6 Foot Long Daedalus Scratch Build Up

[big F]

Just wanted to know what size are the destroids at 1/200 scale ? I have several that are I think 1/200 and if they are would happily donate them to the cause.

Great work by the way.

[MechTech]

UPDATE - MINOR - 18 JULY 2008

First off, thank you to everyone for your support. I'd really love to be working on several other SMALLER projects. The more stuff comes together though, it's worth the wait.

B-52 Gunner - I actually pretested the hull with extra weight on top (6v 12 Amp motorcycle battery) - front hull specifically. The whole thing sits high in the water. My only concern are the big sides acting like sails. Only one way to know... So far the whole front section hanger deck weighs over a pound with the the actuators included. Not bad for something that's about two and a half feet long and a foot wide.

Neptunesurvey - I recently received the parts to make the controller out of - As soon as the front end is done this will be the next project! When - Lord only knows!

Big F - The kits most common in 1/200th are the Nichimimo kits, one of the Arii 1/170 gerwalks, and the Arii Armored valks have perfect sized fast packs for the Nichimo kits. If your still interested, just PM me. Donations are always welcome! Ranger 565 has a couple of Tomahawks he's working on for me. I'm hoping that's going to be enough too.

Here's some pictures of the modified drive and showing it mounted. I like how it takes almost no room. Will it be strong enough when the door's covered? We'll see!

I've got the top and angles skinned so far. back to work... - MT

[Hiriyu]

Man, this is so cool.

[rotorhead]

well, it's better to be too light than too heavy! you can always add ballast later along the centerline down low. that actually may help counter the sail effect quite a bit too.

keep up the amazing work!

[MechTech]

UPDATE - 28 July 2008

Thanks again guys! It's actually starting to look like something other than parts now. A LOT of work went into getting the main hatch to align right, but it ALL paid off! These pictures don't show the work I did tonight aligning it all up.

[attac

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Building the hatch with MOST of the guts (still have more details)

Now we're getting somewhere!

This side is done for the permanent panels. The rest will be removable this side to reveal the interior. NOTE: the lower corners are NOT rounded off yet. That's another day's work. The hatch IS NOT aligned yet in these photos. In fact, the hinge pin is not inserted in one of the hinges. That's what I spent most of tonight doing. See ya later. - MT

[Valkyrie addict]

WOW!!, this thing is massive, how long have you estimate it to take for you to finish it??

Deadalus punch!!!!!

[Fly4victory]

I can only imagine what you are going to do for 1/200 grip stop decking.

Each little part is amazing and that is before the realization that everything is custom made from scratch.

[B-52 GUNNER]

Mechtech,

You need to post this build in the Studio Scale area of www.therpf.com

I'm sure they would be as impressed as we are here.

Keep up the great work.

Scot

[MechTech]

Valkyrie addict - I'm guessing about another year to complete. The hard stuff is nearly done. Everything else except the elevators on the sides will be just plane ole construction minus all the engineering to animate parts.

Fly4victory - Thank you for the compliment! The upper deck will be laser engraved to simulate the tie-downs for aircraft. The ramp anti-skid strips will be black paint for scale thickness. I love scratch building and this thing is sure keeping me busy doing it! It takes a lot of refitting of parts to ensure it all goes together after an assembly. Sometimes not so successfully.

B-52 GUNNER - Thank you as well for the compliment! I'll check out that site, I've never heard of them before. By the way, were you actually a B-52 gunner before the "pepper shot" conversions?

UPDATE 4 Aug 08

Only three pictures, but a lot of work. The pictures were taken in low light, sorry. You can see the carbon fiber skeleton disappearing under the styrene parts now. The main hatch is mostly finished with the corners needing to be cleaned up. The front corner of the hatch has been put on and the corners rounded off to match up with each other. You can see the "teeth" on the doorway frame to align the hatch on closing. Now I don't have to put hinge pins back in every time alignment is needed to add something.

If you remember (or look back), the lower front carbon fiber frame that was visible is now a "styrened over" pointed lip. The hatch aligns nicely with it. I added the big marks to the hatch topside and now I have to cut out a notch to install the mysterious winch looking thing in the door. If this was Star Trek, I'd say it was a deflector shield!?

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I still have a lot of detail work to go on the hatch! That includes the interior spot lights and wiring. By the way, SO FAR the servo mechanism still drives the door open. It sounds like it's really working hard though! I'm still concentrating on lightweight construction! That's it for now. - MT

[valkyriepm]

WOW! I'm really looking forward to see all the interior details. Keep it up!

