6 Foot Long Daedalus Scratch Build Up

[MechTech]

TESTING UPDATE 27 MAR 07

Here's a couple of measurement and test shots. Remember, the side will open to reveal the decks.

[attachmentid=41508] [attachmentid=41509] Oh yeah, the entry way is 6 inches high. Overall height is 8" roughly.

I'm still waiting on the carbon fiber I ordered. I only have four lengths, enough to do nothing with yet . - MT

Edited March 27, 2007 by MechTech

[do not disturb]

i haven't checked this thread in a while and look at all i missed. archors, torpedos, even a little destroid and valk. things seem to be coming along very nicely.

[JEXPRIME]

cool!!!

[Greyryder]

Please sir, can I 'ave some more?

[MechTech]

OK, SORRY no updates. I'm having serious issues with the height dimensions for the hanger deck area (outside dimensions) and getting on the computer to do the drawings and check my calculations. Gotta keep the wife happy and share the computer with her too! It's either going to be 7.5" or 8.25." The latter gives it a full third deck for maintenance in the drawings, the first looks better! Stupid anime magic! - MT

[IAD]

Could you clip 0.375" height off each of the other two decks, so that you have both the maintanance deck, AND the shorter height?

(Not the best approach scale/accuracy-wise, but perhaps a reasonable compromise?)

~Luke

[MechTech]

You guys be the judge. The attached shows the correct heights and EXACT destroid dimensions to the models. You can see there is not much room. A super valk just fits in the smaller lower deck areas. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome (thanks IAD). - MT [attachmentid=42250]

[MechTech]

Alright guys, I've been working on it tonight. Here's what I've pretty much settled on. Feedback is more than welcome!

[attachmentid=42253] Deck heights (all mecha to exact scale)

[attachmentid=42254] How she should look from the side with a hanger deck 8.25" high!

The lowest deck at 2" will still accomodate mostly assembled mecha for repair and full aircraft. - MT

[chrono]

The 8.25" size is more in line with the concept art because of the angle of the front cover being more correct. It would also allow you to have more leeway with the shown floor's thickness(which i see as about 8-10' thick).

IMO!

[IAD]

Looks good to me!

~Luke

[jardann]

I like the 8.25" height as well. I think it really does look more correct in profile and more realistic interior room for the mecha.

Awesome work man!

[MechTech]

Thanks guys for the input and positive comments! I've measured every drawing I can find and of course they all vary. Most line art just isn't meant to be "geeked out" and taken seriously (too late now!). I AM going with the 8.25" height. That means after putting it off for a month, I can start cutting stuff and gluing again. Time to get the resperator out for the carbon fiber... - MT

[valkyriepm]

Oh man! This is where the fun begins! This is going to be awesome.

Martin

[MechTech]

Thanks Martin. It's fun now I know what the heck size to make everything in! It doesn't look like much, but here's the parts to make 4 cross sections from today's work. The black graphite parts fit fairly snug over the fiberglass square peices. Add some 2-Ton epoxy and it should be rock solid. There is hardly any flex in the 12" (longest) sections. Carbon graphite is awesome stuff. No wonder they make planes out of it! The squares are there because the bottom corners will be rounded and the top corners with a 45 degree bevel. There's not enough meat left if I just glued the two corners together. I'll confess something, I cut all the slots to fit over the square, and forgot that only one side needs to go over all the way. So now the side will have a gap. That's no big deal though because I have carbon dowel to fit snugly in there. There shouldn't be any problems with strength either. Here's one cross section loosly fitted over my "plan." - MT

[attachmentid=42281] What parts I've machined so far...

[MechTech]

In case anyone cares, here's what I have for plans so far. - MT

[Hiriyu]

Damn, Skippy!

I must reiterate: You, Sir, are a madman, but a madman of the highest order nonetheless. Great stuff.

[isamu_dyson]

cant wait to see the the pictures of the construction

[MechTech]

Thanks guys. I'm still drawing out the plans for the decks and other details. If I would have planned this good when making the lower hull, I wouldn't have changed the bow sections so many times!

Here's a line drawing comparison with the original. The original is missing tons of detail and was drawn small and not with accuarcy (note how badly the lines slant on the top deck). Talk to yo guys later. - MT

[MilSpex]

You`ve done really well so far considering the lack of source material. Please keep the updates coming! Love this thread.

[neptunesurvey]

I still think you should add launch rails and shot off some radio controlled 1/200 Valkyries.

[MechTech]

Thanks MilSpex. I'm working on it. Neptunesurvey, I found the perfect thing:

http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=fire...20&aff=1272

and a new body for it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PICOOZ-SEA-KING-BODY-K...VQQcmdZViewItem

I went and bought more carbon fiber today with my little son and we both thought it would be cool. It WILL fly on/off the deck no sweat! - MT

[do not disturb]

Thanks MilSpex. I'm working on it. Neptunesurvey, I found the perfect thing:

http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=fire...20&aff=1272

and a new body for it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PICOOZ-SEA-KING-BODY-K...VQQcmdZViewItem

I went and bought more carbon fiber today with my little son and we both thought it would be cool. It WILL fly on/off the deck no sweat! - MT

i have the picco z helicpotor, it doesn't do much but its still pretty fun to play with.

i would suggest shopping around a bit, i paid $25 shipped for mine and i still paid too much.

