Kallisti Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 Starting build finally! With my Spitfire VIII out of the way for the Pacific War GB, I can begin on this beauty! So first lets begin with the electrical connections for the stand. Here you can see the stand modified to include the 2 pin plug that will transfer power up into the model. In the background you can see the modified lower fuselage part which has the socket attached in an enlarged slot. The wires from the plug are enclosed in groves either side of the top of the stand that have then been covered over with thin plastic card, then travel down another groove cut into the end of the vertical part of the stand to disappear into the base itself. Another plug exists the base to connect with the power supply. Wires on the underside of the base. That is the first stage. Next will be preparing the engine nacelles for their lighting parts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrvr6 Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 where did you get the lighting from and how much did it cost mate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted November 9, 2011 Author Share Posted November 9, 2011 Lighting kit (ie the electronics) came from Starship Modeller here cost $50 Transparencies for engines and cockpit from Don's Light & Magick here (need to scroll to bottom of page) basic set $12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 Building progresses with drilling out the engines for the lights: You can see the blue inserts here as well. Lower wing is under construction with lots of filling and sanding... I seem to be spending my life sanding at the moment what with the nose of the Thunderbird Firefly as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted November 14, 2011 Share Posted November 14, 2011 You know Star wars is looking back at you in its trillion blinged out X-wing going "whatever". I have no idea what this means.lol. Looks like an interesting build though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 (edited) and a month passes... Ta da!!! Progress at last! The top wing has been joined and sanded but thats basically the same as the lower wing so not that interesting although the grand canyon-like seams took quite a bit of filler and sanding. However the most important progress has been on the electrics... The soldering iron came out along with the Meccano electrics box to supply extra wire since the amount supplied with the lighting kit is very minimal. LED were soldered ans work performed with fibre-optic cable and heat shrink tubing... Here you can see one of the lower wing engine nacells with the pair of blue LEDs fitted. One will directly illuminate the rear exhausts which have been drilled out for the blue lenses while the other LED is butted up against the end of the fibre optic cable and joined using some heat-shrink tubing. The fibres can then be split to provide lighting for the retro and manoeuvring jets. Connecting it all up to the 12 v DC supply, usually used to power Meccano Fairground rides (eg ) but was originally a Hornby train set controller, we get to see this: Bah thats boring, how about THIS: Shiny! Edited December 18, 2011 by Kallisti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrvr6 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 im bookmarking this thread for when i eventually do mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) I will return to this build in the new year - having too much fun building the RAF Mustang at the moment and then of course there is the gorgeous Sara... Edited December 29, 2011 by Kallisti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 FYI, Starship Modeller have the upgraded guns back in stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Ahh thank you for letting me know, thats perfect timing as I hadn't got that far yet... better get me skates on and get them ordered then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 (edited) A minor update, the resin guns arrived from Starship Modeller today and they are fabulous! The new ones are on the left (in case you hadn't realised) while those on the right are the kit parts! There really is no comparison! So once the Mustang is completed, I'll return to the Starfury in time to complete the GB... Today's Koshism: Ah, you seek meaning. Then listen to the music, not the song. Edited January 6, 2012 by Kallisti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Interesting build Kallisti! Love to see how it turns out with light and all! Cheers, HÃ¥kan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 and we're back! After a sojourn building Mustangs and almost ruining a poor girl in a chainmail bikini, we return to Babylon 5 and to the wiring up of the lights... second set of lights now installed, almost ready to close up the engines on the lower wing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Nice! Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted January 28, 2012 Author Share Posted January 28, 2012 (edited) Lots of progress but its all small bits which don't photograph very well! The 4 main engine exhausts have been painted and the blue inserts added so that when they are lit it looks like this: and in the dark even better! After this, all 4 lighting setups have been installed in the engine pods and the upper wing closed up. An exercise of cautious soldering attached the wires for the lower wing to the circuit board which has now been installed in the main body. The circuit board is held in place with PVA glue. All the other exhaust ports have been drilled and painted. The whole body has been given its main coat of paint, the resin guns have been cleaned up and scrubbed adn this weekend will get drilled out a bit more then painted up. The canopy has had its coat of Klear and masked up. The main bit of work the latter part of this week has been the cockpit. This is the transparent resin replacement. The bits that were to remain transparent to allow the lights to shine thorugh were masked up and two coats of matt black were painted on the rest. Then the cockpit colours were added. Using some photos off the net of the actual cockpit set, I could match the colours. Funnily enough it looked liek the main part of the interior was cockpit green! Then the decals went on and the pilot painted up. I tried to put the faceplate decal on but it was just too thick and wouldn't settle down even with lots of micro sol and set, so I cleaned it off and painted it gloss black. Then here it is as a test fit (ignore the wonky upper wings, that just coz its only sitting on the top) and her it is backlit with orange and white This weekend I'm going to try to source a couple of 6v batteries I can put in series to get a portable 12v power supply. The mains power is an old Hornby train controller that came from my Meccano collection, but it that might not always be possible to use that, eg Farnborough IPMS has all the models on tables in the middle of the room so to get power to it I'd have to stretch a lead across the floor and I'm certain SOMEONE will trip over it and CRASH!!! Today Koshism: "The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote." Edited January 28, 2012 by Kallisti Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted January 28, 2012 Author Share Posted January 28, 2012 I forgot last night but here is also the back plate which has had some work done on it such as drilling out the various protrusions and a lick of paint... You can also see the exhaust covers for the lesser exhausts there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMChladek Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 It has been A LONG time since I have touched a Starfury, but this is looking REALLY GOOD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I thought I'd drop in to the Sci-fi ghetto and see whasuuup. 'Plenty'. I do like the lighting effects. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 Thanks Don, nice to see someone noticing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Shumsky Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Just noticed this thread and really enjoyed reading through it -- very inspiring blog I never knew this kit existed and now I feel I must have one! You are a bad man Cheers, Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
periklis_sale Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 great work my friend! :clap2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Velociweiler Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 You haven't told us whose markings you're building it in yet? Have you decided? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 Yes its going to be Sheridan's "Tigermeet" version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Velociweiler Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Yes its going to be Sheridan's "Tigermeet" version Funny what you miss on screen - they move around so quick I was never able to get a good look at the markings. Will look forward to seeing the finished one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Looking good! Cheers, HÃ¥kan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts