NZEOD Posted September 10, 2015 Author Posted September 10, 2015 (edited) Yep... And more on the way... May explore the options of a big screen TV, fridge and bed set up in the Garage/Workshop/Gym as I doubt I'll be leaving it much at night for the next few months. And anybody wanting that Damn TYRELL kit that never should have arrived, PM me. Edited September 10, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
Bolt Posted September 10, 2015 Posted September 10, 2015 Haha ! Ya. A real man cave😉 And I'm looking forward to your progress, very inspirational👍 Quote
NZEOD Posted September 10, 2015 Author Posted September 10, 2015 Actually the Gym in the garage is the Wifes. Shes a Genetics Scientist and Fitness Junkie thats qualified as a trainer. Likes to do stupid things like 100km offroad run events and 40hr Crossfit comps under the trade name "Kims Next Level". So I have to fight her for space. One corner has all my IPSC Target boards, Snow Boards, Gun safes and Mountain Bikes and thats all I got at the moment! Quote
NZEOD Posted September 27, 2015 Author Posted September 27, 2015 (edited) Started work fitting the fiber optics and painting up a bunch of the cockpits this weekend and was a little gutted to find just how many of the Hasegawa kits don't have the pilots/copilots with them. More than I had planned! Waiting on some more Weapons kits for the extra crew now. Edited September 28, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
spanner Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 whoa!! stocked up! this project is gonna be awesome! Cool Tyrrell F1 model too! Quote
NZEOD Posted September 28, 2015 Author Posted September 28, 2015 That Tyrell is an accident. The Japanstore on Amazon sent it in place of a Valk. lol Its free to a good home. Quote
spanner Posted September 29, 2015 Posted September 29, 2015 That Tyrell is an accident. The Japanstore on Amazon sent it in place of a Valk. lol Its free to a good home. well geez! I'll take it! I'll happily pay for the postage costs! Quote
NZEOD Posted September 30, 2015 Author Posted September 30, 2015 do you have any spare 1/72 pilots or left over decals laying round? I'll trade. Quote
NZEOD Posted October 1, 2015 Author Posted October 1, 2015 send me your address and I'll send it anyways. It needs a good home. Quote
MechTech Posted October 2, 2015 Posted October 2, 2015 I was thinking of checking out the Adafruit stuff. I'm working on some museum ideas. This might be the way to go. - MT Quote
NZEOD Posted October 3, 2015 Author Posted October 3, 2015 Saturday night and the first model gets started. Was supposed to be a test model, one of the Bandai throw away VF-1 models, but after poking around through the boxes i liked the look of one of the VF19A's better. All the major assemblies sorted, undercoated and test fitted only. Still need to cement together and sort the seams. As pretty much EVERY one of the 22 models will be a custom I'm thinking this one will be a Lo-Viz Digital or maybe a Hex camo. Quote
spanner Posted October 3, 2015 Posted October 3, 2015 this project simply cannot progress along fast enough! Cant wait to see the custom paint jobs! Quote
NZEOD Posted October 12, 2015 Author Posted October 12, 2015 (edited) So glad I chose to make a test model first! Mistakes made over the weekend include ... Assembling the engine assemlies beyond the point I could fit a small panel... that I forgot to fit! Have a plan to sort that though. Finding out the Tamiya putty sets in zero secs flat and goes like concrete! Letting a run of cement get on the canopy!!! This ones a problem and I may have to polish it out! Spraying Alclad on too high a PSI... its basically looking like matt black paint and not burnt metal at all. Knocking over the $20NZD bottle of uncapped Alclad II Gun Metal while spraying the Hand Cannon. ... idiot. Tamiya TS Spray Can Flat White is crap at covering. Using it on the rear of the Jet Blaster Deflectors and its like water. Instrument display panel decals are bigger than the display they are meant to go on. Brilliant. On a brighter note the its otherwise looking good. Jet Blast deflectors raise and lower nicely and the VF19A is all assembled and awaiting airframe base paint. Edited October 12, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
ce25254 Posted October 13, 2015 Posted October 13, 2015 Don't worry, I made all kinds of mistakes on the battroid that I just finished, including many of the ones you mention. Also including: melting a detail part with spilled liquid glue, letting CA run up into the leg and freezing it. But the result actually looks decent IMO. You may yet be able to make something of this test kit! Quote
NZEOD Posted October 13, 2015 Author Posted October 13, 2015 Oh, I'm not giving up on it. I'll fix all the screw ups. Just thought it was funny the steady hand of the Bomb Technician still makes mistakes! Quote
