WarriorFish Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 Don't worry about it, the plastic Thunderhawk is like all those doomsday predictions. It'll probably never happen and even if it did why should that stop your project? I enjoy watching your projects progress, the detail alone is great to see but better still being able to see the progress of it being done. Keep up the good work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 Taking the TDA's observation to heart I decided to incline the nose gear angle for a more streamline profile and less extreme angle for the nose cargo ramp. Now that I have established that area I can start on the retractable main gear.http://i.imgur.com/5ziIiAJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/5ziIiAJl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/dfd3sjh.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/dfd3sjhl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted April 10, 2013 Author Share Posted April 10, 2013 This is one of the sections that I attribute my shelving the project for a year. I was satisfied with neither FW landing gear nor the 3D rendering. The FW model didn't appear to be functional in that the gear would never fit into the well given the actuating cylinder and trunnion placement; the whole design just wasn't workable. Likewise the 3D model showed a ridiculously minuscule gear. Too small! I managed to achieve a good compromise (IMHO) increasing the size of the landing pad by twice the area and changing where the gear is actually stowed. Unfortunately at the expense of internal storage area but hey it's a military vehicle so a gear cylinder in the living area isn't offensive to yer average crewman. http://i.imgur.com/FeDZYQH.jpg http://i.imgur.com/FeDZYQHl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/wQGCxN5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/wQGCxN5l.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/fNhFPLA.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/fNhFPLAl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maverike_prime Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Nice to see this project getting back upto steam. Provides me some motivation to continue my own project to build a thunderhawk. As for the rumors of a plastic thunderhawk, honestly I wouldn't care. It's still YOUR thunderhawk and no mass produced hunk of plastic is going to change that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[TA]Typher Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 You sir, are a true artist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted April 17, 2013 Author Share Posted April 17, 2013 Revamp of the retract mechanismI've tried all ways to get these to operate and there's only so much crap you can cram into a specific space. I've eliminated the trunnion axis and the shock strut and still no go. I guess that's why the aeronautical engineers get the big bucks. although the L1011 and DC-10 were total fiascoes for the airline industry............pictures to follow...............I took a few days off to lick my wounds. :(Now I believe I have come up with a solution...BTW I consider having an actual plan of what I am attempting to do cheating. XDhttp://i.imgur.com/GEzOXJW.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/GEzOXJWl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Ri23OTH.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Ri23OTHl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/kpDofFf.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/kpDofFfl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 5, 2013 Author Share Posted July 5, 2013 Thunderhawk Exhaust ConesNormally I don't use bottle caps and such on my models because thats what they look like but I couldn't pass these up at least for a tryout.http://i.imgur.com/otMVwKe.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/otMVwKel.jpgThe ribbing is perfect using every third segment for a stringer and dividing the cone into thirds along it's length worked out perfectlyhttp://i.imgur.com/FUAbBUe.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/FUAbBUel.jpgNow where did the Blackadder find such perfect items you may ask? Well it's Shoprite brand Fruny Green Mouthwash bottle caps from the half gallon economy size and as an added bonus I now have a lifetime supply of the stuff.http://i.imgur.com/jJHuO7i.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/jJHuO7li.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Silvernale Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 I missed this project =O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch@oZ Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Great to see this project back up and running at full speed. The landing gear alone is what would usually count as an extensive project, all by itself. I hope You don't mind, if i get inspired by Your work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 6, 2013 Author Share Posted July 6, 2013 Inspiring is what I am going for, the way I look at it if everyone scratch built the originals might get more affordable........( Or disappear altogether; not a good thing..) It's Starting to Grow on MeWhen I first saw the Thunderhawk quite a few years ago I thought it was the most ridiculous looking transport vehicle ever conceived. but these new iterations have transformed the initial abomination into a hulking brute that actually seems almost airworthy.Even the engines seem of a size adequate to propel said craft through the welkin.http://i.imgur.com/nXaWZpd.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/nXaWZpdl.jpgThese exhaust cones have a lot to them besides being just a nozzle for it seems there is a setup for afterburners at least in the Inquisitor images.http://i.imgur.com/MvyaKlg.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/MvyaKlgl.jpgMy big problem now is not being reminded how much they look like peach baskets.......http://i.imgur.com/pKybQdQ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/pKybQdQl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Silvernale Posted July 6, 2013 Share Posted July 6, 2013 Aerodynamics is for people who can't build big enough engines =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ch@oZ Posted July 7, 2013 Share Posted July 7, 2013 I'd like to chip in a bit- i know your skills most likely surpass mine, and the exhaust cones You're building look different than those on other flyers, but I've posted an exhaust cone tutorial as seen here: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/277749-exhaust-cones/ so if You'd like the exhaust cone to look more standard, this is a walkthrough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 7, 2013 Author Share Posted July 7, 2013 Afterburner Injector HousingsBelow are the beginnings of the Afterburner Injector Housings.I started with strips of sheet styrene about 15 inches long and wrapped around a cylinder of require diameter (in this case a toothpick dispenser) and wrapped around three times to give the housing the requisite thickness for a solid foundation.http://i.imgur.com/bJwIjF5.