Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Thunderhawk

[Blackadder]

The Interminable Thunderhawk Vents

Its not that I have forgotten the Thunderhawk but the tedium of making the vent grills is wearing me down and I needed the Reaver diversion to keep intact what little sanity is left to me.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/REu0C7Z.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/qU5rbLL.jpg[/url]


Bibblebibblebibblebibblebibble.................... ....

[Blackadder]

Vents Finally Done

After a week of knee surgery convalescence I finally got my groove back and finished the vent slats. Not up to my usual standard but they are in a position that I can readily replace them if I get ambitious.

The main gun superstructure should go together quickly now that these labor intense objects are completed.

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

[Tornik]

This is madness. Wonderful, jaw-dropping, glorious madness. I could never accomplish anything like this. Subscribed.

[Blackadder]

Welcome aboard and thanks,

Superstructure Continues:

If there is a roundabout way to do things leave it to the Blackadder to pursue that course.

The superstructure seems a straightforward trapezoidal structure with nothing out of the ordinary to complicate building it until I decided the perpendicular sides should cant in a few degrees at the top and the three armour plates on either side likewise. This adds a taper to the structure's sides much as the columns curve slightly on the Parthenon to give a better illusion of straightness. Were the sides perfectly perpendicular they would appear to flair at the top.

I also changed the angle of the rear vent panel because my T'hawk is much longer than the original and therefore can be more streamline...... (? Really, Streamline?)

The overall effect is longer, lower and wider than the FW model and even the 3D rendering is slightly blockier.

I hope I don't come to regret these departures.........


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



[url]http://i.imgur.com/d9Ekz6j.jpg[/url]

[bloodangel 83]

Nice work so far. Keep it up and i'm following this build till u finish. Charlie

[Blackadder]

Thanks,

Simple Trunnion Mount for Cannon

For those of us with childish bents that have to have moving parts on their models a simple trunnion mount for the main cannon on the T'hawk.

Starting with a reinforced 7/16 tube with an 3/8 tube sleeve inserted for strength I bored a 3/16th diameter hole through the exact dead center of the tube to mount the barrel core.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/DzsSh0s.jpg[/url]


Using 2 x 6 mm scrap strips for the trunnion mounts in the superstructure clamped in place with clothes pins overnight gave me a strong base to mount the trunnions.

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


With the barrel mount trunnions in place in the slot I'm ready to seal the forward end of the mount to capture the elevation assembly for a simple and effective cannon mount elevation system.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/jfO9HW2.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

Green Stuff, Certainly Not!

When I make a bad seam as I have just done I feel its important to demonstrate how I remedy the mistake.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/FXw7EYx.jpg[/url]


Now Green Stuff I understand is unreasonable costly and I have never purchased a tube and styrene is readily repairable; first I clean the bad seam so an inlay can be inserted:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/rusfoJ5.jpg[/url]


I then take a wisp of scrap styrene (Sorry for the blurred image) and slide it into the seam:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/aq8pTx2.jpg[/url]


Apply a drop of liquid styrene cement (I use Ambroid ProWeld Thin Cement) and allow to dry for a minute.

File off the excess and you're done:

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

[Blackadder]

Range Finder Component

I guess the rectangular box on top of the superstructure is some sort of range finder and since the ones included with the sponson mounted lascannons on the Landraider are physically too small I had to scratch a larger one.

Fortunately the Leman Russ fenders are approximately the size required so I used the smallest for the 'Finder.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/diH9vs8.jpg[/url]


I used a Jerry can for the interior and a set of binoculars for the range lenses and am dressing the skin to simulate the surface of the item in the 3D image below

[url]http://i.imgur.com/FXw7EYx.jpg[/url]

[Blackadder]

The Risk of Too Much Coverage

The Main gun superstructure was surprisingly easy to build considering how much I put off building it......... Jeez Blackadder that main cannon looks awfully tiny?

Right now the above wing armour is sketched in which should give a bit of a boost to the verisimilitude of the project.

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

[Blackadder]

Hull Armour

Heavier and Heavier, this model has slabs of simulated armour that causes serious doubt on the ability to actually remain in the air. Engines powerful as they may be eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. Slabs of armour 4 cm thick and covering 10's of square meters of coverage. That said the new armour surely looks cool.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/ey73N3i.jpg[/url]


I vacillate on liking this model to incredulity whether it has any chance of airworthiness

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