Martin

[big F]

Im still lovin this thread

[B-52 GUNNER]

B-52 GUNNER - Thank you as well for the compliment! I'll check out that site, I've never heard of them before. By the way, were you actually a B-52 gunner before the "pepper shot" conversions?

No, I use B-52 Gunner as my user name to honor my father who flew on D, F, G, and H model B-52's for 12 years during the 60's and 70's.

I guess I'm more of a Son of a Gun...er.

He did teach me how to make some really cool plaques though.

This is the plaque of the B-52 Tail Gunner.

[MechTech]

Thanks again guys for the encouragement!

B-52 Gunner, that's really cool - both parts! I knew a dude who used to work around B-52's with the radar/vulcan cannon upgrade. He was walking around the flight line one day and had the feeling some one was watching him. He looked up and the 20mm was tracking him everywhere he went!!! He stopped and yelled out, "Can someone safety this thing!!!" They left it on after the mission!

UPDATE 12 AUGUST 08

Now we're getting closer to line art reality. The progress is slow, but there is a lot of detail and measuring. Two notes, the hatch plastic is so thin, you can see through the corners after smoothing them over. Only the super glue is there (visible as lines).

The indents on the front of the hatch on either side towards the middle aren't going to happen. The carbon frame is under there. So I'm going old school and using raised panel lines and black paint to represent them. Plus the structural integrity would be weakend.

Putting the side marks on. A piece of brass channel for spacing/alignment.

Most of the external details applied. The "deflector dish thingy" is sitting in front before gluing on. This was a piece of cut tubing and A LOT of shaping. I tried to wrap some 1/2 round plastic around a tube. It looked wrong and was too heavy, so I went this way.

Nearly complete exterior views - sorry about the lighting.

The lower lip indented to match the hatch. The fit is pretty good over all. Next comes panel lining and cleaning up some corners and scratches. - MT

[big F]

I think its almost time for you to start putting something in the picture that we all know the scale of. Just to re-establish just how huge this thing really is.

[ce25254]

The "deflector dish thingy" is sitting in front before gluing on. This was a piece of cut tubing and A LOT of shaping. I tried to wrap some 1/2 round plastic around a tube.

So you just sanded down the tube surface to make the grooves, or did you do something else to shape it? It looks great!

[Hiriyu]

I think its almost time for you to start putting something in the picture that we all know the scale of. Just to re-establish just how huge this thing really is.

Check out the second pic in MT's update - the bastard file and razor blade are pretty good indicators. That thing is frikken huge!

Great update, MT! Cool anecdote about the 20 too!

[big F]

Check out the second pic in MT's update - the bastard file and razor blade are pretty good indicators. That thing is frikken huge!

Great update, MT! Cool anecdote about the 20 too!

I have the same set at home but I was thinkin theres nothing like a good ole Valk to give it scale, this thing is arround 6 feet in length, and takes up more space in MT's house than he does.

[MechTech]

Thanks guys for the compliments. I'll put something to scale next time around. The funky piece is cut from styrene tube. I cut grooves into it with a saw and then folowed those with various files widening out the grooves. This was the lightest way to go. The motor still opens it - yeah!!! I've got a class this week so I don't know how much time there will be to work. I'm working on the spot lights on the hatch and minor details - almost done with the hatch! - MT

[MechTech]

UPDATE 30 AUG 08

I forgot to place some size comparison objects in these photos - sorry! With the video (someday) I will.

The part I dreaded most is done, the rounded compound corners on the lower side of the hanger deck.

I used some curved and mostly flat 3mm strip with a TON of CA to fill the gaps - then removed so much plastic, I had to sweep the floor four times! It's smooth though!

The hatch is FINALLY finished complete with floodlights too (interpreted from drawings). The connector for them is only 4mm wide!

Entrance way interior detail is completed too...

Does this remind you of anything yet?

The big opening on the port side will remain. Remember, this is a display shelf/model and an R/C ship all in one. That panel will be removable or hinged. I'm still trying to decide. The hatch still opens fine despite the added weight and the actuator was also reinforced long-wise to prevent bowing under the pressure (like it was). I'm trying to decide on detailing the interior first, or wiring up all the actuators in the front end. Until next posting... - MT

[Kamorigis]

Coming along nicely MT.

