GhostMalone Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 God damn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eberious Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 The fun of these projects is in the engineering; once finished they are just sidelined on the shelf. I hate the completion because it just opens another window. I would much prefer they never reach fruition. "Insane" is a good call............. This, much the same as I feel about the finishing of a project large or small. When it comes to an end, it feels like somethings missing. Although saying that been working on a heldrake last couple of weeks and can't wait for that to be finished. Least to say, I hate that model. Anyways, awesome build, just amazing. Certainly a lot more sleek looking than the FW one, combined with the ability to actually hold tanks. Brilliant. Makes me want to attempt it myself, however I have the FW one so not really required to have two of them. Maybe something smaller. Looking forward to seeing it painted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 At the time this project began incredibly my son was a junior in high school and now as it reaches completion he has just graduated college this past November. Money was tight in those days and we worked together building his 40K armies (I maintain I had all the fun)and couldn't justify the expenditure of a real life Thunderhawk so scratching was the next best thing. Neither of us had a proper inkling of the size of a Thunderhawk so best guess based on the size of tanks and figures gave us a ball park scale which ultimately exceeded the FW original by at least a quarter. When I took over the project while he was away at school I discovered the Deviant Art 3D T'hawk by a Chinese chap and built the model you see here from his 3D drawings. It's a good thing I took images of the Thunderhawk in grey because you can't see any detail with it painted black. This weekend will see the beginning of the paint process and I still haven't come to grips with the ball turrets. http://i.imgur.com/deOpbP2.jpg http://i.imgur.com/deOpbP2l.jpg That shouldn't be a problem although my camera still cannot seem to focus and that is quite serious. I'd really hate to have to replace my trusty Kodak DC290. Anyone have any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 Instant Silvering and Patina: Anything that can save me time and give good results is aces in my book; here is a simple way to give a metallic luster to your bare metal surfaces........... http://i.imgur.com/mrYkflk.jpg http://i.imgur.com/mrYkflkl.jpg This might not be up to standard for PRO painters but for a mere mortal such as me it yields adequate results and it's fast, did I mention it was fast? and it's economical; I probably won't be able to use all the aluminum powder I have; '3 ounces', in my lifetime. http://i.imgur.com/MltxCOI.jpg http://i.imgur.com/MltxCOIl.jpg The entire engine and the wing root used just the powder that was stuck to the lid rim of the jar. First I applied some really cheap flat black aerosol paint (Walmart generic $0.99 cents @ standard spray can)and let dry overnight. Then with index finger I applied and rubbed in a bit of the powder and brushed it smooth and into the crevasses with a brush which took all of a minute or two to do the cowl and exhaust. and that's it; no drying time; you're finished. A couple more minutes to do the engine body...... Then I took the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 Thunderhawk Cockpit: Time to resume the Thunderhawk; most of the exterior detail is finished so I'm beginning with the interior furnishings starting with the cockpit. My cockpit will not be as extensive as the FW version as I didn't have images of the interior prior to building the hull so what will be represented is the area directly below the canopy http://i.imgur.com/tcLfJLn.jpg Hard to believe they pilot these things in full combat regalia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Impressive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soric Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 "Most Impressive" Your scratch built projects have always left me in awe of the skill and dedication that it takes to build something from homemade materials. This project especially is up there as one of my favourites and if I had the time, I would love to build my own Thunderhawk (rather then fork out the insane amount of cash for a Forgeworld one while looks nice, would not have the same charm). I look forward to seeing this bad boy in full painted regalia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 18, 2015 Author Share Posted December 18, 2015 Thanks for the replies, Balled Up Turret: Likewise my first attempt at making a viable set of ball turrets turned out to be a disaster. What I was seeking is a rotating ball turret as seen below http://i.imgur.com/KXnF7Eq.jpg http://i.imgur.com/KXnF7Eql.jpg but with fully trainable guns and I believe the FW version doesn't have that capability. http://i.imgur.com/jTxQqXe.jpg http://i.imgur.com/jTxQqXel.jpg http://i.imgur.com/vowHL34.jpg http://i.imgur.com/vowHL34l.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Vm344XV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Vm344XVl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/d0x5XIl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/d0x5XIll.jpg http://i.imgur.com/slMcDxJ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/slMcDxJl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted December 19, 2015 Share Posted December 19, 2015 Impressive work on the ball turrets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 20, 2015 Author Share Posted December 20, 2015 This Time We're Serious: Okay time to separate the men from the boys...... I've yet to find an easy way to replicate spheres but it seems I never learn to stop trying. This latest fiasco involved substituting a pingpong ball for nittygritty hard work and planning and as per usual it didn't work so back to square one. The saving grace of employing the P.P.ball is I did manage to get a viable scale for the ball turret which seems to be right for a vehicle of this size. http://i.imgur.com/x0kMvQV.jpg http://i.imgur.com/x0kMvQVl.jpg To recap, what I am attempting to do is make a fully operational (as far as movement potential; Egad!) turret with guns that depress and elevate as a real ball turret would do so using the p.p.ball as a size guide I figure a centimeter would be correct for the swiveling elevation/depression cycle and the standard rim will suffice for the rotation. This will hopefully be made clearer in the subsequent posts......... or fail utter-ably whichever the case may be. It's all new ground to me, this one. Oh, and BTW the new cockpit seats are to the background right; just saying............