NZEOD Posted October 14, 2015 Author Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) Last nights Madness Base layer for the Digicam laid down. Model Masters RLM Grun 72 Next was tinting the canopy to represent the Gold Anti Radiation coating... this was interesting. Mixing up some Long Life Floor Acrylic (Kiwi Version Future but with a cloudy appearance as a liquid) with yellow food colouring I flooded the inside of the canopy then wicked off the excess. Next I added 3ml of Model Master Gold and flooded it again with this mix. Worked really well! Ended up with a yellow tint with a golden glint but still totally transparent! Edited October 14, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
ce25254 Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 Worked really well! Ended up with a yellow tint with a golden glint but still totally transparent! Can you post a picture? Quote
Darth Mingus Posted October 15, 2015 Posted October 15, 2015 Have you thought about fiber optics for your cockpits? This guy sells 175 ft of colored fiber optics for 10$ http://www.ebay.com/itm/175ft-25mm-Colored-FIBER-OPTIC-FIBER-for-Sci-fi-Models-etc-FREE-illuminator/261874530429?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D30794%26meid%3D14736cb7513344e8b8d0646a665e4c94%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D2%26sd%3D371303479438 Quote
NZEOD Posted October 15, 2015 Author Posted October 15, 2015 I have some Toslink optic cables I'm slicing up to use. Quote
NZEOD Posted October 18, 2015 Author Posted October 18, 2015 A few more lessons learned over the weekend. 1. Toslink Fibre Optic cable is NOT the one to use as modelling optics. Its a glass based strand same as what we use for direct link comms on the IEDD Robots so I have quite the talent for handling, splicing and repairing these type cables when ever I run over one with the Bomb robot! However.... I hates a tight turn so the confines of a 1/72 model. any tiny nick in the glass surface will become a weak point and will cause the strand to snap at the point from just looking at it! avoiding nicks is INCREDIBLY hard to do when you need to strip off the inner liner. And it loves to break off after being set up, fitted and epoxied into place. I'm sure it possess and evil form of sentience. For modelling, just use the cheaper plastic stuff. 2. After epoxying in Nanopixel Neo LED units make all your solder connections VERY quickly and do one at a time with a break to let the unit cool off. Crystal Clear Epoxy resin appears to melt at a low temp and the Pixel units conduct heat SUPER rapidly! SO the careful epoxy fitting and lens that you make for the Neopixel goes all to hell as you solder - like melted toffee! On a plus note though, it doesn't discolour so you can easily modify the lens while its still soft and repair it with more epoxy without any evidence. The Carrier deck section now has the launch lights fitted and running, the Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) servo fitting and mechanically working - still need to work on programming for this - and the two orange Ramp Raising/Lowering hazard lights fitting and running. I'll try to sort a short video tonight. Quote
NZEOD Posted November 19, 2015 Author Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) So I was slicing up wings on VF-11s to seperate the control surfaces when I thought I'd check out Carrier launch vids while I did it - to get the control surfaces set up right on the displays. Thats when I noticed 2 weird things... No.1... the Rudders on the F/A-18s are set up to go full deflection in and I couldn't work out why this would be. http://theaviationist.com/2009/10/25/f-18-rudders-during-take-off/ The above provides the answer... and if you want to do some accurate modelling of VFs it's semi relevant as they also use angled tail fins. "That position of the rudders is common to all the Hornets, not only those departing from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier: the rudders are deflected to help the nose raising as the aircraft leaves the ship. Since the vertical fins are angled outwards, deflecting both rudders inwards gives a downward component of lift, which acts behind the center of gravity generating a momentum that assists the elevators." Wierd thing no.2... I went looking for Canard fighters on carriers to see if anything was done with the forward planes on launch and found a video of Rafales taking off on the USS Harry S Truman... Most planes go full flaps down to get off a carrier, the Delta wings appear to go full wing controls up (due to no tail so no tail elevator), with leading edges full down and canards fairly neutral. The VF-0D I'm modelling is a Delta... Lesson learnt. One other thing thats a bit of a sticking point for modelling a catapult launch is that they preload the front leg on the catapult. So the plane appears to crouch and is lower at the nose than on a runway takeoff. Its an issue with VFs because of the underslung cannon and the electronics on the Elint model. They are already super low to the ground... But without the preloaded stance they just dont look right... Edited November 19, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
