Banshee Build

[Belakor]

... and Imnotahero florist foam definatly won't work for just about any project because of it being so soft, yes you could scuplt it but it would'nt be able to have any pressure put on it.

Actually that's not entirely correct, florists foam is actually really good for projects. NZ-TK uses it in some of his stuff, from memory some of his EOD was sculpted out of florists foam and coated with bondo. You can also vac bondo covered foam.

 

[Chevysrule]

You are welcome (again) Nintendude. I was wondering, are you planning on releasing the final pep for download?

 

[Strankyman]

The pep files are looking great! I'm looking forward to how you decide to create this beast

Stranky

 

[Nintendude]

Thanks for the tip Belakor I guess I did'nt know everything about florist foam like using bondo on it. Yes Chevysrule when the pep file is finished I will release it but I can already tell you it will come to over 300 pages and I still plan on breaking it into 4 sections for each wing, the top and the part your body lays on.

BTW: If you guys want it here is a Ghost model at about 250mm high and 487mm wide already unfolded so enjoy.

http://www.4shared.com/file/161803850/2e043e1e/Halo_Ghost.html

 

[sirblood]

I would be tempted to just use construction foam for a lot of this build. Its not all that expensive and its rather easy to work with. A dremel will carve out areas quickly with a cutting attachment and a plane sander would work good also. A couple coats of clear enamel before you try to add any Bondo or fiber glassing would be a good idea also.



For maximum strength on the wing supports, I would suggest using a solid wood frame like 2 x 10 for the actual wings and internally attach them together to give the whole thing support. I would build the wings 1st and attach them to the biggest baddest piece of PVC you can find for the tips.



Once you get the skeleton frame up for the wings, then you could start looking at shaping them more properly. Some might say you should shape them before you assemble them... but seriously you would have to constantly hold them up to see how good they look anyhow. Get them to a close approximation I could see that after that an electric plane sander would shape them fairly easy if you use a very gritty sandpaper.



The wings are going to hold the bulk of this things weight, even if you manage to find a way to suspend it in the air, eventually you will need to transport it and having the most solid wings you can engineer wouldn't be a bad idea. I could see it now, you get it all built and have to transport it on a flatbed car trailer... you decide not to use a tarp to cover it and cause like 100 accidents from the stares...



You may want to fabricate some attachment points on it for things like aerial suspension or for mounting removable wheels under it.



For the canopy, you might look at using those dome skylight window covers you can buy at many hardware stores. It might be a little more expensive to go that way but if you attach 2 of them together they should be approximately the right size already.



Using cardstock for a much smaller scale model would be the only way I would go about using cardstock. You would have an unimaginable amount of warp-age if you build the large pieces out of cardstock. The wings for instance... they would bow down something fierce. You would almost have to build them 1st then attach them to have a chance of not warping them. You would go through like 1000 pages of simple reinforcements to reinforce this beast.



Al alternative method to using wood would be to use heavy duty PVC. A little work and you could get a full sized skeleton up.

 

[ForgedReclaimer]

They also say lawn mowers cant fly... BUT THEY CAN. back on track, you could get her flying, you never know? this looks like its going to be epic, cant wait to see what the result is.













im fairly sure it would be possible to make a Covenant Cruiser or CARRIER fly, use clear plastic wings. like the 3d rep i made. lol your project got my brain thinking . the canards would be the only Moving control surface.

now that you have me thinking i think that most covenant craft can be made to fly (banshee, ghost, specter not so much) seraph fighters and other ships are very stream line and smooth, the seraph would be easy because of its large flat surface area, it could be made to fly much like the B-2 Spirit bomber of today Spirit .

 

[jks soccer]

@ nintendude...

AWESOME ghost, Ive been looking all over the place for one and other halo vehicles. The only good looking ones that I've found until now are the hornet and the pelican.



@ ForgedReclaimer...

Do you have any files of covenant/halo 3 vehicles or ships? I'd love to get my hands on more... but this flying idea may look like we could get it to work if we do it just right.

 

[Nintendude]

@ nintendude...

AWESOME ghost, Ive been looking all over the place for one and other halo vehicles. The only good looking ones that I've found until now are the hornet and the pelican.



@ ForgedReclaimer...

Do you have any files of covenant/halo 3 vehicles or ships? I'd love to get my hands on more... but this flying idea may look like we could get it to work if we do it just right.

Actually I have more Covenant and UNSC files than just the Banshee and Ghost you name it I got it besides the Space things like the Spirit Of Fire I don't have it anymore. On the UNSC side I think I have em all just haven't gotten around to the pepping yet. My next pep file after I make the small version of the Banshee which it's textured as well up on the first page but not peped yet then I'll do the Wraith or Scarab for the Covenant.

 

[jks soccer]

you wouldnt mind posting or sending me all of those would you?

 

[Nintendude]

I will be posting them in time still working on a few but I will release them all at once the Ghost was only a glimpse of what I have.

 

[ADOR]

Take a look at this.

http://www.rqriley.com/frp-foam.htm



This will give you a good idea on making large objects with foam. Also hovercraft sights/groups are good resources on this. This type of composite construction is strong and light. Also look up "hotwire" you use it to rough shape the foam blocks also "vacuum bagging" . This is how some of the first corvette bodies were done.

 

[Nintendude]

Actually I've been thinking about this and buying up a lot of blue foam board to carve out and sand the parts of the Banshee but this is something that right now is in the current planning stages as I have already bought PVC tubing and chicken wire for use as a possibility. I will be building this in the springtime when it starts to warm up because it is too cold right now to go outside and work on this money won't be a problem as I am planning to do this right after taxes come in.

 

[CommanderFluffy]

any covie ship can be made into an unusual blimp and fly that around lol

 

[Nintendude]

tempting to have covenant blimp floating around but I won't even touch that one. I'm just going to wait till my taxes come in and this Banshee is so happening.

 

[CommanderFluffy]

if i could build the covie blimp the ms's would have it in the air every day!

 

[Chernobyl]

I'd honestly go with chicken wire and a lot of foam skinning, personally. It'd end up a lot more durable in the long run if you used a few decent layers of the meshing, and it'd leave things light enough for you to handle transportation.



I look forward to seeing more of this!

 

[kolinrulz]

enough babbleing get building!

 

[ImaGonnaGetYou]

Don't use pepakura as a base for your build. You can make a scale model to help you, but it's really just a useless idea to waste that much cardstock and the unimaginable amount of resin.



True building the base from wood or foam, and use pepakura for small details you won't want to make with foam or other available materials, and have some silicone rubber on hand in case there are details that are the same and used more than once.



Good luck on the build, but do some research on your building materials to get a good balance of speed*, durability, and cost.



*by speed I mean speed of forming it, not actual flight

 

[Nintendude]

This is only a rough draft from a top view of how where you see lines I plan on using the PVC tubing which will be very small size tubing and I may use large dowel rods as a possibility as well then, pardon my microsoft paint artwork but this was just something I drew from my mind as a sketch when I go into my 3D software I'll use some pictures for refrence and make a wireframe model of how I will be putting the tubing together. I still plan on making a side and bottom view using lines as a draft before I go into it with 3D wireframing to get the basis down on the construction.

 

[Boba Fett]

I think that the chicken wire idea has merit. String it on the pvc, and then go over it. a 1/1 banshee... this is gonna be frickin sweet!