Bravo52

When will this kit arrive in the US?

I saw pictures of the completed molds at the US IPMS Nationals….😍 Maybe by the end of the year in America. Not sure about the rest of the world.

Has anyone heard the status on this model. I want this model more than just about any other out there now that AF is releasing a Gannet. Was it "Vapor-ware" all along?

I did print one on my SLA printer that was smaller than I wanted (limited build plate size). It also didn’t have an advantage over the FDM printer since the files are a lower poly count and produces more facets that still need finishing to get smooth. I’m working on a 1/12 scale Maschinen Krieger figure where the main body will be FDM and the details will be all SLA. “Right tool for the right job!” It will be much faster to take this approach and less frustrating for sure. I just need more hours in the day 🤣

I didn't really take any pictures when building because I was rushing to finish it so I could move on to the next model. I do have some additional pictures that kind of tell the story of the model. There was a lot of trial and error and trying to get the right size where it was presentable. This is the box of unusable parts 🤣🤣🤣 I wanted the model to be configurable in flight and attack mode as well as the ability to rotate and extend the guns . These pictures show how I did that with tight tolerances and magnets/finder washers. I CAD'd the parts with recesses to hold the magnets. They are remarkably strong! As an example, in this picture, the part on the left is the original from the internet. It wasn't very good or close to the actual. I made my own in F360 and it is closer to the actual with the exception of the hydraulic pistons. I'll add those later. Hope this gives a little better understanding of how the model went together.

One of the iconic characters of the movie Oblivion starring Tom Cruise was undoubtedly the attack drones. These machines became a central part of the movie with recognizable characteristics and identifiable personalities. In the case of Drone 166, there was also a certain viciousness and a grudge. The model is about 8 inches (20 cm) and is mounted on a base that holds sound and lighting electronics. It was 3D printed from files found online but it quickly became apparent they needed help. I used Fusion 360 to rework the main shell and modify it to accept magnets to make the drone configurable from the flight mode to attack mode. I also created new parts to support the different configurations and added LEDs effects. All of the parts were made in Fusion 360. Finishing was done with common household spackle and gray filler primer. Once smooth, I shot a coat of white Tamiya Surfacer/Primer and then final coats were with Tamiya Spray. The parts are printed in PLA, which is remarkably hard and doesn't sand easy. I also used transparent PETG for the lighted parts. All of the electronic components were sourced from Amazon since finding components locally is sadly a thing of the past. Hope you enjoy it! I have a video of Drone 166 with the lights and sound working but don't know how to upload a video...

Wonder why they didn’t do the iconic “Jayhawk” of the U.S. Coast Guard (HH-60J / MH-60T)

The easiest way to simulate the boundary fence is to just scribe a line at the base of the molding. That is what I plan to do with mine (just received it today!). It will be about right in scale.

I think a lot of this has to do with new technology in CAD design and CAM moldmaking. Add in the slide mold technology and the parts fit too tightly. On my model, everything dry fit perfectly until I started to paint and assemble it. If I ever build another, which is not likely, I would completely assemble the wheel wells, intakes, and shock ramps on the model before painting.

This is hands down one of my favorite airplanes! I look forward to this adventure! Of course I’d be shunned in the 3D printing community if I didn’t ask.... Is the .stl available? 🤣

I’m currently building the same kit and love what you are doing with yours! In fact...I’ll be co-opting a few of your hatch details...😬. Nice job!

The C-5 is an amazing airplane. You're doing a great job. I'll be watching through the end!

I won’t confirm this😒, but… I hear at altitude you can suck a hard boiled egg through the sextant port and if you’re lucky, or unlucky as it were, it would land right in that electronics cooling intake on the leading edge of the vertical fin. After a few days in the hot southern sun, the maintainers say it starts to stink pretty bad...ahhh, those were the days 😆

Oh that paint scheme is going to be fun! Looking forward to the build...

This is awesome...I’m excited about this build...