiday rescueing data (there were thousands of files) and re-configuring my system wall1wall1wall1 .

Well then, I am back now and give you ... THE QUAD .

Due to the lack of detailed views of the studio model I based the design mainly on the life size mock-up. Determining the exact curvature of the canopy was one of the most difficult steps. Studio model and life size mock-up differ from each other in certain respects, and Alan Sinclair's drawings don't display the correct shape. Even though I tried my best to melt these two designs I fear that the aft section of the canopy is still a bit too high. But whenever I cut something off to make it flatter the canopy looked somewhat weird. At one point it did match the look of the studio model, however, it had become so flat then that it was impossible for anyone to sit in there; Buck and his passengers would have had to fly in a lying position! So I left it the way it is now, and I think I can live with it (at least for the time being). Those of you who do want a flatter canopy may cut it to the desired shape, but if you do so, I recommend not to trim off too much (unless you want the TF to look like a crushed beetle).

The most fun part is cutting out the windows and all these thin frames. But hey, it's all Martin's fault; he started it!

 

[Revell-Fan]

These are the front lip and the back windows. They require some funky foldings. Everything was measured by eye, and it fits!

 

[Revell-Fan]

The back compartment.

 

[Revell-Fan]

The canopy in place.

 

[Revell-Fan]

Here comes the nose piece. I enlarged Martin's parts a bit and took one of the pulsar cannons to form a new center piece. This piece should come with the original plans, too, but it doesn't. You have to press its end together so that it fits.

 

[Revell-Fan]

The extra front piece.

 

[Revell-Fan]

And here it is, the quad prototype with ...

 

[Revell-Fan]

... and without colour stripe.