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Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Thunderhawk

Blackadder

By Blackadder
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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Wingtips are a Drag:

 
Air spilling off the tip of a wing creates drag and lowers fuel economy so many modern aircraft have funny looking winglets on their tips to cut down on the wingtip vortices.
 
None are as strange looking as the constructions attached to the tips of the Thunderhawk. It seems the designers have gone out of their way to destroy anything vaguely resembling a lifting surface.
 
Below is my version of these tips liberally borrowing from half a dozen different 3D and Model designs.
 
http://i.imgur.com/m8hY7Jpl.jpg
 
I made the tips detachable by installing six 3,0 MM magnets on each wingtip so the fragile stingers won't continually have to be replaced.
 
http://i.imgur.com/Gdo7dDgl.jpg
 
http://i.imgur.com/1yLVDAzl.jpg
 
This pretty much spells finished to the wing detail although I may scribe lines to simulate flush panels if I feel the detail is too sparse.
 
http://i.imgur.com/jVQoRKwl.jpg
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maverike_prime Venerable Brother

maverike_prime

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Wingtips are a Drag:

 
Air spilling off the tip of a wing creates drag and lowers fuel economy so many modern aircraft have funny looking winglets on their tips to cut down on the wingtip vortices.
 
None are as strange looking as the constructions attached to the tips of the Thunderhawk. It seems the designers have gone out of their way to destroy anything vaguely resembling a lifting surface.

 

Um... you're talking about what is literally a brick with engines and extended planes that are called "wings". The Thunderhawk has only slightly more aerodynamic properties then a Borg Cube:

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130523191156/scifi/images/7/76/Borg_cube.jpg

 

I always figured it 'flew' by virtue of the application of anti-gravity repulsar technology or something of the like and it had "wings' because the Admech saw pictures of air craft that had "wings". They don't actually do jack squad for lift generation, and in all truth probably counter any lift generation made by any other surface on the brick and the craft itself only stays in the air because it has powers to its repulsor fields. Lift generating surfaces.... yeah. They don't exist on this... craft.

 

 

 

 

Now, all of that said WOW man. Seriously wow. All the detail you're putting into this thing...

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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Sounds like a plan................

 

A Bit of  a Recap:

 
Just a recap to bring the detailing up to present before I add the final necessary components namely the deploy-able air-brake panels to the aft fuselage.
 
All the other major detail is completed including the yet-to-be-installed landing gear and ball turrets; it's just a matter of attaching them during the priming episode. Yes I am that close to applying pigment to this work after four years of intermittent effort.
 
Below, the frontal view shown 'The Albatross' in unnatural light where she looks much cleaner than her aged yellowed styrene appears in person. 
 
http://i.imgur.com/IQXL1ZIl.jpg
 
There is still a bit of side details including the hull number and Aquila to be synthesized and installed.
 
Below, the rear quarter showing the air-brake panel interior visible and the wing spoiler cavities which is an interesting feature unprecedented in actual aircraft:
 
http://i.imgur.com/H5TxZNel.jpg
 
Note the size of this model dwarfs my 26 inch steel scale. She is actually longer than my Warlord is tall.
 
And the side view in pretty much flight configuration nose up attitude as the poorly designed L-1011 and DC-10 were wont to fly. 
 
http://i.imgur.com/IgclCxll.jpg
 
The fact that I now refer to her as 'she' signifies I have finally accepted her into my fold.
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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Air Brake Panels:

 
Cutting the slots in the air brake panels would be tedious except for one of the specialty items in the 'Evergreen' inventory.
 
http://i.imgur.com/xKIAf3el.jpg
 
To get the proper spacing of the six slots I used 'O' gauge boxcar siding available from 'Evergreen'.
 
http://i.imgur.com/qgm6onYl.jpg
 
There it was a simple matter of scribing and punching out rectangular slots. 
 
http://i.imgur.com/eUHG00dl.jpg
 
 
After reinforcing the back side and angle of the panel I installed the right side panel this morning; 
 
http://i.imgur.com/QIz5pazl.jpg
 
the left side held in reserve until I photo'ed them for the blog.
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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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111?

 
Well the airbrakes are installed and are deploy-able but they are so laughably small as to appear ridiculous. How deploying such small panel can have any perceptible effect on slowing this flying brick outhouse is ludicrous. 
 
http://i.imgur.com/QbS9CInl.jpg
 
But they are on the original so they are on my model as well.
 
http://i.imgur.com/muE2Xtil.jpg
 
The left side airbrake still needs to be adjusted.
 
http://i.imgur.com/wIQrLQjl.jpg
 
The right side airbrake works easily
 
http://i.imgur.com/kkN2khgl.jpg
 
In case you were wondering about the title of this post 111 is the hull number of this craft.
 