[big F]

Cool as ever.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Can't find the right words to express how awesome this project is turning out!!

keep up the brilliant work

[B-52 GUNNER]

I want to see a Prometheus to match.

Scot

[RF-26AAC]

I want to see a Prometheus to match.

Scot

In a year we'll have a 30 foot tall SDF-1 storm attacker replica, just watch.

[MechTech]

First off, thanks for the compliments guys. Those of you who think I'm building another Macross vessel this large need to lay off the solvent based glues ! It's taking me a long time. The Promethius would be done by the time my children BOTH graduate college - 20 years from now! The SDF would be completed by the time I retire! By then nobody would know what the heck Macross is (like most people I meet don't anyhow).

UPDATE 13 Sept 08

The external parts of the front half are done minus the top. The top has to come last due to fit, engraving and installing the motorized cranes.

Added the port wall lights (I mistakingly said that wall was done earlier - I decided to add the lights afterward) and the headlights.

Made the two thingies underneath that I have no idea what they are. I doubt they're headlights (got those already). Maybe a weapon or more deflector shields . Anyhow, they were complexed shaped, had to be strong and light, so vacuum forming was the solution.

The rough male mold and best drawing to interpret it

A vacu formed piece Two completed parts (best of the five I made)

Front shot Completed port side Lower 3/4 view

And the "money shot" with comparison So did I miss anything? I've been looking at this for so long now, it's easy to miss something. NOTE - I'm using the lower sketch as my example from the line drawings. It's most accurate and consistent perspective wise.

Also not photographed but made recently, two clips to hold the front hanger deck to the front hull half and tapered angle strips to seal where the two pieces mate. The seal will repel water and improves the appearance. It's visible in the "lower 3/4 port" picture. One item not canon is the small half tube at the center front. It covers the ramp extend/retract drive.

That's it for now. Next I'm working on the inside details. Part model, part diorama, and a lot of electrical work! - MT

[olivers]

Superb work, coming along really nicely. Would love to come along for the 'grand floating', not sure how the ducks will handle it.

Do you have a home made vac form machine? I have always looked at making one but never got round to it, any details would be great.

[MechTech]

My "machine" (more like wooden frames) is home made. Just a box with a lip that two frames with styrene sandwiched between them and bolted together. I use a household vacuum cleaner, nothing special.

I'm on my second unit and built from memory. A search and I found these videos. Scale down from this industrial unit and just heat over the stove/oven and quickly pop it on the box. http://www.imperial-armor.com/videos.html Also search you tube. There are TONS of videos on there about it. - MT

Edited September 14, 2008 by MechTech

[Dante74]

This might very well be the most ambitious Macross home build ever.

When do you think it'll be done?

[Gin]

Thats incredibly impressive. I look forward to seeing more of it as it gets done.

[MechTech]

Thanks guys! I'm pushing for August 09 for TOTAL completion! Most of the engineering bits were in this part up front. The rest will be down hill from here! The only engineering bits left are an overhead crane (one done), Internal doors, and two elevators on the side. They are easy compared to the ramp which took months all by itself! - MT

[TSP]

I'm pushing for August 09 for TOTAL completion!

Thank at least I now know when you need extra freight. Oh, by the way very impressive build.

[carzooyah]

I'm new here and I just read this thread post by post, every single page. This must be the best project I have ever seen! It's simply amazing! August 2009 you say? By the looks of it, the target is very achievable. Kudos on your hard work MechTech! Of course, you might be compelled fill it with loads of 1/200 destroids to really complete it (or at least just the first two ranks to give the illusion that there are many more back there)

Edited September 16, 2008 by carzooyah

[ahiachris]

May I suggest that instead of waiting for the Daedalus to complete and wait again for years until the ship is filled up full of destroids. Why not every member to contribute one built destroid for the Daedalus after its completion?? Mechtech may even creat a wish list.

I believe it will be an awesome sight.

[Knight26]

May I suggest that instead of waiting for the Daedalus to complete and wait again for years until the ship is filled up full of destroids. Why not every member to contribute one built destroid for the Daedalus after its completion?? Mechtech may even creat a wish list.

I believe it will be an awesome sight.

You know I think that is an idea that folks here can get behind, if they can find destroid models small enough, imagine it populated with all custom destroids though, that would rock.

[meninge]

OOOHHH MY GODD!!!!

almost 3 years, waw, Excellent work.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

PLEASE KEEP GOING!!!