keefr22 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 On 15/03/2023 at 18:03, Fritag said: Probably good enough , as we used to say back in the day, for government work Damn sight better than any work I did for the government!! Open ended fishtail exhausts - flippin' marvellous! Keith 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massimo Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 8 hours ago, Zephyr91 said: Whoa! At first glance I thought I was seeing the operator's feet sticking out of the lower fuselage! ...and shouting... YA BA DA BA DOOOOOOOOO!!!!! This aircraft did so many things, that I ' m sure she was used in the Flintstones movies too!!!!! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH1969 Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 On 3/15/2023 at 6:03 PM, Fritag said: Brilliant. Thanks Andy. Both really useful pictures and unusually clear, the one of DR972 in particular. Best photo I’ve seen of the outside of the operator’s cockpit door. In other news, I survived the week’s skiing in Tignes with limbs intact and came straight back to an intense week and a half at work which has left precious little time for modelling. The workload might also have something to do with being away in Amsterdam next week for Mrs F’s birthday in particular to see the Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum (well she does have an art history degree). But it’s always possible to pinch some screen time to work on a Fusion file; and I think I have more or less finished the design of the new Merlin XX nose for the Defiant. Fishtail exhausts were needed and so drawn. And oil cooler grill detailing - that will probably only be visible with a torch - but hey ho: And the whole nose ensemble could be brought together: And the oil cooler and exhausts had a print to see if they could exist in the real world: (Had to overexpose the photo to make the grill visible) And I printed the nose (split down the middle so that it could be printed flat and thus quickly) to check out the fit and look of the exhausts: I’m modestly pleased with the quality of the surface detailing and the look of the exhausts. T’other side: We meander forwards. Probably good enough , as we used to say back in the day, for government work. Internals of the rear fuselage next I s’pose. Maybe I should stick some actual plastic together n’all. Just a thought. WOW 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 I am astonished by the details you can create. I used to think 3d printed parts were covered in layering texture that needed filling or sanding. These have minute surface details that suggest no such remedies were needed. It really is mind blowing what you are able to achieve! Richie 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massimo Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 11 hours ago, Brandy said: I too thought "why is the operator standing on a step below the fuselage?" Ian Probably RATO rokets hadn't been invented yet!!! Massimo 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 On 15/03/2023 at 19:03, Fritag said: Maybe I should stick some actual plastic together n’all. Very much looking forward to that - the 3D parts look.... the part! Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_gn Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 On 2/25/2023 at 6:20 AM, Fritag said: Quick update as I sit with a coffee at Leeds Bradford Airport waiting for a flight to Geneva. Been a busy week with work seeing as I’m away skiing for a week from today; but I have used some MacBook time on the Defiant. I couldn’t leave the whole fillet-failure-lofted-workaround as it was. It offended me. I eventually persuaded Fusion to accept the inevitable and churn out a few fillets: Renders nice and smooth: I got there by dividing the top part of the oil cooler into separate extrudes and Fusion condescended to allow fillets to the individual sections. It was a case of trial and error and slowly identifying where on the border between the oil cooler and the nose Fusion was having its hissy fits. For example, Fusion just plain refused to calculate any fillet that ran over a small section wither side of the centre line at the front. Dunno why. The solution was to divide the oil cooler into separate sections that Fusion would fillet, leaving a small gap where wouldn’t And then bridge/fill those gaps with extrudes from the neighboring section. What a palaver. Anyway. After that I was able to finish all the surface detailing on the nose at odd times over the next few days. Port: Starboard: Rear quarter view. And I just had time to print a test at an unfavourable (but quick for printing) orientation - and take a quick photo before heading for the airport and skiing. The test print/photo doesn’t do it justice - but it’s something corporeal at least. Beautiful work on both types of modelling! Your Fusion skills would put some industry CAD jockeys to shame! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted March 28, 2023 Author Share Posted March 28, 2023 (edited) Now then. Where was I before the pressing need to go to Amsterdam to see the Vermeer exhibition at the Rijksmuseum and sample some local beer in small bars various intervened? Oh yes I'd probably finished (🤞) the CAD on the nose. So it was back to the TT upper fuselage inert. On the exterior I've now added some panel lines, drawn the aerial mount and finalised the fairing in front of the operators cockpit (on the turret version this is the fairing that is partially glazed and retractable; on the TT it isn't glazed and it isn't retractable). On the interior I've added some stiffening ribs to the operators door and cockpit side using photographs as reference; and also drawn the operator's headrest and the dinghy stowage cover (these are leather and canvas for real and I may re-draw then as sculpts in the forms environment to better mimic the surface irregularity in the real thing) Time to see how the CAD prints (nb. using a layer height of 0.05mm rather than 0.025mm just to speed up the test printing - although tbh I'm not sure that the