[MechTech]

Thanks for the advice. I'm also thinking of one of the counter rotating blade models. They're very stable. - MT

[Hiriyu]

Not to derail your thread, but I've got a couple of the little co-ax Dragonfly King type copters. They are very stable, and lots of fun to play with - though beware, they won't work too well out of doors. Any little gust, even a draft from a fan in another room is enough to send them swooping out of control

[MilSpex]

Thanks MilSpex. I'm working on it. Neptunesurvey, I found the perfect thing:

http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=fire...20&aff=1272

and a new body for it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PICOOZ-SEA-KING-BODY-K...VQQcmdZViewItem

I went and bought more carbon fiber today with my little son and we both thought it would be cool. It WILL fly on/off the deck no sweat! - MT

You`re welcome. Much respect.

Wow, your project gets cooler every post.

Any chance of a Siokorvsky Comanchero or Sea Sergeant customs? I remember seeing line art for at least one of them in the old Robotech RPG manuals which were reprinted from some Macross source material (dont know what book exactly but probably Perfect Memory(?)

If you`re not familiar with the line art, a UN Spacy helo appeared in the first episode of Macross (Macross Special) were it was ambushed from the sea around the Island by regults. I think they resemble Soviet helicopters more than stuff like the Sea King (hence the "Siokorvsky" make) so I dont know if theres any Hind body kits around but I think thats what you should aim for ideally.

Edited May 19, 2007 by MilSpex

[MechTech]

Hiriyu, thanks. I've been looking to get one for a while. I saw the original Norweigan designer fly his a year ago and said, "yeah, I'm getting one of those"! It would be indoors anyhow. Mine would get shot down by a bird. I had just got an ornithopter for Christmas one year and a Falconcame down out of nowhere and snapped the wing in half! Lesson learned!

MilSpex, don't think I haven't thought about it. In the back of my mind I'm throwing around sculpting one to make copies for the ship. Any amphib ship worth it's weight has helos on board! A flying one on mine wouldbe that much better. Maybe just a profile one, not built up like that sea king. Too much weight.

OH YEAH, I forgot, pictures of four bulkheads coming Sunday or Monday. The epoxy is curing now. I spent the day measuring and machining the rest of the parts for them. It's disappointing when you see them how plain they look after all the work, but they're precise and all parts fit well; not to mention how strong and light they are. - MT

Edited May 19, 2007 by MechTech

[Hiriyu]

...Mine would get shot down by a bird. I had just got an ornithopter for Christmas one year and a Falcon came down out of nowhere and snapped the wing in half! Lesson learned!

- MT

Aww, man, sorry for your loss, but that is just TOO funny. Sounds like something that would happen to me.

[MechTech]

Hiriyu, actually it was funny, but it scared the snot out of me when it happened. Falcons are quiet!

UPDATE 20 May 07

Alright, nothing very spectacular looking, but a lot of precision tooling and gluing to make what you see.

The first photo is of the parts partially glued up and all the parts machined together. Note the holes in the sides of the frames. These are where carbon dowels will go through and support frame additions.

[attachmentid=42591] Sorry the photo is overexposed. This camera hates indoor lighting. Note the 1/8" thick fiberglass squares glued already into the ends. The dowel bits go into the edges of the shorter bits and reinforce them.

[attachmentid=42592] Glued up bulkhead frames. These will have parts attached to them later to make decks and walls. Doesn't look like much, but it will with time. - MT

[big F]

I had just got an ornithopter for Christmas one year and a Falcon came down out of nowhere and snapped the wing in half! Lesson learned!

How odd I was looking at buying one about 20 mins ago.

Oh and we have falcons too. The only way you know they are arround is when the scream at each other or all the Pigeons and other birds go quiet. Falcon cam

Edited May 21, 2007 by big F

[MechTech]

If it's the one with the hollow birdlike body, they fly great. Just be prepared to wind like crazy. The Falcon cam is cool too. Looks blurred like it was raining, or the falcons wanted privacy . - MT

[MechTech]

UPDATE 27 MAY 07

The bulkhead frames are ready to glue up now. You can see where each deck will attach too. Note the holes in some beams and rounded, notched corners at the bottom of the bulkheads. They also have a 1cm angle on the tops.

[attachmentid=42699] The glued up bulkhead spars.

[attachmentid=42700] Lower corners rounded and clamped to check lengths between bulkheads.

[attachmentid=42701]

[attachmentid=42703] In the front bulkhead suppport you can see the stall area and catwalk supports.

[attachmentid=42704] Here's the finished supports with flat corners and rounded/slotted lower corners. The white thing is a 1/4 diameter section with carbon fiber tube. This is what connects the lower support sections.

[attachmentid=42705] So like how big is this thing? Tomahawk height to scale in the decks heights.

I'm hoping to actually finish the center sections and glue the thing together this week. - MT

[cool8or]

Looks great!!!

[isamu_dyson]

splendid !!

can't wait to see this with decks on

[Berttt]

Hey Mech Tech this is coming along nicely. Though I don't envy the job of building all those destroids.

[neptunesurvey]

Well you have the bow open up?