Builds By Baz - Full scale MKII Colonial Viper

[ReClaimer8015]

Well, I have nothing against changes and progress, but they were outright pandering to all sides. The younger audience and the nostalgia plagued old fans.

But they became inconsistent and illogical - in a universe which has facettes of fantasy more than being actual realistic, hard scifi. Emo Kylo and the Mary Sue problem was just icing on the cake.

 

[Sean Anwalt]

Poison icing on a cake of dogsh..... maybe we should start a thread about how bad disney sucks...

But that would be against the ideals of the 405th...

Ugh. Nvm.

 

[ReClaimer8015]

What have i started?!
Seems like I am thread derailer myself now!

I will give the thread back into the (jet slightly damaged) hands of Sandbagger where it belongs. Progress is awesome, the viper looks better from day to day!

Edit: Sean Anwalt Might PM me if you want to continue this gossip about bad corporations ruining everything.....

 

[Lieutenant Jaku]

drat I missed the ranting party

 

[BuildsByBaz]

 

[Dirtdives2424]

Perhaps the intake vents are more akin to ram-scoops that absorb interstellar matter and convert it to energy? They should close during battle conditions to prevent larger matter like debris that would damage the ship.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

For now, I'm going to try making them as fitted radial louvres and see how I feel about it. If I don't like it, I will make the intakes spinning fans.

To create the angle I have screwed some large wood screws into the timber behind the blades, using them as elevation gauges and a stop to set the height, then screwed down the trailing edge of each blade. Later, I'll paint the backing board a mat black, so it looks like you are looking into a dark engine cavity through the gaps in the louvres. Subject to change of course. Let's see what happens.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Taking shape. Now to cut the middle out of the leading edge former.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Not happy with the intakes.

I tried it. I don’t like it. I remade it.

A spinning fan, when stationary, looks pretty much the same, so I grabbed an old pedestal fan motor and re-made the fan with oversized and overlapping blades this time. I have to source some thrust-bearings to square up the fan-plate and take the wobble out of it, but it is symmetrical, balanced and looks great in motion.

The fan has to go inside the ship’s fuselage just behind the cockpit, but that’s really no biggie. Even some of our modern day aircraft, like the Harrier Jump Jet have a similar design. I cut a slot in the side to allow for the fan.

Full story on the engines here.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

So will you have the throttle in the cockpit controlling this?

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Not too many spoilers just yet mate.

Baz

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Update:

Modular breakdown of the engine nacelles. The engines are 2.41 metres, even before the exhaust goes on the end, so I’ve decided to break them in half for ease of storage, transport and assembly on site. Today I got the first half of the port nacelle framed up and formers spaced apart.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

 

[BuildsByBaz]

The race against time!

Once you open a can of this stuff, you have to use it all in one go or risk it going off in the can, or leaking propellant so you end up with a can of glue and nothing to push it out. It's amazing how solid and rigid the structure becomes with all the polystyrene glued in place. I also reinforced it by gluing in a double wall behind the skin once it set. Ready for sanding.

 

[mkshane81]

This has been a pretty fun build to watch Barry, awesome stuff buddy!

-Matt

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Thanks Matt.

Welding engine frames continued.

My fortnightly Saturday off to work on the project has been building up. Friday afternoon I picked up all the steel to finish the engine frames.

I had to settle for galvanised steel as they were out of stock of the plain blue painted. I hate gal. Been poisoned badly before, welding this ****. Lots of extra grinding of the joints prior to welding to reduce it. Window and shed door wide open, fan on full blast…let’s get this over with.

 

[Dirtdives2424]

OH yes, the trials and tribulations of wielding Gal......we've all been there......

 

[whtknght]

I am Impressed.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Starboard engine nacelle.

 

[BuildsByBaz]

Another big day of Viper building coming up on Saturday. I'm hoping to get the second half of engine two welded up and assembled. I will be pushing myself to work out the attachment points for the undercarriage, then mount the engines once the weight is supported. Ambitious. Lord keep the enemy from standing in my way!