Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Thunderhawk

[bloodangel 83]

Keep up the great work on this monster of a growing beast. Are you leaving the lights white or will you add some colour lights as well

[Blackadder]

Thanks for the reply,

How Not To Build a Thunderhawk:

Or at least How Not To Make the Same Mistakes I Did

Below is my solution to mount the craft on a pedestal base using 1/2 inch rods to provide relatively innocuous levity.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/qupV6A4.jpg[/url]


The problem being I have to do all this work inside out without damaging the already finished exterior. It pays to plan ahead.....

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


After drilling an oversized hole I glued in a sleeve to receive the transparent rod. As an added refinement I plan now to finish the upper gallery with Lighting and Space Marines ready to deploy; all this accomplished in the inside out manner previously mentioned. Heh, heh, heh! (He laughs maniacally.......)

The rest of the images probably need no explanation as it just duplicates forward the work described above.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/GOslGZ4.jpg[/url]


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


[url]http://i.imgur.com/3e6O9nd.jpg[/url]


However there is one more surprise in store for followers of these interminable thread addenda Heh,heh.heh!

[Psychosplodge]

Nice lighting. I'd have glued the doors shut so as not to have to think about the interior

[Blackadder]

Cure For a Rainy Day:

OMG every thing is coming up Roses. Purists may baulk at a Thunderhawk Transport carrying a Landraider but I've wanted this every since I first laid eyes on a T'hawk. The shape of the fwd cargo compartment fairly screams for that configuration. Since my T'hawk is so much larger than the basic FW version it can easily fit a Landraider in the notch space between the wings.

[url=http://i.imgur.com/4ltc13W.jpg]http://i.imgur.com/4ltc13W.jpg[/url]


Finally the center of balance for the model is right where the transparent rod pierces the Landraider forward turret so everything is falling into place with a minimum of alteration to the APC just a 1/2 inch hole aft of the bulkhead. Tada!

Martini Time Skoal!

[Psychosplodge]

That looks brilliant. So is it bigger than the FW transporter version?

[Blackadder]

I've got no specs on a Transporter but my bird is about eight inches longer than the FW Thunderhawk and the wing span is a good six inches wider so it's safe to say it exceeds the Transporter by a few inches as well. I built the craft with the carrying capability as I wanted a true scale representative of the class. This is not without president in the aviation industry where the initial model of the aircraft is stretched and more powerful engines are developed witness the evolution of the B747 to a double deck configuration by extending the guppy to the tail and also increasing the length so by increasing the passenger carrying capability by almost double.

[url]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-bweBQDEBX8/maxresdefault.jpg[/url]

Best Laid Plans:

Oft time Gang aft agley"......... Brought My T'hawk to a show last week and on returning home in the wee hours put it on a shelf for a couple of days.

I finally got around to getting the interior of the cargo compartment sorted out and began the retro fitting of the inner walls when I discovered one of the Ball turrets missing????? well for the past couple of days I've torn my workshop apart and traced all my steps repeatedly to no avail, it's just gone so, biting the bullet, I resigned myself to making another one using the remaining one for a guide;

[url]http://i.imgur.com/eB8R5ZR.jpg[/url]


What infernal luck.... and I was going to glue the turret mounts in place too just this past week.

[bloodangel 83]

Keep up the great work.

[Blackadder]

You Can't Go Home Again:

Well for what it's worth I've tried to duplicate my work of last year but the inspiration seems sorely lacking. Whilst this is a reasonable facsimile it cannot match the caliber of the original.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/QlH2QZ4.jpg[/url]


I'm about to apply the finishing detail but this is at best a tawdry effort.

I still hold out hope for finding the original.

[Blackadder]

Ready to Paint...........

Finally

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

[Blackadder]

First Assembly:

The New Ball Turret mounted in place with the interior walls . Rear cargo bay bulkhead does not fit well at all. Ceiling locking panel functions well. In all for a first assembly I am quite pleased.

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



Exterior port side view of Ball Turret (original)looks okay but interior ceiling is pushing down on canard wing root so it has dihedral. Needs to be adjusted.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/a1mMAUO.jpg[/url]


Starboard side (new) ball turret functions well but is not of the same quality as the original .

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



Closeup reveals crudeness of work. My heart wasn't into making this replacement for the missing ball turret, I still hold out hopes of finding it.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/hG6kcWM.jpg[/url]



The original ball turret is so much better.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/59MPZrJ.jpg[/url]


Hey I can take a selfie with this camera, I don't know what I did to do this but in view of the image I'm not likely to do it again. ..... The Blackadder is looking old.

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


Showing where the rework lies.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/x3EsfvS.jpg[/url]


Likewise on the right side and the Interior walls look too bare.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/o2SbPsq.jpg[/url]


Exterior bottom view

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


Hope I didn't damage your computer with the selfie. Ha!