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aircraft carrier deck 1:144


hugogo

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hello!

Model aircraft builders with a special interest for (US) navy will have concluded, just like myself, that except for a few inaccurate diorama bases in 1:72 and 1:48 scale and some figures here and there, there is not much out there to build an accurate diorama.

Having read an article in the IPMS Netherlands magazine about designing your own 3D print some time ago, I though that I should give it a go and create my own parts for a nice piece of 1:144 carrier.

It turns out that, having designed a highly detailed Jet Blast Deflector in scale 1:72 and 1:32 that was welcomed by many fellow model builders (build report on Large Scale Modeller site), the same print can be simply reduced to 1:144 scale without the loss of any detail.

My first try started out with designing tie-down points for the deck, which I got printed at Shapeways some weeks ago:

DSC04546_zpsuwi8eg3c.jpg

There is no way that I would be able to get these from scratch building or photo etching. Now I just need to drill holes in a base plate and glue them in.

DSC04548_zpsmab695ut.jpg

the resin is a bit brittle so you can simply snap each 2mm tie-down point off with tweezers, no clean up necessary:

DSC04560_zps2oshnlee.jpg

this is the part of the deck that I have in mind with some nice F/A-18F's parked and a Hawkeye on the catapult. I designed the deck in CAD, using many internet photo's as reference. Luckily the tie-down pattern is very regular so it is a very easy measuring aid:

DSC04562_zps8kinirfw.jpg

for anyone out there with a wish to have more navy accessories available on the market: I know how you feel.

So I published my models on the shapeways site for everyone to have printed on https://www.shapeways.com/shops/klekotech. I am currently busy with flight deck crews in all scales, and much more to come after that. In the mean time I am building this project and one in 1:32 in parallel.

to be continued!

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This looks interesting! I can understand the deck section in 1/144 right up to 1/48 but 1/32??? Wow! I'm guessing itwill be on the LARGE side, lol. Looking forward to following this and awaiting your next update

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I have looked at doing this in 1/144 myself. Just never knew where to start. You used to be able to buy a Dragon set that had the catapult. I did get two with the idea of putting them together. Try finding those kits nowadays for a decent price. I'll be following this with much interest. Good work thus far... I think Brengun have released some tractors in 1/144??

Kind Regards,

Dazz

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I have looked at doing this in 1/144 myself. Just never knew where to start. You used to be able to buy a Dragon set that had the catapult. I did get two with the idea of putting them together. Try finding those kits nowadays for a decent price. I'll be following this with much interest. Good work thus far... I think Brengun have released some tractors in 1/144??

Kind Regards,

Dazz

http://m.brengun.webnode.cz/products/brs144014-p-25-fire-engine/

Retrokit do ground crew as well

https://retrokitonline.net/product/modern-maintenance-crew/

Following this with interest

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hi SImon 382,

truthfully, the 1:32 deck is not the same section as the 1:144 one. It is a smaller piece of deck but due to the large scale (factor 4.5), the base plate ends up larger anyway.

I have planned a 25x50 cm plate for the 1:144 dio and 50x100 cm for the 1:32 dio.

So, needing to select what part of my paper sheet will become the actual diorama, I have made some set ups:

DSC04564_zpshn1ubdsp.jpg

of which this one will be the dio to make:

DSC04570_zpsvsr5rwnw.jpg

For comparison, this is the 1:32 base (compare to the size of my normally proportionned feet):

DSC04126_zpsskrxtbn7.jpg

this is the Jet BLast Deflector that I will use. As I stated before it has the same level of detail as the one I printed in 1:72 and 1:32, and absolutely a lot more accurate that all of the injecton molded models that I have seen! Even the water manifold at the back of each panel is a free structure:

DSC04549_zpsdviovq6y.jpg

DSC04553_zpsade5k90h.jpg

DSC04552_zpslvc44gsm.jpg

DSC04550_zpsxdumej5j.jpg

actuator arms:

DSC04551_zpsjxxzhmvs.jpg

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hi Perdu et al,

if you think about making this in plasticard, then try to consider making pilots and US navy carrier deck crew in 1;144!

which is exactly what I tried lately.

Using a pilot 3D model, I isolated the limbs and added som 'ball joints' in between, so that I am able to manipulate a figure as I please:

pilot%20exploded_zpshufjsryu.png

putting the whole thing together, this is what I decided to have printed:

pilot%20sitting_zpsovmqz6yt.png

due to the fixed cost of each 3D print I decided to have a whole bunch (15) of them in one go. So this is how that turned out:

DSC04725_zps2nz0xop7.jpg

And I must say the level of detail is INCREDIBLE. one figure is only 12 mm high but you can still see that the fingers and oxigen mask are separate features.