MechTech Posted November 20, 2015 Posted November 20, 2015 Great observations! I didn't know that about the F-18's rudders, but I guessed it right knowing the aerodynamics of it. I'm familiar with the weird things deltas have to do. Our F4D / F-6 at the museum is one of my favorites. We also have the X-32, both of which use "elevons" as control surfaces. The F4D (Ford) also as inboard devices near the engines. I think your display is gonna come out awesome! - MT Quote
Model-Junkie Posted November 20, 2015 Posted November 20, 2015 (edited) Older aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom, A-4 Skyhawk and RA-5C had a nose up attitude on takeoff. Though to be fair, the RA-5C and A-4 had a constant nose up attitude. Edit to add photos Edited November 20, 2015 by Model-Junkie Quote
NZEOD Posted November 22, 2015 Author Posted November 22, 2015 Been raining here and we cant be bothered going Motocrossing so been spending the free time this weekend working on the next one, a VF-11B. Engines are drilled out and fitted with lenses and a Neopixel unit each. Instrument panel has been machined out to just leave the frame only, then the space refilled with clear resin, the dash decal applied and an RGB LED fitted behind the panel to light through it. The Wing Landing lights have been carved out and fitted with a pair of sanded down RGB LEDs in each side. Landing gear has the lacquered wire fitting and a strand running down each leg like a brake line. These will slide into a socket hidden under the Carrier deck and will be how the lighting and effects on the plane are powered and controlled. Nose leg is the Adruino Data In line, left leg is the +5V feed and right leg is the Ground. Lessons learnt... Watch the chuck on a Dremel... if it touched the model it will chew it in the blink of an eye... Watch the amount of heat you apply to a mounted LED... too much and it was deform the models plastic... Watch the damn Soldering Iron tip! It will carve up the models plastic like a Lightsaber!!! All easily fixed luckily. Quote
MechTech Posted November 22, 2015 Posted November 22, 2015 Aw man, I can't tell you how many times becuase of my angle, I missed the Dremmel chuck digging in to my work! It does suck! Hopefully we'll have some pictures soon? - MT Quote
NZEOD Posted November 30, 2015 Author Posted November 30, 2015 I know have 3 of the models wired up and in major assemblies. The last one was the VF-1D and I wish I hadn't picked this one up. I really like it and now want to build a pile of them as UN Navy and UN Marine Growler and Multirole units. Just picked up on one of each of the Hasegawa Weapons Packs so will mess arouns with Targetting and ECM pods for a VF-1G 2 Seater Growler variant and also try out the SUU-23a and GEPOD-30 cannon pods to add some more firepower to one of the 1Ds as a gunship Quote
NZEOD Posted November 30, 2015 Author Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) ....and a courier has just walked into my office with a package for me... its my super rare Two Bobs Decal pack for Casper and his Bandit Ghosts! These things are insanely detailed too!!! They are the USN/Marines F/A-18 Aggressor Squadron with the unique paint jobs. Edited November 30, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
NZEOD Posted December 9, 2015 Author Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) http://smg.photobucket.com/user/slydesigns/slideshow/THEPC Di electric Enamel coated wires for the LED system. Red for 5V, Black for GND and Blue for Data In. They will run down the landing gear legs as "brakelines" and be painted over. They will terminate as pins that will fit into sockets in the Carrier deck. Edited December 9, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
wmkjr Posted December 9, 2015 Posted December 9, 2015 That's all kinds of awesomeness in there! Quote
NZEOD Posted December 9, 2015 Author Posted December 9, 2015 The Neopixels are brilliant to work with as they come mounted on the board ready to go. The board gets trimmed on a dremel slightly so it fits tightly into the nozzle holders on the Hasegawa kits and you get zero light bleed as they are directional LEDs. So all the light is focused forwards and not out to the sides like a conventional 5mm round LED. You also get access to 4K colour so any colour can be displayed. Just type in the RGB codes same as you would in Photoshop and away you go. Next VF will get polished mirrored surfaces on the insides of the jet exhausts to throw more light and more reflections. The one in the photos has an Alclad II matt black finish which was a mistake. Quote
NZEOD Posted December 9, 2015 Author Posted December 9, 2015 (edited) Here is a Super pack nozzle with a shinier Alclad finish. Next to it is a Neopixel Mini LED unit. The lens in the bottom of the nozzle is made with drops of clear Araldite clear 5min epoxy resin. So... the neopixel is a 4K LED, built in microprocessor to handle the commands from the Adruino board, resistors and the circuit board. All in one tiny package. They are also blindingly bright! Some shots of a Nozzle lit up Edited December 9, 2015 by NZEOD Quote
NZEOD Posted December 9, 2015 Author Posted December 9, 2015 I'll sort videos soon. They flicker randomly through a range of similar colour and go from a slow burn to full afterburner and back. Quote
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