Antsnest
Sr Member
Started work on a lighting module for the Bandai Vehicle Model Razor Crest. These are always a challenge because of the size, but trying to get something internal was the trickiest yet! There is virtually no empty space inside that's not take up with mounting lugs, but there was a tiny void between the top of the main fuselage and the wings that was just big enough to get a microcontroller and support circuitry into...
I ended up with a PCB that is only 12mm x 15mm, and had to get them made only 0.6mm thick to allow enough height for the components as well
There is also just enough space between the inside of the engine exhaust piece and the end of it's mounting post to include a SMD LED. The wires to the LED can then run back through the engine and wing to the PCB, after cutting out a few notches in the internal parts to let the wire pass between mating surfaces. The power wires can be run out through the stand locating point.
The center of the engine is easy to drill out to let the light out but in this quick test I also liked the glow you get from just the spill through the plastic of the engine cowl. Sadly most of that will probably be lost when painted.
More to come...
I ended up with a PCB that is only 12mm x 15mm, and had to get them made only 0.6mm thick to allow enough height for the components as well
There is also just enough space between the inside of the engine exhaust piece and the end of it's mounting post to include a SMD LED. The wires to the LED can then run back through the engine and wing to the PCB, after cutting out a few notches in the internal parts to let the wire pass between mating surfaces. The power wires can be run out through the stand locating point.
The center of the engine is easy to drill out to let the light out but in this quick test I also liked the glow you get from just the spill through the plastic of the engine cowl. Sadly most of that will probably be lost when painted.
More to come...