difference between 0.025mm and 0.05mm layer heights makes much visible difference to these sort of designs) If you look towards the back of the fairing in front of the operator's cockpit, just at the bottom of the aerial mount, you can see that there is a step where the cross section changes (you can see it on the CAD too). That's needed because I want to pose the sliding pilot's canopy open, but the Injection moulded canopy won't fit over the proper-cross section of fairing. So as a fudge I've reduced the cross section by a fraction of a mm along the section (most of it) where the pilot's canopy slide's back over. It's not my idea actually, as Airfix did the same with the parts supplied in the kit for the fighter version. The Airfix injection moulded canopy is quite nice and I want to use it rather than vac-form a replacement. Here's the internal detail on the cockpit walls so far. There's a reasonable amount of further internal gubbins to produce, not least the operators seat etc., but there probably isn't a great deal more that needs to be added to the fuselage insert itself. Time to see how the possibly-nearly-final versions of the nose and fuselage inserts fit and look in situ... Think I'll take that. Better check that the canopy will fit over the fairing in front of the operator's cockpit: It does; and the change-in-cross-section-fudge works ok too. And an unforgiving close up of the nose and exhaust detail. I need to do a bit more thinking about the internals of the operator's cockpit. There are one or two decent photographs of the operator's cockpit in the Defiant 'A Technical Guide' book; and earlier in this thread @AndyL posted a brilliant photo of the internal lower rear fuselage showing the target sleeve stowage and the detail around the 'launching hole'. I think the 'launching hole' is the existing lower hatch, slightly modified and minus the hatch cover - although I'm not sure at present whether there was any cover for the hole or whether it was always open. I also need to start looking at the Airfix kit bits as it's about time to start sticking bits together. Edited March 28, 2023 by Fritag 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 That is just incredible! The precision you have achieved with just a test print is breathtaking. The close up of the exhaust and nose detail shows nothing requiring forgiveness!!! 3d printing is fascinating, not sure I'll ever do it (computer allergy) but it's so interesting! Richie 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Amazing work Steve thanks for sharing it with us. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH1969 Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 As with my last post in this thread "WOW" It just gets better and better. Pete 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Slowbuild Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Looking really good there Steve. My favourite is actually the underneath shot of the internals, the details are fantastic. Every time I see 3D printing like this my jaw drops…. I really should be getting used to it by now! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr91 Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Oh no! You missed a bit ................... Just joking! Absolutely brilliant stuff Steve. Cheers Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Well, I'll be ddd! (Quentin Tarantino reference - The hateful eight ) This is gobsmacking! Maybe it's the beer.... Ciao 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Brilliant update Steve, and I'm thinking the pic quality looks good ..... Is that the new light box? Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 3 hours ago, Fritag said: So it was back to the TT upper fuselage inert. I'm not going to react to that comment. However the design & printing is Grade A, without a doubt! Ian 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81-er Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Absolutely superb work, Steve! James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Gorgeous. With printed parts of that quality they look better than the kit! 3 hours ago, Fritag said: existing lower hatch, slightly modified and minus the hatch cover I'd be tempted to keep my belt on at all times in that case. although it probably required quite a lot of moving around to get the targets out. Regards, Adrian 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Oh wow, those prints look awesome, great work. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted March 28, 2023 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Ooooh. Nice work, and great prints. Getting all those discrete components to play nicely together is no mean feat either. Well done. You're really very good at this modeling malarkey Steve... have you considered taking it up as a hobby? 1 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted March 30, 2023 Author Share Posted March 30, 2023 (edited) On 3/28/2023 at 4:16 PM, RichieW said: 3d printing is fascinating, not sure I'll ever do it (computer allergy) but it's so interesting! I've been dabbling for just over a year now Richie and found somewhat to my surprise that I enjoy the CAD stuff using Fusion. I also enjoyed the home-brew vac forming, resin casting and photo etching that I played about with on my Chippie, JP and Hawk builds - so I guess there's a bit of a geek still active in me I also don't possess the same level of craft skills that you have, and so to attempt to scratch build in the way that you, @Fozzy, @Bandsaw Steve, @pheonix and some notable others do would just end in tears... On 3/28/2023 at 6:44 PM, Terry1954 said: the pic quality looks good ..... Is that the new light box? T'was. Been a useful purchase I think. It's quick and easy to unfold and it ends up saving time cos I don't spend so long faffing about trying to take a useable picture! On 3/28/2023 at 7:34 PM, AdrianMF said: I'd be tempted to keep my belt on at all times in that case. although it probably required quite a lot of moving around to get the targets out. I imaging it did The observers' seat