2015 Wonderfest - sneak peek at 16yr old's start for next year

furqueron · Sep 28, 2014

After this year's 1:22.5 StormWalker for Wonderfest:

http://www.therpf.com/f11/sneak-peek-16-yr-olds-wonferfest-model-214389/?highlight=furqueron

Jon-Luc's decided to stick to 1:22.5 for next year, he's going with 100% design of his own this time.

He doesn't have the rotors drawn on it yet, but it is a 4-rotor airship. It could still comfortably exist in the Scott Westerfield universe of Leviathan...but there's no craft in the books like this. He is sticking with an Austro-Hungarian theme in the name: szitakötő which is Hungarian for "dragonfly". Its not readily apparent in these photos, but in the top view which Jon-Luc has drawn there's two bulges on either side of the bow that give it bulges similar to the eyes of a dragon fly. When he moves the side view drawings I'll take some photos of the top drawings. .

Yes, these are full size drawings...and yes...I'll be having to talk to the folks at Wonderfest to get a spot in Juniors large enough to display it....that's the easy one...IPMS...that's going to be interesting getting space for this thing...

As a trivia bit, for those that were at Wonderfest 2013 and IPMS 2013 (Loveland) you may recognize the corner of the diorama in the upper left of the first pic (small trees). That was his "The Chase" entry, featuring the Beowulf which was a walking ship from the Leviathan series...yes..we keep all the models

And I just saw in the second photo, on the floor, is one of the original prototype hulls for his Stormwalker...yeah...I guess we're packrats

Anyways...here's a couple of photos to start with. These are his first rough drafts. He'll refine them as the construction starts.

Looks like this year in addition to an Expedition EL...we'll need to rent a trailer as well...:

furqueron · Nov 10, 2014

Here's some shots I grabbed of his design for the mid-section in Rhino after he translated them from the 2D drawings. The "fish-spines" aren't in the CAD drawings as they'll have to be hand-sculpted and added later:

:

furqueron · Nov 10, 2014

"Job 1" has started! And before Christmas time this year!! Here's some of his first pieces for the ship cut out over the weekend..quite a few more to go.

Did I mention this thing is going to be big? Check out the tape measure in the photos. We've been discussing how to best mount it...rather than the traditional rods from the bottom, we're thinking that he can cantilever the mounting rods from the back.

furqueron · Nov 10, 2014

OK, one last one for the night...

Jon-Luc has based his previous builds off of 'Leviathan' by Scott Westerfeld. I finally got hold of Scott and turns out he was visiting here in Dallas for a book signing. I was able to get Jon-Luc to the signing without him knowing where/what we were doing...he was quit surprised! I also smuggled "Final Fate of the Goeben" up in the back of the truck..we took it in and set it up for Scott to see and to get a pic or two:

furqueron · Nov 20, 2014

furqueron · Nov 20, 2014

Some rotor studies, casting these is going to be "interesting", talking about using brass for reinforcing and mounting:

furqueron · Nov 20, 2014

Some gun studies and photoetch detail being worked out...photoetch skills will be new for this year...if we can figure out where to source chems from for him, this will be an adult supervised activity for sure. Don't know where he's going to place these guns, they might be in the mid-section or on the front "dragonfly-eye" pods:

View attachment 407539
View attachment 407540

furqueron · Nov 20, 2014

Given the shortage of 1/16" thick basswood in our area (at least), the order lead times, and the qty it looks like Jon-Luc will need, I ordered one of these for him. I can buy basswood dimensional lumber and process it far cheaper anyways. We have one of Jim's tablesaws and have been very happy with it. It was used extensive for "The Chase" and "Stormwalker". Jim/Donna, if you see this, please ship it fast!!! He needs its yesterday ;-)

Images used without permission from Jim's site:

furqueron · Nov 27, 2014

Thanks to Jim & Donna the thickness sander should be here tomorrow

Here's some updated Rhino model shots...I think he found a problem with the front hull he's going to fix over the next day or two...he was redrawing the top view of the deck to model from...

furqueron · Nov 29, 2014

Redesigned Front Hull

He's going to be cutting the hull crossections today for the front hull..possibly the rear one as well if he gets that sectioned.

Wes R · Nov 29, 2014

This thing is going to impress folks for sure. I wish i'd been this ambitious with stuff when i was 16 lol.

furqueron · Nov 30, 2014

furqueron · Nov 30, 2014

Machine Gun master so far...he's going to cast 10 of 'em. Some of the parts may be replaced with homemade photo-etch...we'll see.

furqueron · Dec 26, 2014

He's been cutting and sanding...today the chamfer on the rib edges got marked for the midsection, some quality time with a dremel and some 60 grit ez-loc sanding disks should make for great glue joints and a nice smooth hull..

Couple of dry fit pics below as well.

furqueron · Jan 10, 2015

furqueron · Jan 11, 2015

Hi! This is Jon-Luc...I made some progress on the engine master's today.

I plan on having them resin casted from the original here, since i'm going to be needing 5 of them... 4 each a rotor, and the 5th modified to power the 6 (ish) inch long tesla turret that i still have in the works at the moment. Placement wise when they're completed will be 2 in the front 3rd of the ship, up under its' deck, and the other 3 in the much wider back 3rd, the tesla cannon modified engine and power coiling running up the center of the lower deck of the section. the fore end of the engine still needs to be completed and put together, so that the final sizing and placement can be completed and the parts filled and casted.

Oddly enough, these engines (at least the 4 rotor engines) are based off of an actual engine prototype, albeit, one that never saw true production on the steam ships it was originally designed for.

Here are some of the progress shots of the work so far:

furqueron · Jan 17, 2015

Ribs for the rear section got dry-assembled today. He still need to get the tail boom profiles cutout.

We talked about how he's going to display it. I picked up some steel rod today...he's wanting to be able either display "inline" or
have it articulated so that its a more dynamic display..tomorrow or Monday may see the installation of the mounting blocks and first
try-fit of the steel rods.

The biggest issue he's running into is height..I don't recall how tall the tables at Wonderfest are (assuming they'll let him display this due to its size.

The table behind him is kinda standard height but I dont recall if hotel event tables are taller? if he displays it high enough to see the ball turret clearly,
then those not in the 6'+ club will have a challenge seeing the top of the deck...my other son had used mirrors underneath his Klingon BOPs and his
Romulan BOP to see the bellies...we may do the same or...or may try to come up with a custom display rack from the floor...just don't know if they'd
allow that? Hmmmm....

The wooden bar running down the middle of the front hull is temporary and only there to space and help hold the ribs in place.

He's still out working on his ball turret gun, I may upload some progress shots of that in a few minutes.

furqueron · Jan 19, 2015

Ball Turret Gun Pics from last night...

furqueron · Jan 19, 2015

Structure and attachment points for one of the tail booms in place:

- - - Updated - - -

Starting studies for deck planking:

furqueron · Feb 13, 2015

Last couple of weekend's worth of pics..

Ball Joint master that will join the hull sections. The first pics are setting up and pouring plaster to fill the extra space.

After sanding and filing, these will be used as masters for casting. The smaller ball will be cleaned up and cast as well.

- - - Updated - - -

Consoles for top deck of center hull taking shape

Engine Cylinder Master getting there..he's going to need 10 of these total so they'll be resin cast:

- - - Updated - - -

Hull section mockup with hull plating to test painting and weathering. He's done Warhammer size weathering..this will be his first large scale weathering...if he has time...seems like every year, this is the step that gets skipped..if anyone has tips on applying filters/weather on something of this size, please feel free to post...

2015 Wonderfest - sneak peek at 16yr old's start for next year

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