Custom Durandal VF-31-ish

[Bobby]

Here's a YF-29 Durandal that I modded shooting for a new Delta's VF-31 kinda look. Here's a color corrected pic I based it off of:

I bought the YF-29 used off of here and the central linking hinge beneath the canopy body was cracked and broke in half after just a few transformations

Bummer. It had to be repaired and it had lost it's resale value. I shaped a piece of aluminum and after fitting it with tiny washers it was actually good as new (if not stronger)

I got the bug to keep going however so this seemingly negative incident turned into the opportunity to mod it. I know the result isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed doing it. First, I had recalled seeing this in a display online

I liked what I saw and adjusted the colors on another display to this

From here I thought I would try it. I used all existing parts, so in essence it was just a re-arranging of planes and parts (with some elimination of excess).

front

back

action

front

gerwalk back

What I was impressed by the original design was the consistent use of acute angles being all within 3-5 degrees of each other all throughout the airfoil pieces. The wings, rudders, canards, etc. all partake in a healthy share of similar acute and obtuse angles to create all corner edges of the various surfaces.

This consistency of angles made transitioning them to other parts of the plane a much easier task.

What I particularly like is that the wings still retract in and out like on the original (but without the engines) and has some VF-19 sweeping movement

So there you have it, when your valk breaks and you venture out to fix it knowing it's value's been compromised, being optimistic and doing something about it can help cuz I went from not liking it (when broken) to really enjoying it (when fixed).

[barurutor]

Great work! To me it looks a lot nicer now than the original 29.

[wmkjr]

Pretty cool custom!

[MechTech]

Great machining job and paint job! - MT

[Kelsain]

Looks slick!

[mechaninac]

That's one hell of a way to make lemonade... Bravo; you made it look like it was always meant to look that way... a production version VF-29.

[Bobby]

I got a message requesting more specifics on this mod. I figured I might as well post the pic I made as a reference in case anyone else was curious.

7-Step Summary

i. Remove Rudder A/B w/dremel (leave hinging portion so there is no gap). File/sand everything smooth.

ii. Separate B from A w/knife or dremel. File/sand smooth.

iii. Remove C and D from wing (separate C parts from each other, D will fall out, use dremel to remove plastic peg that C rotated on and file/sand smooth)

iv. Fasten A (plastic weld or super glue) to existing wing (make sure you sanded an angle that matches the existing wing).

v. Weld/glue D and B together to form new rudder and weld/glue new rudder right before wing joint towards the rear.

vi. Swap E with each other so they are facing the opposite direction or leave it off.

vii. Use 91% alcohol to remove F tiger stripes and G yellow/orange line/logo markings

As a general rule, always have as smooth/flat surfaces as possible before mating any pieces together for a strong, secure bond.

Once complete, it still fits in the foam insert in the box and the wings still extend in and out. The only thing that's fixed are the rudders but a hinge modification could be possible.