Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Thunderhawk

[Blackadder]

Phoenix Rising:

From ashes This little Rhino was painted red and forgotten. I primed it in black and rubbed in aluminum powder.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/Hdn4dA1.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/OGcqvdl.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/RU671qU.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

The Case of the Missing Stancheon Shield:

As if I didn't have enough to do I cannot find the Lascannon cover shield so after an exhaustive search I decided to build one......

[url]http://i.imgur.com/xSyYRAO.jpg[/url]


These photos reveal it's still a bit rough around the edges.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/1WlIxmv.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Rhino Revisited:

Work has pretty much been stalled due to working on the new bath but I did manage to sneak in some painting when no one was looking.....

[url]http://i.imgur.com/IjM58ca.jpg[/url]


In the scrap box I found some Rhino accessories and a vintage four bogie GW Rhino which astounded me because of it's size and simplicity; we'll go into that at a later date.

Meanwhile the current Rhino is beginning to look pretty good (IMHO) and the ugly little cuss is growing on me.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/lAzWWFJ.jpg[/url]


Some day I'll get around to applying decals.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/SrRITDi.jpg[/url]


After I learn how to do it that is.

[Blackadder]

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas:

I was in the mall the other day and wandered into a store I've not seen before called 'Big Lots' They had these marvelous seed type LED Christmas lights:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/PRFimZr.jpg[/url]


Prewired and ready to be installed in your model project, in this case my never ending Thunderhawk Project:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/kpd3JDc.jpg[/url]


Striping down the fuselage and just jamming about half the bulbs into the forward cargo bay shows me they will provide sufficient light to illuminate the interior and taking so little space to be readily hidden behind the thin walls and ceiling of the bay

[url]http://i.imgur.com/mbIGFHU.jpg[/url]


Threading the lights though the hull will require a bit of effort but the savings of time manufacturing the circuit is worth the $5 cost of the string.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/oyDEKjA.jpg[/url]


They come in Cool White, (Shown) Warm White and Multicoloured .... I may buy the multicoloured string and splice colours in strategic areas of the model.

I can't wait to install some of these in my Warlord Titan.

[Blackadder]

Ceiling Panel and Lenses

last night it came to me how to employ these marvelous lights. I had hoped for more conventional LEDs' but the circuitry behind the ceiling panel was quite restricted if I was to have adequate clearance for a Slick Rhino in the cargo bay. These seed Leds were just the ticket but how to mount them???

I began with a sheet of 0.030 inch styrene cut to fit the ceiling... initially I posited 18 lights to illuminate the bay interior and drilled two rows of nine per side but I hit upon some scrap plastic interesting shapes in the form of dispossible contact lens containers. Slightly fogged thes container vials provide interesting shapes, just the thing for a set of 40K light fixtures plus they diffuse the light.......

[url]http://i.imgur.com/1Au7mJT.jpg[/url]


With the holes drilled for the sockets to mount the LEDs and a dry trial run I think these will work out nicely.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/RnPExOp.jpg[/url]

[Morgrim]

I presume you are one of the hobbyists that hoard interestingly shaped things 'just in case', because that is a lot of contact lens containers to have lying about. I'm not sure clear on what you're planning to do with the LEDs but it looks like it will be very interesting.

[Blackadder]

I presume you are one of the hobbyists that hoard interestingly shaped things 'just in case', because that is a lot of contact lens containers to have lying about. I'm not sure clear on what you're planning to do with the LEDs but it looks like it will be very interesting.

Yeah you're right on both counts, I've bee saving up for years to build an all 'recyclable plastic' Emperor Titan, in point of fact I want to start it this Winter (my Winter not your's) it going to be on the order of 92 cm (36 inches) tall but not articulated as my previous Titans, too much work plus the plastic refuse probably won't stand up to the rigors of moving joints.

These Bausch & Lomb contact blisters, I've got hundreds, seem ideal for lenses for LEDs and other scratch items. This is the first time I've found a use for them and I'll probably use about thirty on the Thunderhawk alone.

Thanks for the reply.

[Blackadder]

Tripping the Lights Fantastic:

This is coming out 'way better than I expected. It's amazing how much light these little diodes generate.

The image below shows three stages of construction with the finished light assembly in the foreground. I used Testors' Clear Parts Cement to glue the LED to the ceiling panel and I just dropped the lens blister over the foreground LED to show what I have in mind once all the LEDs are installed

[url]http://i.imgur.com/bVbGO1Z.jpg[/url]


Below is a close up of the LED and the lens blister.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/YPrr1sq.jpg[/url]


Once the panel is completed the raised rim around the lens blister will be painted to give a purpose to the structure that is a buttress frame member and to give protection for the lens in the cargo hold.

[Blackadder]

Trial Bay Lighting:

Awright before anyone points it out, I know the ceiling is hanging down on the left side....

This is just a trial to determine of the lighting is adequate which it is and then some. The camera lens picks up a lot more light than is apparent in person and the lenses defuse the harshness of the LEDs just about right.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/XkfhAgs.jpg[/url]


Close up of the ceiling shows 14 LEDs is sufficient to illuminate the entire bay

[url]http://i.imgur.com/0ux5OhC.jpg[/url]


My entry gewgaws which I thought too 'busy' actually look plain and uninspired in the cold light.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/EPY036F.jpg[/url]


I need to perk them up quite a bit plus the walls further back in the bay now that it is illuminated.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/75oqQQ9.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

My New Photo Studio:

Is too small for the Thunderhawk! I converted my closet in the den to a paint booth / photo studio and the first thing I use it for is too big to fit. Gaaah!

[url]http://i.imgur.com/y5A36Bb.jpg[/url]


Well it's not really a problem as I can just extend the table but I gotta start making smaller models. Not likely.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/tboQoDQ.jpg[/url]


So the real reason for the post is an update on the interior cargo lighting before I disassemble the model for the rest of the lighting installation.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/r4YkTAG.jpg[/url]


I sorely need more interior detail

[url]http://i.imgur.com/4AiRFpw.jpg[/url]


and a vehicle

[url]http://i.imgur.com/RMYUpkc.jpg[/url]


Next up Cockpit Lighting.