Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Thunderhawk

[Dimitrios]

I appreciate this may not be your favourite project but it is a thing of beauty! I have always wanted a Thunderhawk and this is scratching that itch somewhat!!

You must have the patience of a saint to apply THAT many rivets... I wouldn't like to think how many there will be by the end :P

[Blackadder]

There are only 220 rivets on both nose cowls and the Thunderhawk is not anywhere near the rivet nightmare that Lucie was.

I estimated minimum a thousand rivets alone on the Warhound but I've never had time to count them:

[url]http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/showthread.php?6571-Blackadder-s-Scratchbuilt-Lucius-Pattern-Warhound/page6[/url]

Scroll down to post 52 on page 6 to see what I mean; compared to that the T'hawk is a cakewalk.


Sample of the toe detail:

[Blackadder]

Vertical Stabilizer At Last

A bit of departure from my usual building technique; I could conceive of no reason to make the tail as a separate modular assembly I probably won't be removing it for any reason and it is a simple assembly.

I'm starting from a light weight but sturdy framework slightly modifying where it attaches to the engine exhaust due to my taking what I consider the best ideas of the two 3D versions I am working from.

Although I intend to add a movable rudder (not present in the background wallpaper) and taper the control surface to the trailing edge. but the first order is to get the proportion correct.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/jmisk1V.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Vertical Stabilizer Interior

This seems like a good way to build a rudder system. At any rate its rather strong and with the exo-armour should withstand regular usage.

The extra long rod is the rudder hinge axis and the cut out forward of the rod will house the counterweight hinge extensions.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/7ivZ50x.jpg[/url]


The rear angle looks good but the front appears to be more extreme

[url]http://i.imgur.com/KKlcXA2.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Vertical Stabilizer Sheeted

I sheeted the vertical stabilizer with 0.030 inch styrene because I want to add an airfoil to the surface. The notches are cut out and framed and the rudder axis threaded through the bushings.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/2Hrrb7t.jpg[/url]


Next I cut out the superfluous material I used for a trueness guide to insure the slots were parallel and would not bind when the rudder went through its travel extremes:

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


The final step of the sheathing and dressing the slots for homogeneity and I was ready to build the rudder core

[url]http://i.imgur.com/oR1XPKE.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

The Rudder Core

The vertical stabilizer and the rudder are heavily armoured for some reason which predisposes the need for counterweights I suppose.

Therefor to make the rudder not appear too bulky requires a thin and strong internal structure.

I opted for a center 5/32 inch tube for the rudder axis with a 0.080 inch rod for the axle. This gave me a strong hinge point to build on. I reinforced the axis with a styrene "I" beam and affixed a 0.250 X 0.060 inch strip for the basic structure.

I then sheathed the ruder with 0.030 inch styrene for the < shape and overall rudder lateral length.

So the entire rudder core is only 5/32 inch thick and extremely strong for the base material.

I did pretty much the same for the leading edge counterweight extensions and clamped them so they all were on the same parallel to the rudder core.

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

[UrielVentris]

Sir, why don't you work for forge world? Your skill is amazing I'm sure they'd hire you!

[Blackadder]

The Rudder Fitting

So as you can see the rudder is very thin at this point and once the armour sheathing is installed there will be the core sandwiched between layers of external skin elimating weak glue joints in critical axle areas........ (I hope)

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


Once dried the rudder is mounted for fit and the tolerances are very tight through the extreme movement of the rudder travel.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/lcnNb7f.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/6d0Jroq.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Thanks,

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.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/O6bUR5C.jpg[/url]


In this above view you may be able to discern that the stabilizer tapers slightly towards the leading edge.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/BHEUfQ1.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Vertical Stabilizer Assembly

Is pretty much done. Rivets are outsized yeah I know it but they go with the clunky motif of the model.

In the foreground of the image below is the rudder assembly that shows the multiple layers of construction:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/WJBeC0j.jpg[/url]


Rudder mounted and at full right rudder position:

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