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CommodusXIII Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I don't know if you have preferences for materials. Craft stores (at least in this area) carry wooden balls of many different diameters for various projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantay VI Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 This is by far the most amazing thread for scratch building I have read. Even more so than the P-500 What do you mean by fully trainable guns? The FW Fire Raptor has a curved rod which is run over a slotted section in the back of the turret and held in place by a bracket. This allows the vertical motion, the horizontal is because the curved bar clips into lugs on the airframe so it can rotate. Because it is recessed though you do not get the full 18 degree range of motion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 20, 2015 Author Share Posted December 20, 2015 My particular form of lunacy has the ball doing three axes of rotation up/down, right/left, and swivel 45° right/left,up/down in it's socket don't ask me why I thought this necessary. I came to the realization that there would be little to gain for such extensive maneuvers plus being engineeringly nigh impossible. BTW thanks for the excellent production images. Whatssa P-500? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW1 Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 My particular form of lunacy has the ball doing three axes of rotation up/down, right/left, and swivel 45° right/left,up/down in it's socket don't ask me why I thought this necessary. I came to the realization that there would be little to gain for such extensive maneuvers plus being engineeringly nigh impossible. BTW thanks for the excellent production images. Whatssa P-500? P-500 is the amazing tank you've just finished. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted December 20, 2015 Share Posted December 20, 2015 I think a better turret design can be seen on the LAAT/i, from 'Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones'. Notice how it's on an extendable arm, allowing the turret to retract into the fuselage- to streamline the gunship and increase its speeds in atmosphere, to allow a crew chief to repair the turret in flight, to replace the gunner if he becomes a casualty, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 20, 2015 Author Share Posted December 20, 2015 P-500 is the amazing tank you've just finished. Ha! How quickly we forget............ That's what old age does for you Outasiteoutamind. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 24, 2015 Author Share Posted December 24, 2015 Flogging a Dead Horse: I'm forging ahead with the original ball turrets in spite of designing a set after the FW version so some of my work is original at least. http://i.imgur.com/2SfjlVB.jpg http://i.imgur.com/2SfjlVBl.jpg I don't know if the FW turret guns are elevate-able but mine are so therein lies the difference in appearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Firewalker Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Are the turrets for quad heavy bolters, twin-linked autocannons with a targeting scope above the cannon barrels, quad autocannons, or...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depthcharge12 Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 So now the real question arises... "When are you making a scratch built Ordinatus engine?" :devil: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share Posted December 25, 2015 Balled Up Turret: What I was seeking is a rotating ball turret as seen below http://i.imgur.com/KXnF7Eq.jpg http://i.imgur.com/KXnF7Eql.jpg but with fully trainable guns and I believe the FW version doesn't have that capability. What ever these weapons are that what the ball turrets will carry. So now the real question arises... "When are you making a scratch built Ordinatus engine?" Ha, first I ever heard of it; I do some research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share Posted December 25, 2015 Fuzzy Images You wouldn't think I have a SOTArt Cannon digital SLR camera judging by these fuzzy images but I still prefer my 20 year old Kodak 290 for some reason..... http://i.imgur.com/lxMF3kh.jpg http://i.imgur.com/lxMF3khl.jpg Anyway the ball turrets are proceeding apace shown here in different stages of completion. http://i.imgur.com/b7Fgwg7.jpg http://i.imgur.com/b7Fgwg7l.jpg Any questions you have on what I am doing or how I am doing it I'll be glad to answer.... http://i.imgur.com/vrug9og.jpg http://i.imgur.com/vrug9ogl.jpg Hmmm, the above image doesn't bear close inspection; left gun sight is a bit cattywampus.... http://i.imgur.com/5FtnXci.jpg http://i.imgur.com/5FtnXcil.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 26, 2015 Author Share Posted December 26, 2015 What Am I Missing? For the life of me I cannot figure out how these guns can elevate. With the rectangular view port and mount plate it seems that the gun mount shield (Plate between the guns) when the guns are elevated will interfere with the viewport and vise versa. If the side hemispheres only rotate upward then the viewport is not looking where the guns aim plus the entry hatch miss aligns. Or alternately it's just another FW bollock-up in the design department and it just looks good and can't function. http://i.imgur.com/KXnF7Eq.jpg http://i.imgur.com/KXnF7Eql.jpg Anyway here's mine with out detail as yet but fully functional at least regarding movement. http://i.imgur.com/HayxArK.jpg http://i.imgur.com/HayxArKl.jpg Anyone who has this turret, can you post some images of what the turret looks like in the full elevated and full depressed configuration... Thx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostMalone Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I'll get some photos for you tomorrow brother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 27, 2015 Author Share Posted December 27, 2015 Best I Can Do: Try as I might this is the best range of elevation I can come up with using ping pong balls. http://i.imgur.com/oHyIRWt.jpg http://i.imgur.com/oHyIRWtl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/6LhhtNS.jpg http://i.imgur.com/6LhhtNSl.jpg The front view is satisfactory so now for the detail: http://i.imgur.com/VBchYxf.jpg http://i.imgur.com/VBchYxfl.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 Final Bits of Fluff: Okay with these final bits of fluff the exterior of the T'hawk is just about done. I daresay there might just be a couple of negligible items such as Turbo laser strut cradles et cetera but nothing that would preclude my painting the exterior. This has been a good year for me as most of my long term projects have reached fruition. http://i.imgur.com/HGgpiBl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/HGgpiBll.jpg I decided to keep the ping-pong ball turrets as they are and add the view port and paraphernalia to the elevation race plate. The upper end of the elevation is in need of restriction so the canard wings won't get shot off in the heat of battle. Now all needs be done is the interior of the cockpit and installing the interior of the forward cargo bay. No I haven't decided whether to add the auto-fire dual bolters on either side of the nose abaft the front cargo door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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