S-3B Viking - scratchbuilt

[Starfighter]

Hi folks, 

 

even though my big Hawkeye is currently on hold as I have to figure out how to solve some issues, something is going on in my workshop. I've always wanted a large scale S-3 or ES-3, so I started gathering information quite some time ago. When I had all the stuff I needed, I started drawing cross sections to build up a skeleton using Autodesk Inventor. This helped me figuring out how to assemble the model and avoiding problems (this didn't work out perfectly, but more on that later).

 

The parts I've drawn were then lasercut in 1,0mm PS. That's how the parts looked when they arrived:

 

 

 

After cleaning up, the parts could be assembled without any major issues. 

 

 

 

As usual, I filled up the areas between the cross sections with sheet and PU foam - sheet for the flat and simple curved areas, PU foam for the complex areas.

 

 

[Starfighter]

As already mentioned, CAD drawing the parts helped a lot, but it didn't prevent me from having quite some shape issues. Even though everything looked fine when looking at the skeleton, some areas turned out to be not quite correct with the areas between the cross sections filled.

 

As on many other aircraft, the area where the fuselage merges with the wings is rather complicated. I had to modify the hump on the fuselage by hand to get it (more or less) right:

 

 

 

The nose and tail fin leading edge were a little too pointy as well, so Magic Sculp came to help here (very crappy pics, sorry!).

 

 

 

 

 

[Starfighter]

With the shape issues more or less solved, I started cutting out and detailing the tailhook bay and the crew entry door.

 

 

The next step was adding the surface details - scribing the panel lines, adding anti slip texture to the forward avionic bay hatches and raised panels.

 

 

 

 

Here's a little look at how the beast my look with its wings folded:

 

[Starfighter]

The wheels were drawn with Inventor and then 3d printed.

 

 

And these are the last pics I've taken so far, showing the fuselage with a coat of Tamiya Surface Primer. In the meantime, I have already added the formation strip bases and started working on the cockpit. I'll do my best to update this topic on a regular basis. Comments and critique are welcome as usual!

 

 

[LSP_Kevin]

What a fantastic project! I have no interest in this aircraft whatsoever, but I'll be following your progress avidly! This kind modelling is my favourite.

 

Kev

[Ryan]

Man this is cool!

 

Certainly going to watch this one.

[Loic]

What Kevin said !!

Looking forward to more progress 

[Rick K]

love watching these scratchbuilt planes.  it is total aero engineering combined with art. 

[Cees Broere]

Hmm critique,.......

How about: absolutely fantastic!

I really love scratch build projects.

Good show

Cheers

Cees

[Kagemusha]

Outstanding, so much to admire, always liked the Viking, doesn't look too big either, so hopefully just after you've finished it someone will announce a forthcoming 1/32 kit! 

[Iain]

Awesome - and then some!!!!! 

 

I'm going to be glued to this...

 

Iain

[Mr Smith]

Hey crazy man,finally your awesome work is here ! Great !!!!

 

Jean-luc

[Aluxe]

OMG it`s true!

incredible and amazing

[richdlc]

wow, unbelievable

[LSP_Kevin]

I'd love to hear more about this PU foam you're using. Looks like interesting (and useful!) stuff.

 

Kev