1/16 scale scratch built AT-38B Talon-The Smurf jet is back!

[Barry]

Lost for words. Seriously. Added to my to watch list.

 

That about sums it up for me as well!

 

Barry

[Pete Fleischmann]

Thanks gents! I'm glad you stop by to take a look!

Still chugging along-

 

I've got the masters for the intake trunks rough-sanded. Obviously these need to be cleaned-up quite a bit before I can use them to vac form the actual trunks. These will grow by approx. .040 during the vac form process, so a quick fit check was in order-

 

Here's the internal components with the masters for the "external" intakes set in place. The masters for the external intakes are shaping out slowly as well. I'm a bit undersized but getting to where I need to be

 

Here is everything set in place for a look at what needs adjusting-

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Pete

[Ole]

This just keep getting better and better.

[Pete Fleischmann]

Thanks you Guys for watching!

 

Seeing as you'l be able to look down the intakes, I need to make 2 G.E. J-85 engine faces. Working from photos, I mastered the bell-shaped structure infront of the compressor. The fixed stator vanes will mount to this.

 

I started with a .020 styrene disc of the correct diameter, and built the bell up from parts shaped from the spares box. I then used Apoxie Sculpt to blend the shape into the bell, I did this after the Apoxie had set up-turning it on my Dremel: I am sold on the Apoxie Sculpt: it was recommended to me by Mike Provenzano-an outstanding sci-fi modeler, I find it superior to Miliput-

 

I need to build 2 compressor faces, so I made a resin copy of the bell-Here's the mold and the master..I guess I need to take a photo of the two castings I made!

 

The rings are from a Revell 32nd scale F-4:

 

The external intake sections and the intake trunks made it to my vac-forming rig today too:

 

Pulled left side and right side on the 9x12 plate. 2 pulls and 2 good ones!

 

Here is the intake taking shape. This needs to be cut back to reveal the angled air inlet-More to do here too

More to follow! Thanks for looking-

 

Pete

[Pete Fleischmann]

Hello again-

 

Here's a pic of the 2 castings I made for the engines. Still a little fat where the dome meets the bell..More to do here-

 

I got the intake trunk sections parted away from the sheet. After the initial clean-up, I got them together. Next I'll true-up the ends and clean up the seams-

 

I've also started playing with the outer intake sections. The masters were designed such that I can also separate each outer intake lonitudinally, so you would end up with a top half and a bottom half...ie 2 "U" shapes. That is an option if I stub my toe on forming the intakes from what you see here-

 

Thanks for looking-

 

Pete

[Pfuf]

A Fantastic Masterclass in modelbuilding realy injoy seeing this build

 

Johan

[Out2gtcha]

I really wish I could add some of your type of modeling skills to my arsenal of modeling prowess but alas.............what you are doing here my friend is, I will admit a bit out of my league. I'm not sayin I'm a slouch when it comes to modeling skills, but you are displaying techniques here that are not often employed by a lot of modelers.

 

I do always enjoy learning new things or learning about new things even if im not fully capable of emulating it, its something I can add to my mental Rolodex.

 

Keep of the great work!

 

Cheers,

Brian

[Texas]

Looking Really Nice......Your doing a great job....

 

Texas

[Pete Fleischmann]

Hey dudes-

 

Thanks Brian for the encouragement! I really lover your big Bearcat BTW-Simply amazing!

 

Started today by getting the J85 engine faces together. This engine has 2 different size stator vanes/variable inlet guide vanes. To begin, I mounted the outer ring to a head-on photo reduced to the proper size to help me align all the stators. I mounted the photo onto .040 sheet, then tacked the bell and outer ring down to the photo with a glue stick. Once the parts are all glued up, running the assembly under water releases those parts tacked down with the glue stick from the paper. In this photo, you can see I need to adjust the alignment of the ring vs. the photo before I start building up #2:

 

Regards,

 

Pete

[williamj]

.....This is just a trip to see it take form..from nothing other than what was in your minds eye.

watching with weekly anticipation. Beautiful.

[Jack]

You sir, are truly a masterbuilder, and that's even a understatement, it must be great to be gifted with such craftsmanship and sense for detail and accuracy.

I'm sure you enjoy the ride completely, don't you?

 

Can't wait to see the end result.

 

regards,

jack.

[Derek B]

Increadibly good stuff Pete. I can more than appreciate the work you are doing, and as a kindred spirit in scratch building, I take special pleasure in seeing you create things in a manner and path that I also follow...We are getting dangerously close to some form of closed religion here aren't we? (The Holy Order of Sanctified Scratch Builders perhaps? ). Anyhow, great work as always Pete

 

Best regards

 

Derek

[LSP_Mike]

Pete, Nice under-cut on the vac! That can be tricky, and yours is ver ver clean.

[Ironwing]

Pete,

 

I am just loving your work and the elegant and simple solutions you use to overcome problems. Very nicely done. Please continue to share. If you would mind, could you give a bit more information on "Apoxie Sculpt". Sounds like interesting stuff.

Again, please continue to post, youre giving many here lots of food for thought, and, more importantly, sharing techniques that are invaluable...many thanks.

 

Best

Geoff

[Pete Fleischmann]

Pete,

 

could you give a bit more information on "Apoxie Sculpt". Sounds like interesting stuff.

 

Best

Geoff

 

Hi Geoff!

 

Thanks for the encouraging words! I admire your work very much- At pat on the back from someone with your talent is a real shot in the arm!

 

Apoxie Sculpt is a 2-part epoxy putty. It comes in several colors..white, grey, brown...It is very fine grained and blends beautifully. You can easily smooth it with water. In fact, my friend Michael-who recommended it to me, likes to work large parts for his Sci Fi models under water. It finish sands beautifully as well, and blends with plastic with no problems.

 

It comes in tubs- They look like this:

 

Just pull approximately equal amounts out. Make 2 sausages, and twist them together like a pretzle-folding it over until a uniform color. Plenty of working time and it can be rolled very thin. Here's a look at part A and B with the tops off:

 

Here's a link to their website. I'm interested in trying their Epoxy paste too-

Aves Studio

 

Again, having used all of the different grains of Miliput, I find this easier to work, easier to blend and finish, and it will be dry in 24 hours every time. I hope you like it too!

 

Regards,

 

Pete