DSC04726_zpszzet8lip.jpg

Also notice that, due to the transparency of the resin, some features do not stand out well. Same goes for the vizor on the helmet which has a bit white surface sheen to it, making it look a bit misshaped, but it really isn't. I will make a photo of them with some surface primer on, I am sure that even more details will become visible. This is probably the smallest scale and the smallest features that I will make for now because even smaller features will probably get lost under the paint!

In the mean time I published the print on the Shapeways site, together with another set of pilots with different poses:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/HBKBB34WK/15-fighter-pilots-in-5-positions-scale-1-144?li=shop-inventory&optionId=57755132

https://www.shapeways.com/product/UJ2R2LLW6/16-modern-fighter-pilots-sitting-1-144-scale

Now that this went well, I am planning also to print these guys in 1:144, 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32:

crew2_zpsvic42edv.jpg

Can't wait to see these!

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Now that I have decided which part of the deck I am going to make, I have glued the paper to a PS sheet and the sheet to a piece of fiber wood with photo glue. After the glue set I started to drill lots and lots of 2mm holes through the paper, the PS sheet and for a few mm's into the wood.

DSC04590_zpszkeujh2t.jpg

then I drilled some larger holes in the corners of the JBD and used a small saw to make a rectangular hole. Also in the PS sheet I cut a rectangle with the right dimensions for the JBD and glued it in. The result is the following:

DSC04591_zpsvnharlj6.jpg

The whole assembly fits wonderfully, also the panels fit like a glove with no clean up of the parts (except a dip in IPA to rinse the last resin residu off):

DSC04592_zpst48yybcq.jpg

Panel in up position, held up by the slight clamping force of the hinge:

DSC04593_zps7gou3d51.jpg

DSC04594_zpsqn7cmqm7.jpg

After having drilled the holes in the wooden plate slightly wider, then glued the PS sheet onto the base plate, I started to glue in the tie-down points:

DSC04595_zpsf4nn0re5.jpg

DSC04600_zpsqjsrae3u.jpg

Because the diameters give me a slight clamp fit, all I needed to do was to make the PS sheet a bit soft with normal Revell glue and the small pills could be pressed right in:

DSC04596_zpsi5rk1sck.jpg

btw I need to make sure that all 5-star anchors point in the same direction...all 600 or so of them!

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I thought I'd seen it all on here...........No,this something else and then some.

Things made to order too

I want some 1/72nd RAF ground crew in "working postions" after you've built this navy!

Tomorrow has arrived!

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Exciting stuff! I've certainly got my eye on your 1:144 scale figures, they look great to me. I always knew when the 3D printing stuff took off it was going to open up some serious model making potential and now you're proving it. Looks like your carrier deck is going to pretty awesome too, definitely one to watch!

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thank you for all of your encouragement!

as a matter of fact, I completed the first set of carrier deck crew in 1:144, 1:72, 1:48 and 1:32 yesterday.

Too bad that in the bigger scale I could not include as many figures as in the smaller scale ones, because there is a 65 mB limit on the data that one print can contain. If you want the big print to contain more precise curves and features (and you want that because you are better able to see that on a big scale) then that costs more capacity.

btw Shapeways does not charge shipping cost until the end of today, for those who might be interested in a 3D print!

crew%20set%20cat%202_4%201_32_zpskzn3xva

Hugo

Edited by hugogo
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hi Simon,

this is where I have published all of my models:

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/klekotech

this is the set in 1:48:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/8ZL6XE46U/carrier-catapult-1-or-3-crew-scale-1-48?li=shop-results&optionId=57961020

these are men that are standing to the left of the aircraft (catapult 1 and 3 positions). please let me know if you want them the other way around, I will make a mirror image of them.

good luck!

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  • 2 weeks later...

while I am waiting for the deck figures and my tie down points for the elevator to arrive, I have completed the glueing of all the other tie downs in the deck.

there is still 2 holes unfilled, but those are the location of where the open deck hatches will be.

Furthermore you cen see that the first 3D print that I received is a bit more transparent on the surface than the second set:

DSC04732_zps0cwju1xw.jpg

but looking close at the surface this will not be any problem and will become invisible under a first layer of paint.

DSC04733_zpsdaumo4hb.jpg

Next step is to finish the 4-legged tie-down points on the elevator when they come in, cutting out the deck hatches and then sand the deck smooth before a first layer on paint can go on.

Hugo

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