I'm starting a militarized version of Blue Thunder. This is the Kitech kit, which was super-cheap and looks like it will be a good platform for surgery.
The first thing is the cockpit. I think the cockpit's pretty hokey, considering the seating arrangement. Mine will have a more wrap-around style, with some more LCD's. It will also get some winglets in place of the goofy police gear, and some extra weapons of some kind. Not sure yet what that'll be. It may even get a longbow-style radar and some AIM-9's. . .
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2FBlueThunder_1.jpg&hash=37570c6f749b8804b8c7f28c64ae37cfde4d5f6c)
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Nice start
did one of those kits a year ago when i picked up on for £10 at the coventry show, its not to bad and makes a good model even out of the box
I love this copter!! :wub: :wub: :wub:
Cool :mellow:
What scale is this kit?
Chris.
1/32nd
Cheers Phil, Big old kit then isn't it.
Chris.
Since it was based on the Gazelle, not too big, 13-9/16" long (34.3 cm). The old Monogram kit looked pretty good but I heard the fit, especially around the cockpit, wasn't that great. The Kitech is pretty much a clone of the old version and my LHS was selling them for $10. Passed because it isn't my scale but did think about it. Aoshima did a 48th scale version with a little more detail, even had one version with a metal gattling gun.
Yeah, it's not too big. I don't thing the whole thing should top out at much more than 18 inches or so.
I have scrapped the gun from the kit--it was amazingly bad. I'm replacing it with a 3-barrel gun made from some brass tubing. Construction on the cockpit is nearly complete, I have a coat of primer on it, waiting for paint. I'm using some 1/48 F4F wings to cut down for winglets.
I believe this one will be lightly armed, but heavily fueled. I'm thinking two big drop tanks on the wings and maybe some marker rockets. It will be a sort of heavy scout/intelligence ship.
Pics to follow when I get the cockpit dropped in and secure.
Looking good so far ! Never seen the kit, so it's hard to say I know what you're talking about. I'm interested in the original cockpit layout. I never really got into the movie, either.....always thought it was wierd that Sheriff Brody was looking for sharks in the city !
:thumbsup:
Quote from: Captain Canada on August 20, 2010, 08:14:47 PM
.....always thought it was wierd that Sheriff Brody was looking for sharks in the city ! :thumbsup:
....In a helicopter too.... odd that :rolleyes: - Nice start to the project, looking forward to the progress pics.
Ian
Quote from: Captain Canada on August 20, 2010, 08:14:47 PM.....always thought it was wierd that Sheriff Brody was looking for sharks in the city !
LOL. . . So I should be building a 3-barrel
harpoon gun. Quint will be riding back seat, manning the wing-mounted chum dispensers. . .
The original cockpit isn't anything too spectacular. The original's control panel went across both front seats, like on a normal Gazelle. However, that second seat is completely taken up by the big console for the backseat feller, and I thought it odd that you'd have half a control panel facing. . . nobody at all. So I just wrapped the control paned around the driver a little better.
You have done a good choice because the Blue Thunder helicopter is a perfect platform: using the imagination you can go to reproduce a lot of other interesting concepts.
Updated construction pics...
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2Fbthunder_const_3.jpg&hash=9f5463ceb7a5e2fbd4e093c3c40f1c8727171d02)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2Fbthunder_const_4.jpg&hash=3c50f456035028c1c972dab26c4dbf2e9fc3de75)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2Fbthunder_const_5.jpg&hash=0647b4efbd8c3fe341380cd7d315314a4323ff23)
Presently I'm putting in some enging cowling/armor, filling some (significant) holes and gaps, and getting ready for a shot of paint. . .
Very coool :mellow: :wub: :thumbsup:
Forgot to drop in the pic of the gun. It's a little on the long side, but really about the same length as the one from the kit.
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2Fbthunder_const_6.jpg&hash=8426415bac11285992e9378ecae3a500865c6fe8)
This is going to be sweet :wacko:
Got this one mostly wrapped up, too. I do have some rocket pods and a pair of AIM-9's to go on the winglets.