Yeah if you think I chose this number because it was easiest to make you are probably right.
 
http://i.imgur.com/Az9rWVpl.jpg
 
Meanwhile the interminable detailing proceeds.
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Kotobuki Veteran

Kotobuki

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111?

 
Well the airbrakes are installed and are deploy-able but they are so laughably small as to appear ridiculous. How deploying such small panel can have any perceptible effect on slowing this flying brick outhouse is ludicrous.

 

 

Below is an F-16B block 15 with airbrakes fully extended.  The C/D model actually has even smaller brakes as the length of them on the A/B models tended to scape the ground on landing.  They do a significant job in reducing airspeed.  Those big old panels would work quite well.

 

http://www.pafwallpapers.com/aircraft_gallery/F-16_gallery/f-16_block15_mushaf_07.jpg

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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Thanks for the reply,

 

Way Too Much Effort:

 
I'm putting too much effort into a model I wasn't that enthused about in the first place.
 
But in for a penny as the saying goes.
 
There are some beautiful colour 3D renderings of T'hawks available and of all this is by far my favorite.
 
http://i.imgur.com/9V6NhiQl.jpg
 
The rendering actually makes a T'hawk plausible and real.
 
http://i.imgur.com/ZreDRQVl.jpg
 
BTW this is the colour scheme I've decided on so anyone know what chapter is this please?
So since I am committed to finishing this model I may as well duplicate it the whole way and revamp the nose cowl/door.
 
http://i.imgur.com/278Y6Hzl.jpg
 
So since I am committed to finishing this model I may as well duplicate it the whole way and revamp the nose cowl/door.
 
The front end of the 3D looks so much more brutal than the FW design..... Brutal is good....
 
http://i.imgur.com/Hq9Njxcl.jpg
 
This is an Lord Inquisitor insignia?
 
http://i.imgur.com/kGMvnUtl.jpg
 
These wings are a be-atch to make..............
 
http://i.imgur.com/lWN8GIPl.jpg
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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Okay so everyone thus far has told me that the scheme is 'Grey Knights but almost all Grey Knights vehicles are grey accented in red. 

 

The scheme I picked is grey-green and red, why is that discrepancy?

 

Also each chapter has it's own fleet of navy vehicles? seems a bit excessive and how does the "Lord Inquisitor" enter into it; is that yet another subdivision????

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Teetengee Venerable Brother

Teetengee

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The Grey Knights are a special chapter commissioned to hunt and destroy daemons. They are the militant arm of the Ordo Malleus Inquisition (hence the inq symbols) and every one of them is psychic and armed with a force weapon. Additionally they have special armour and weaponry above and beyond the rest of the space marines and pretty much all the equipment, resources, and support staff they want. After fighting alongside them against daemons, human soldiers are often destroyed and space marines are often mind wiped. Also thunderhawks are not imperial navy vehicles, they are space marine craft only (afaik).

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Cpt. Bannockburn Venerable Brother

Cpt. Bannockburn

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The scheme I picked is grey-green and red, why is that discrepancy?

The examples you showed seem to come from stills of the Lord Inquisitor movie trailer. I'd warrant that it's bounce light from the environment reflected back.

 

Also each chapter has it's own fleet of navy vehicles? seems a bit excessive and how does the "Lord Inquisitor" enter into it; is that yet another subdivision????

Yes, each chapter has a full-blown personal 'navy' (though not to be confused with the Imperial Navy).

Space Marines need to get around on their own after all, but their ships aren't build for space combat (although they can do it well enough, the Imperial Navy is vastly superior there) but for ground assault, due to the split between the service branches.

Thunderhawks are part of these navy forces and they're used as assault ships, fighters, bombers or transports, depending on need.

 

I don't know what you mean by "how does the Lord Inquisitor enter into it", but that thing is a fan-made movie. The Grey Knights however are the militant arm of the Ordo Malleus and thus directly affiliated with the Inquisition, which is why the THawk shows inquistorial insignia.

