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F-117A Nighthawk (channelling my inner scratch builder)


Uilleann

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Brian,

 

Believe me, your build is already eye-catching! I was also curious about the shape of those screens, just one of the many strange design features that make this aircraft truly unique!

 

Is there a way to laminate offset layers of a photoetch screen to create the shape?

 

Cheers, Tom

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Hi Tom, I honestly don't believe that PE is accurate enough to recreate the structure properly. In addition, the tolerances are so small, that a single slip with the tube of superglue would irreparably destroy everything in an instant. It will have to be either printed or laser formed.

The part's design is really ingenious, and full credit must be given to the Lockheed boys who were tasked with sorting all this out way back in the beginning. Most likely with drafting boards, slide rules, and only frightfully primitive computing capabilities of the day. The more I look at it, the more amazed I am. Cool stuff right there.

If you have SketchUp yourself (it's free to download), I'd be happy to send over the file. It's something you really have to see in 3D to appreciate the visual impact. The 2D screen grabs just don't do it proper justice I think.

Cheers

Edited by Uilleann
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  • 1 year later...

Not really sure how I missed this but, just went thru this entire thread and I have to say, I'm blown away. Your skills are nothing short of amazing !! It nice to see someone else with AMS like myself. Keep it going, all this hard work will pay off in the end and, you'll be able to look back with pride knowing all you did to her during the build.

 

Steve

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6 hours ago, A-10LOADER said:

Not really sure how I missed this but, just went thru this entire thread and I have to say, I'm blown away. Your skills are nothing short of amazing !! It nice to see someone else with AMS like myself. Keep it going, all this hard work will pay off in the end and, you'll be able to look back with pride knowing all you did to her during the build.

 

Steve

 

Steve, wow - thanks for the kind words!  I'm still kicking around, though the past year has been a bit of a knock down - drag out sort of fight for me.  Suffice it to say (without getting into too many boring details) that I'm up, I'm more or less ok, and I have every intention of finishing this kit at my first opportunity. 

 

I've found another - far crazier than I - who's done even more impressive work to update and correct the numerous small, but important inaccuracies of the Trumpeter kit.  John Wolstenholme has an absolutely stunning WIP going on over at ARC.  Absolutely worth a click through and a few minutes to see the art he's created as well.  Many of the fixes were almost identical to my own, but many many more were pure genius in how he solved a number of issues.

 

At any rate, thanks again for checking in.  I hope to be back in the modeling saddle again sometime this year.

 

Cheers!

 

Brian~

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20 hours ago, Uilleann said:

 

Steve, wow - thanks for the kind words!  I'm still kicking around, though the past year has been a bit of a knock down - drag out sort of fight for me.  Suffice it to say (without getting into too many boring details) that I'm up, I'm more or less ok, and I have every intention of finishing this kit at my first opportunity. 

 

I've found another - far crazier than I - who's done even more impressive work to update and correct the numerous small, but important inaccuracies of the Trumpeter kit.  John Wolstenholme has an absolutely stunning WIP going on over at ARC.  Absolutely worth a click through and a few minutes to see the art he's created as well.  Many of the fixes were almost identical to my own, but many many more were pure genius in how he solved a number of issues.

 

At any rate, thanks again for checking in.  I hope to be back in the modeling saddle again sometime this year.

 

Cheers!

 

Brian~

Thanks Brian, yes I know about John's build and, that's how I found out about yours yesterday when you replied to his WIP.

 

Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, at last somebody else is really considering offering to the modellers' community some items that would help in getting a more accurate large scale F-117! Since the issue of the original Testors kit, far before the Trumpeter kit release, the number of improvement parts for such large scale kits has been ridiculously low.

 

I really like what you did with that kit. Please go on!

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  • 1 year later...

As I am about to embark on my F-117 journey, I am in awe of your work! Mine will not be nearly as detailed, as it will be in-flight, gear up, and a pilot, so a lot of the details won’t be as visible as yours. Nevertheless, your build will be a definite reference I will keep referring to. Keep going! I really want to see your finished model.

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Wow.  It's been more than a year since I checked in last.  Sadly, I'm still waiting for life's dust to settle a bit, and then will look into resuming work on the 117.  I'm not honestly sure if I'll ever quite get it finished the way I had hoped, but it certainly has been a fun time building it as I went!  Thanks for popping in to say hello.

 

Bri~

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Hi :) When the Spirit (the mojo, not the B-2) is good, then the black side should come from where it was (the Darkside, not the darkness) and resurrect the lightness , which will .... I don't know .  .  .  I might be a little drunk, not that much, but,  Lockheed rulez! :) Just make it real gut! It's an absolute beaut and it's almost on the final stretch.

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