Some of you have read some William Gibson, and the jumpjet with the mimetic polycarbonate skin gave me the idea for this paintjob. The skin automatically adapts to its environment, or it can be run on preprogrammed patterns. It works much like the skin of a cephalopod, with artificial "chromatophores" that are turned on or off with an electric current.
I'm kinda proud of the gun, even though it's entirely too long. The cockpit ain't bad either, but I couldn't get the camera to take a decent shot of the interior.
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2FBT_1.jpg&hash=a8e1895a2c72d8ab8938d36e1923e5e3bf562b4b)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2FBT_2.jpg&hash=d84cac37ee6e4576000b3e59b613db1a244f4097)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2FBT_3.jpg&hash=0067165609d1c154636a3b0d0168b89f00997b70)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi215.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fcc214%2Fnoxioux%2FBT_4.jpg&hash=0f949bfb91542c53fdacedda2e734ccdc02870c8)
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:cheers:
Uber Gazelle!!!
Beautiful job...love that paint scheme! :thumbsup: :cheers:
What ? A gun too long ? Never !
:thumbsup:
That paint is frickin' awesome....even before I went back and read the explanation...very nice.
Love that paint job.
Regards,
Greg
Paint job? :wub: 'nuff said!
Well done. :thumbsup:
tt43.
Truly a "Blue Thunder" for the 21st century!!!
That paint scheme is just great! :thumbsup: Wonderful finish overall. Absolute winner :cheers:
Wowwwoow, whit new engine (Apache loookalike exhaust), new bigger wing, new bigger gun.......and awsome paint scheme!!!! GREAT!!!!!!!!!!! :cheers: :thumbsup: :wub: :wub: :wub: :ph34r:
...the paint job is fabulous!
Did you paint the model one color, then wrap netting around tight as you did the others, or...? Whatever, I REALLY like the effect!
As far as the "too long" gun is concerned, you COULD shorten it by sawing deftly at the "bands" around the gun, and taking a chunk out of the pieces and re-gluing (and touching up the joints with paint).
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi681.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv173%2Fsequoiaranger%2Fbthunder_const_6.jpg&hash=4f9788cdfa4a35a9655dc43ed4c5d0384ecda357)
About 3/4 length overall might give it a more "realistic" look. Not necessary, as it is a whif, but here's how it might look...
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi681.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fvv173%2Fsequoiaranger%2FBT_5-m.jpg&hash=25da03519bf6a513e2c255805c336173d488aa69)
Radish'll love it, it's wearing fishnets!!! :lol: Different paint schemes, great stuff! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Thanks everybody! That's why I love this place.
That's a good suggestion sequoiaranger. It looks much more realistic with the shorter gun.
The paint job was easy: At first I tried wrapping the screen around the model, but that wasn't working so hot. So I just held a piece of screen, about 2"x4", and sprayed the colors through the screen (with the trusty Badger 150) one small part at a time. I tried to match things up as I went. I actually had to paint it twice, but that's how these things go. Something did get through the tape, and ate into the plastic of the canopy. Maybe some lacquer? I'm not sure. I still need to spray the radome and paint the detail on the rotor head. I will likely build a base, maybe some kind of urban/desert thing.
Holy Poo !!
Never saw that paint-scheme coming.... Outstanding !!
Ian
>I will likely build a base, maybe some kind of urban/desert thing.<
Seems like you already have. The "pebbly" carpet is a Berber (desert), and your living room is "urban". No? ;D
Anyway, the mesh/paint thing came out fabulous--I might try it on a whiff sometime myself, if I can bring myself to sacrifice the fishnet pantyhose I wear around the house! :mellow:
EEK! :blink:
Complete and total fantastic! :wub: :thumbsup: :bow:
A great looking build! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Looks great! :thumbsup: :cheers: :bow:
Not just awesome but EFFIN AWESOME :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:
What a wicked model! I love it! I've been a fan of Blue Thunder since I first saw it as a young 'un, but this really does improve on it. I'd be tempted to imitate it with my partially-completed Kitech kit but it's too big, someone bring out a 1?72 kit so I can do this id OD!
Congrats on a superlative job, I like the idea of the adaptive skin. Superb execution!
It's a incredible camo to urban fight. :wub: :thumbsup: :cheers: