Builds By Baz - Full scale MKII Colonial Viper
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BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
It's been a while.
After a massive purge of social media and extraneous hobbies, I've been able to focus on the Viper.
I've taken the port wing off, put the Viper up on it's dolly trolleys and now it pushed around the shed at the slightest touch. The starboard wing is now fabricated and waiting for a block of time where I can do the final shaping and sanding on it. I've also got the starboard wing on saw horses, where I can concurrently shape and sand it's underside.
The landing gear has got a fresh primer coat on it, as the bare steel was starting to flash-rust.
The rest of the ship has been filled in with loose/broken panels, gaps and alignments and sanded in readiness for fibreglassing. All the fibreglassing materials are now here.
I drilled the 30mm bore in each cannon end and mounted the second cannon. This week I have also been working late nights on electrical and lighting. There is a new 80 amp power supply in the back end to run all the studio and sub woofer speakers in the engine nacelles, as well as the motor drive for the turbines and the lighting in the rear thrusters.
Cockpit instruments are all retro-fit with LED lighting to the instruments.
I reckon between kids and job, I am a mere few weeks away from fibreglassing the hull.
I'm mostly on Facebook with the WIP now, so come and say hello. Log into Facebook
Back to it.
Cheers, Baz.
After a massive purge of social media and extraneous hobbies, I've been able to focus on the Viper.
I've taken the port wing off, put the Viper up on it's dolly trolleys and now it pushed around the shed at the slightest touch. The starboard wing is now fabricated and waiting for a block of time where I can do the final shaping and sanding on it. I've also got the starboard wing on saw horses, where I can concurrently shape and sand it's underside.
The landing gear has got a fresh primer coat on it, as the bare steel was starting to flash-rust.
The rest of the ship has been filled in with loose/broken panels, gaps and alignments and sanded in readiness for fibreglassing. All the fibreglassing materials are now here.
I drilled the 30mm bore in each cannon end and mounted the second cannon. This week I have also been working late nights on electrical and lighting. There is a new 80 amp power supply in the back end to run all the studio and sub woofer speakers in the engine nacelles, as well as the motor drive for the turbines and the lighting in the rear thrusters.
Cockpit instruments are all retro-fit with LED lighting to the instruments.
I reckon between kids and job, I am a mere few weeks away from fibreglassing the hull.
I'm mostly on Facebook with the WIP now, so come and say hello. Log into Facebook
Back to it.
Cheers, Baz.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Here's a video.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Sean Anwalt
Sr Member
- Member DIN
- S530
That is amazing Baz!!!
SpecOpsSpartan
Member
Nice work!!!! This is a dream come true. I loved the show and the ships of Battlestar Galactica especially the Vipers. Can't wait to see it complete.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Finally got around to updating the website.
www.buildsbybaz.com
Engine Lighting and sound.
Wednesday, 17Aug2022 After constant tweaking and fault-finding to find every tiny rattle and tap, I got all of the turbines, drive shafts and bearings running smoothly. It was time to add the light…
www.buildsbybaz.com
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Updated wings progress.
www.buildsbybaz.com
Facebook for those that use it. Log into Facebook
Wings.
12 August 2021 Canberra just went into COVID lockdown today, so I guess I’ll have some time to work on the wings. Good thing I measured the shed out right. I’ve got some vehicle dollys …
www.buildsbybaz.com
Facebook for those that use it. Log into Facebook
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Nav-lights fitted and powered up. Made some antennae out of shed scraps.
Welded a rigid bracket up to support the monitors from behind - bolted to the frame now.
Welded a rigid bracket up to support the monitors from behind - bolted to the frame now.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Started fibreglassing.
www.buildsbybaz.com
www.facebook.com
Fibreglassing the hull.
18 September 2022 I purchased a product called Botecote, which is a far safer alternative than standard, solvent-based resins. Over 300GSM fibreglass mat, (kindly donated) it has a good coverage, (…
www.buildsbybaz.com
Builds By Baz - Full Scale MK II Colonial Viper | Facebook
Scratch-build of a life-sized, MK II Colonial Viper from the 2003 reimagined series of Battlestar Galactica. The Colonial Viper is the primary space fighter used by the human protagonists in this...
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RYNO 666
Well-Known Member
There's a similar product that I used in the past called Aqua Resin. I even did some armor with it. It's a great, safer alternative but definitely different. Seems to have more of like a rocky pumicey type of consistency when sanding. However, that can also work in a favor because it's so rigid and strong.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
I've got one wing fully fibreglassed and am now starting on the other. I've also added a steel finishing band around the end of the nacelle, which will tighten over the wet fibreglass once it is laid over the join, to hide the transition and pull it all together.
The canopy rescue handle in the show was varied, depending on which season it was shown. The plain sticker looked cheap, the Suzuki motorcycle tank fuel cap is too recognisable and doesn't make sense, so I decided to fabricate my own out of sheet aluminium and some socket head cap screws.
The canopy rescue handle in the show was varied, depending on which season it was shown. The plain sticker looked cheap, the Suzuki motorcycle tank fuel cap is too recognisable and doesn't make sense, so I decided to fabricate my own out of sheet aluminium and some socket head cap screws.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
spartan Mclark
Member
wow i have no words
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Late night fibreglassing continues...
Sean Anwalt
Sr Member
- Member DIN
- S530
Baz this is gonna be fantastic when it's all glassed.
I mean, it's fantastic now, but you've kinda set a high standard for yourself so "fantastic" is now just kind of your default level.
So this is fantastic².
I mean, it's fantastic now, but you've kinda set a high standard for yourself so "fantastic" is now just kind of your default level.
So this is fantastic².
marinesniper
Sr Member
- Member DIN
- S118
i agree with Sean this is and always was my fav ship im glad you brought her to life thank you..
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
Thanks guys.
Marathon fibreglassing session tonight. I got the entire underside finished and started on the starboard intake.
Marathon fibreglassing session tonight. I got the entire underside finished and started on the starboard intake.
BuildsByBaz
Sr Member
I finished glassing all the underside now, right to the rear. I've now put a new trim and some bulb seal around the cockpit edges and now the canopy slides back and seals on the rubber. Sounds heaps better too. Kinda like closing the door of a Rolls Royce.
Glassing high tonight.
Tell me it wasn't a mongrel job getting my hairy arm in the top intake without getting resin all over it! Port intake done as well.
Unfortunately I've run out of resin
Looks like I won't be able to finish the fibreglassing of the engines, until I can afford more. There's a thousand bucks worth, stretched out as far as I could. I'll get this last bit out, and see how far I get.
Glassing high tonight.
Tell me it wasn't a mongrel job getting my hairy arm in the top intake without getting resin all over it! Port intake done as well.
Unfortunately I've run out of resin
Looks like I won't be able to finish the fibreglassing of the engines, until I can afford more. There's a thousand bucks worth, stretched out as far as I could. I'll get this last bit out, and see how far I get.
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