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/bJwIjF5l.jpgAfter the glue on the cylinder is dried I beveled the inserted edge and scored the inner surface of the exhaust nozzle to get a good glue bond and glued the housing into the exhaust cone.Once dried the housings will be ready for detailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 7, 2013 Author Share Posted July 7, 2013 I'd like to chip in a bit- i know your skills most likely surpass mine, and the exhaust cones You're building look different than those on other flyers, but I've posted an exhaust cone tutorial as seen here: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/277749-exhaust-cones/ so if You'd like the exhaust cone to look more standard, this is a walkthrough. Thanks but I like the design in the posted computer image. The longitudinal tubing appears to serve as a cooling jacket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 7, 2013 Author Share Posted July 7, 2013 Fitting the Right Wing Engine Exhaust ConeAnyone following my threads knows I rarely follow any preconceived plan of execution so when something works out this well I am flabbergasted.The Fruny Green Mouthwash bottle caps worked out perfectly both in diameter and length (I always felt the exhaust cone in the background image and in the 3D rendering were too long to be aesthetically pleasing) but a little cutting with the Dremel rasp carved out a clean bed for the ejector housing base.Here we see the wing separated into its 3 major components (Excepting the nose cowl) They are Wing Root and engine assembly, Wing and Exhaust cone:http://i.imgur.com/mCbRHJZ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/mCbRHJZl.jpgAnd the assembled components dry fitted;http://i.imgur.com/pgfxESu.jpg http://i.imgur.com/pgfxESul.jpgI never glue anything together until I'm 100% sure it works.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 9, 2013 Author Share Posted July 9, 2013 Serendipity Rears its Ugly HeadDon't hate me because I'm lucky.Back when I was building the engines in order to bulk up the adjacent wing surfaces I applied box beams to either side of the engines. I had forgotten about them so when I cut into the ends of the engine cowl I found these ready made receptacles for removable stringers attached to the exhaust cones.http://i.imgur.com/6kchHzJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/6kchHzJl.jpgA little care in aligning the plug in stringers and there are plug in exhaust components so access to the battery operated LED lighting.By pressing on the lens of the flashlight activates the pushbutton switch at the base of the light allowing it to be turned on and off without removal.http://i.imgur.com/2siqcih.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2siqcihl.jpgNow it only remains to colour the cones to glow superheated when the light is activated to simulate afterburners.http://i.imgur.com/1VFha00.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/1VFha00l.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Silvernale Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Genius! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarriorFish Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 That is brilliant! The way you turn it on is the icing on the cake :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 The Nose CowlingBack (Egad!) so many years ago when my son first started this project I helped him out by shaping the nose cowls out of PVC pipe. I had no concept of the scale of a Thunderhawk but I figured on an aircraft of this size that a man could stand upright in the intake duct.I used a table top belt sander to obtain a satisfactory rough shape and that is where I left the cowls assuming once the rest of the 'Hawk was well underway I could always polish them to a finished appearance.Now 4 years later and I having inherited the project my son being away in college and no time for such things I take up the completion of the cowlings still as yet unpolished.Below you see an assembled cowl and the three components that make it uphttp://i.imgur.com/6Rk1knl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/6Rk1knll.jpgI plan to make the fans today............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son of Carnelian Posted July 10, 2013 Share Posted July 10, 2013 Wow. Those engines look (inner)stellar! Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 How Many Blades? After viewing a number of intake fan assemblies of Thunderhawks I have decided on 16 blades; the reason being expediency. Were I to go more and readily divide the fan by 4 the next logical number of blades would not be 20 but 24. 20 is out because of the necessity of dividing each quarter of the disk into five blades. Since the disk is only 25 mm in diameter the chances increase having different width blades regardless how sharp your pencil/ scribe may be. 24 blades though easier to calculate also increases the margin for error. If memory serves an L1011 Rolls Royce engine has around 32 blades but those blades are close to a meter long (From the center of the hub) and that is a much larger aircraft than the Thunderhawk is purported to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 10, 2013 Author Share Posted July 10, 2013 Fan Manufacture an Easier Way for Larger Fans16 blades seems the best for while easy to fit accurately on a disk it is busy enough to simulate an intake fan especially if the cuts are made on an angle to augment the illusion of a fan.For that reason I have selected styrene 1,0 MM thick.I began by dividing the disc into quarters:http://i.imgur.com/0X8BhzN.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/0X8BhzNl.jpgand then into 16 segments the ends of the blades coincidentally worked out to 5,0 mm wide.I then glued a small hub to the center of the disc to act as a guide for the inner end of the cut (To prevent the blades from being cut off completely.):http://i.imgur.com/NkfqUMw.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/NkfqUMwl.jpgEmploying my chisel blade I cut into each segment at approximately a 45° angle so the edges of the blades appear to overlap.http://i.imgur.com/CruF7Ux.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/CruF7Uxl.jpgAfter all the cuts were made I glued a small disc to the back of the fan to reinforce the axis point and with needle nose pliers twisted the blades to give a fan like appearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted July 11, 2013 Author Share Posted July 11, 2013 A Mélange of IdeasThere are so many different styles of nose cowls for this model most of them wrong but some good points to most as well.I am picking and choosing that which takes my fancy from each.The image below shows some interesting features and an out right wrong namely the fan too close to the front of the cowl.http://i.imgur.com/cbp0I6R.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cbp0I6Rl.jpgWhat purpose the flaps are on the outer circumference of the cowl is unknown but they are an interesting feature and therefor included.http://i.imgur.com/99f2s6f.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/99f2s6fl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted August 6, 2013 Author Share Posted August 6, 2013 There is something strange going on; all my recent posts are missing. I can see one or two but ten or more? anyway to keep up to date I'll skip the interum and post releatively current ones. If I receive any replies requesting what is missing I'll post those as well:Armour Detail on Tail:about half done on the vertical stabilizer detail. Things are starting to shape up. The rudder has about fifteen to twenty degrees of arc left stop to right stop so that should be adequate. I hope to be installing the rear vents and panels tomorrow.http://i.imgur.com/O6bUR5C.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/O6bUR5Cl.jpgIn this above view you may be able to discern that the stabilizer tapers slightly towards the leading edge.http://i.imgur.com/BHEUfQ1.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/BHEUfQ1l.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studio Silvernale Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I think their RAID died and lost a month of posts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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