retracts out of the way and the bottom of the rear cockpit has a 'kneeling mat' on it so I guess the observer spent a fait bit of his time kneeling then! Thankfully there's also an observer's harness anchorage point, so at least he got to stay connected to the aircraft.... On 3/28/2023 at 9:19 PM, hendie said: have you considered taking it up as a hobby? Intermittently Possible commitment issues Speaking of an observer's seat. We'd better have one. It gave me some practice at using the Fusion 'Pipe' function anyways... Otherwise it's just simple shapes and extrudes. Designed (i.e. the theory is) to fit into the kit fuselage just below the observer's cockpit fairing thus: And how it should locate viz the new rear fuselage insert: And how it should look in situ: When retracted, the seat would slide towards the aircraft nose and be underneath the fairing. I suspect that the seat would be slid out of sight like that when the aircraft was parked on the ground; but then what would be the point in modelling summat that's mostly out of sight! So my ones gonna be out, loud and proud.... So much for the virtual world. Quick test printed with 0.05mm layer: Well it fits in the fuselage as planned hoped for: And the real thing looks quite like the Fusion screen shot above The good thing from my point of view is that the Defiant is giving me a real opportunity to practice with Fusion and to learn how to integrate some CAD work into an existing kit. More so than the Hawks did cos construction was mostly complete by the time I'd started with Fusion and got the printer. Going back to what I said earlier about scratchbuilding etc. I don't think I'd have attempted to convert the MkI to a TTMkI if I'd had to rely on my craft skill to do it! For a start I'd probably have had to buy one of Bill @perdu SIHRSC files. And then learn how to use it Edited March 30, 2023 by Fritag typo 14 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 I'll tell thee what young Stevie, I have no doubt you'd be as successful with SIHRSC as you are with all the other abilities you've adopted. Obviously with a decent SIHRSC at modern prices I fully understand your reluctance to involve yourself in the expensive practice of file-ery but if you ever do we can all chip in to add to your knowledge bank. Oh arr, the TT? Outstanding already! 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH1969 Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 29 minutes ago, Fritag said: I've been dabbling for just over a year now Richie and found somewhat to my surprise that I enjoy the CAD stuff using Fusion. I also enjoyed the home-brew vac forming, resin casting and photo etching that I played about with on my Chippie, JP and Hawk builds - so I guess there's a bit of a geek still active in me I also don't possess the same level of craft skills that you have, and so to attempt to scratch build in the way that you, @Fozzy, @Bandsaw Steve, @pheonix and some notable others do would just end in tears... T'was. Been a useful purchase I think. It's quick and easy to unfold and it ends up saving time cos I don't spend so long faffing about trying to take a useable picture! I imaging it did The observers' seat retracts out of the way and the bottom of the rear cockpit has a 'kneeling mat' on it so I guess the observer spent a fait bit of his time kneeling then! Thankfully there's also an observer's harness anchorage point, so at least he got to stay connected to the aircraft.... Intermittently Possible commitment issues Speaking of an observer's seat. We'd better have one. It gave me some practice at using the Fusion 'Pipe' function anyways... Otherwise it's just simple shapes and extrudes. Designed (i.e. the theory is) to fit into the kit fuselage just below the observer's cockpit fairing thus: And how it should locate viz the new rear fuselage insert: And how it should look in situ: When retracted, the seat would slide towards the aircraft nose and be underneath the fairing. I suspect that the seat would be slid out of sight like that when the aircraft was parked on the ground; but then what would be the point in modelling summat that's mostly out of sight! So my ones gonna be out, loud and proud.... So much for the virtual world. Quick test printed with 0.05mm layer: Well it fits in the fuselage as planned hoped for: And the real thing looks quite like the Fusion screen shot above The good thing from my point of view is that the Defiant is giving me a real opportunity to practice with Fusion and to learn how to integrate some CAD work into an existing kit. More so than the Hawks did cos construction was mostly complete by the time I'd started with Fusion and got the printer. Going back to what I said earlier about scratchbuilding etc. I don't think I'd have attempted to convert the MkI to a TTMkI if I'd had to rely on my craft skill to do it! For a start I'd probably have had to buy one of Bill @perdu SIHRSC files. And then learn how to use it For a test print for the Seat Steve that is very good but how did you orientate the part to the printer bed please? Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr91 Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 2 minutes ago, perdu said: SIHRSC Ok. I've heard of this infamous device. Six Inch Half Round ? Coarse. You'll have to bear with we tyros. What's the missing S please? I could guess at "semi"? There's always so much to learn ............. Aplogies Steve. The Defiant is brill. You really are getting close to a "full aircraft" print!! Go on. I dare you Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 7 minutes ago, Zephyr91 said: Ok. I've heard of this infamous device. Six Inch Half Round ? Coarse. You'll have to bear with we tyros. What's the missing S please? I could guess at "semi"? There's always so much to learn ............. Aplogies Steve. The Defiant is brill. You really are getting close to a "full aircraft" print!! Go on. I dare you Rob Bill's @perdu's favourite tool Six inch half round second cut (SIHRSC) hope that helps Stay safe Roger 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now