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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Cargo Door Take Two:

 
 
In the video above the convoluted door opening procedure is a amazing tour de force but infinitely impractical plus the mechanism prevents large pieces of equipment from egress or ingress. My solution employs the brutal beauty of this door in comparison to the rather bland FW door/ramp but offers a more practical solution without the incredible monkey motion plus I can still release the Rhino........
 
http://i.imgur.com/UHKGo3Gl.jpg
 
It necessitated cutting back the locking detents and modifying the upper locks.
 
http://i.imgur.com/Aj8hWsWl.jpg
 
The opening is actually larger which will faciltate the embarking and debarking of the larger equipment from the caverness  cargo bay.
 
http://i.imgur.com/gw1oMB3l.jpg
 
Finally a redundant image just because it came out so well with the prototype image in the background.
 
http://i.imgur.com/e4fUo8ql.jpg
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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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That's What I'm Talk'n 'bout:

 
Yeah this looks a lot better to me. Granted it departs from the classic T'hawk look but considering the newest additions to the transport navy fleet it's about time for a T'hawk face lift. 
 
http://i.imgur.com/Geaz295l.jpg
 
The old locking mechanism is still in play so it doesn't change the internal configuration and now I have space for the fold away cargo ramps for tracked and wheeled vehicles, the dentations should house the hinges nicely. A problem I could not resolve with the old style door.
 
http://i.imgur.com/QcI379pl.jpg
 
Of course with the one step forward resolved there is also a one step back. The forward door and nose cowl should act as an ablative heat shield for atmospheric entry, so how to justify the decorative cut outs on either side of the door. surely all those surface angles and pockets would serve to hold and intensify the heat of re-entry causing great strain on the door mechanism. Just saying so you know I am aware of the quandary 
 
http://i.imgur.com/oBEllJ8l.jpg
 
H*ll, I just build the D*mned things; I haven't the vaguest what makes 'em go.
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Zsoulless Battle-Brother

Zsoulless

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Love the New door! Much better than the old one.

 

I'm always surprised by how few comments you get on these amazing builds you do.. I am among the guilty lurkers myself, but then again there is only so much the common hobbyist can say once a person reaches such a high level of planning, precision, and  patience..

 

Amazing work!

 

~Z

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Corvus_Danseur Veteran

Corvus_Danseur

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Kudos of the highest order. Years of impressive dedication documented here. Can appreciate why enthusiasm may have waned, but with such an epic end result in the offing I can only urge to keep going and seeing it through as I am sure you will! :D 

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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Thank you for the replies,

 

Shades of Past Work:

 
Last year in April I decided I wanted operating retractable landing gear on this beastie, the problem was Forge World did not allow room in their model for the gear in the stowed position; especially the nose gear which as designed by FW would have taken up a significant percentage of the forward cargo bay.  My dilemma was compounded by the mechanically impossible retract cylinder mechanism represented on the FW model.
 
BTW I totally discounted the 3D rendering gear altogether. Besides being mechanically unsound the gear pads were way too small.  
 
Below is the nose landing gear removed from the gear well shown in the completely collapsed condition. The shock strut (oleo strut) is completely compressed so it will fit into the well. I am in the process of adding the gear well detail at the moment. Where does the time go.............
 
 
http://i.imgur.com/SmISkszl.jpg
 
Here we see all the nose gear components including the foot pad and gear well reinforcement panels on the left. The lock pin forward of the foot pad, the gear well itself at the right rear. Forward of that is the shock strut and retract cylinder with their associate trunnion pins.
 
http://i.imgur.com/NsCl05ll.jpg
 
Here is the assembled nose gear showing the shock strut in collapsed position and the exterior of the well showing the axle sleeves for the trunnion pins that lock the gear trunions in place but allow them to swivel.
 
http://i.imgur.com/8QcmyX2l.jpg
 
Front view of the nose gear assembled with the shock strut in full extension and the retract cylinder in full extension and foot pad attached.
 
http://i.imgur.com/IfYIiRgl.jpg
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Blackadder Veteran

Blackadder

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Mounting the Landing Gear:

 
The heretofore unmounted landing gears have been held on back burner until today. I have many pieces including the forward cargo bay interior that are ready to install so much of the work to be done is done just not installed.  
 
http://i.imgur.com/a3s1YVLl.jpg
 
I have made so many modifications since the inception of this project it would have been prohibitive to disassemble and modify prematurely mounted parts.
 
http://i.imgur.com/MBE3p4ml.jpg
 
I shall continue to only tack some parts into place so the model can be disassembled for painting. 
 
Looks like I'll be able to sling a LandRaider under the belly after all; that and a Rhino in the cargo bay will make this a formidable addition an army.....
 
G*D I cannot believe I am actually considering painting this finally. 
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GamesEtc Battle-Brother

GamesEtc

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Heya Blackadder.

 

Looks like I may have to Sub to you over here as well as on Dakka. lol

 

Anyways, started working on my FW Thunderhawk, will be posting most of my work over there in my P&M blog. Hope you dont mind me stealing some of your ideas to pimp out mine =D

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