Detailed Thunder Fighter Project

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Having just finished mine, I now see that I should add the engines AFTER assembling the aft body completely.
I too learned quite a bit with the first time I built the Thunder Fighter. I am very certain, once you build it a couple more times, you will figure everything out.
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Here are the underside components and the landing gear.

The underside components are attached.
IMAG5118.jpg IMAG5119.jpg

As you can see, I have raised a few of the panels, to give added detail.
IMAG5120.jpg IMAG5121.jpg

Here is the front landing strut. As you can see, I have added a little extra detail be raising the joint mounts.
IMAG5122.jpg IMAG5123.jpg

The landing strut is in place.
IMAG5124.jpg IMAG5125.jpg

Now on to the canopy (and to finish this build out).

Please stay tuned to your local Earth Directorate Broadcasting channels for further updates as they happen.
Thank you for watching.
 

zathros

*****SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR*****
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This has to be one of your cleanest oes yet. Nice and tight, I bet with some R/C/ stuff and a little pusher proper, control surfaces, it would fly very well. It looks like it's flying standing still. :)
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Unfortunately, I had to leave all of these models in Eastern Europe, when I returned to the U.S. Not only that, but my third ex-wife destroyed each and everyone of them.
The good things is, I get to rebuild them. The better thing is, there are a few more details that I have come up with that I am looking at adding on to make them more screen accurate.
 

Revell-Fan

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Chris has gone all-out on the TF. We are preparing an upgrade set which will enable you to build THE ultimate TF paper model. The destruction of your fleet had s positive effect: Your skills have vastly improved after that and every new build I see from you is top-notch. :Drinks:
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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Chris has gone all-out on the TF. We are preparing an upgrade set which will enable you to build THE ultimate TF paper model. The destruction of your fleet had s positive effect: Your skills have vastly improved after that and every new build I see from you is top-notch. :Drinks:
Thank you very much for the kind words.
It has indeed! It has inspired me to come up with a few more detailed greeble parts that will bring it to life even that much more. Once I finish school, I should be able to devote more time to rebuilding the models that I lost and putting in the details and greebles that I want.
 

zathros

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Having just finished mine, I now see that I should add the engines AFTER assembling the aft body completely.


This is why build threads are so important. Some take for granted others will figure out something that the next person has missed. It has nothing to do with who is smarter or not, it just people think differently. :)
 

Chuffy70

Well-Known Member
Well I've just churned through all of these wonderful builds of the venerable Thunder Fighter, a name new to me over the past few years, always thought it just Buck Rodgers Star Fighter!

Loved watching the show as a kid on Saturday evenings, with the Space Vampire being probably my favourite.
Re-watched a couple of re-runs a few months back and was quite shocked as to how poor and not 'quite' as good as I remember it - Dale, my brother and I used to always notice the 'stock' model shots, despite them flipping and editing the shot. But I suppose it was a product of the time?
Dale also had a short Super 8 edit of the Theatrical release which used to be screened at our summer film fests in the lounge...
I have somewhere at my mothers a few metal toy versions, 2-3 little ones, and a slightly bigger one which came with a little Buck and Twiki - both those figures lost to time, we even had a bizarre real cheap plastic playset which had Marauders, soldiers and all sorts of stuff loosely based on Mr Rodgers...gone, but probably worth a small fortune now!?

I really have to put this ship on my 'to do' list as you have wet my appetite as to having a crack at this... Is the resource holding an 'up to date version' with all the bells and whistles?
 

Rhaven Blaack

!!!THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!
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This was a very fun project. This is one of my favorite planes. I have build this plane (as well as all of its variants) more times than I wish to (attempt to) count. This thread was intended to be the most comprehensible build thread for this plane (and each of its variants) for all who wish to build it. So, I encourage using this thread as build guide.

As for the name "Thunder Fighter", I believe that it is what it is referred to in Europe. However, in the US, it is referred to as a Starfighter.

If (and when) you decided to build it, I am looking forward to seeing how your build turns out. I wish you the very best of luck with it!!!
 

Revell-Fan

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I really have to put this ship on my 'to do' list as you have wet my appetite as to having a crack at this... Is the resource holding an 'up to date version' with all the bells and whistles?
You will find it on Martin Saenger's site http://paperaviation.de/ .

He is a passionate paper model creator from Germany. His Thunderfighter converted me from a plastic modeler to a paper modeler and encouraged me to make the Landram - and so to start my own paper modeling "career". There are many other cool models on his site (like the Moon Rover and the Colonial Shuttle) but this is the major Buck Rogers location:


:)
 

Chuffy70

Well-Known Member
You will find it on Martin Saenger's site http://paperaviation.de/ .

He is a passionate paper model creator from Germany. His Thunderfighter converted me from a plastic modeler to a paper modeler and encouraged me to make the Landram - and so to start my own paper modeling "career". There are many other cool models on his site (like the Moon Rover and the Colonial Shuttle) but this is the major Buck Rogers location:


:)
Cheers RF, I'll have a 'look-see' :cool:
 
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