Studio Scale Thunderbird 2 semi-scratch build

Lazyeagle

Lazyeagle

Well-Known Member
Not with the same sparkle as a Star Wars miniature but still an iconic SF craft from the Gerry Anderson stable. Anyway Remember that Dornier Do-17 Flying Pencil found languishing in the English Channel? Well this was found next to it. Thunderbird 2 studio scale fibreglass halves that I snagged from a friend back in 2004. Just used the fuselage fibre glass carapace halves as a blank canvas. The wings, tailplane, pod, hydraulic stilts, greeblies and all other components all scratched. Pod panels were cut out and reinforced with walls formed from fibre glass and skimmed with filler. Used ¼ inch brass to allow me to raise/lower ‘roof’ to make it flush with the lifting body.

I started in Feb 2013, gave up mid-year because of work only to drag myself back into the Danger Zone a few weeks ago. This is an almost impossible model to get right as the fuselage cross section was way, way off– wanted to make it as close to the first ‘launch sequence’ 32" version so the shape was modified/filled/ extended/ skimmed/ fibreglassed several times that I managed to get a Christmas card from Halfords (auto consumables store chain) . Anyway loads of photos but will post representative group of images at a time so as not to overwhelm – currently making detailed parts and heat forming the windows etc.

Excuse the mess in back garden – cleared up after major house renovations last year.

From this:




To This… believe me this was almost skipped several times…….



Re-shaping and sanding and cutting out pod panels…













 
Thanks guys, appreciate the comments....hope I finish this as it is a challenging build. anyway

Here’s how I did the pod-





Fibreglass and meshed up





Filler…..sand…filler…sand…filler…sand…..







It Fits!



First primer coat





Air intakes profiled…but needed a lot of work to get right…



Wing/ tailfins all cut from mdf sanded to form aerofoil profiles- wings were a bit too long…well what I thought was too long. Mdf had eventual brush on resin treatment to seal everything – sanded and then re applied resin. Took 4 applications but still required filler treatment to get coveted ultra smooth surfaces. This took longer than expected – 2 weeks….grrrr!

 
Roll on March 2014…the story so far…

Heat formed clear plastic to mould around nose contours to form windows and the twin side portals. Used heated PTFE as a test – now switched to clear plasticard. Will create window shaped masks then eventually spray filler and primer to form the thin look of the frames to give that scale realistic effect. Well that’s the plan anyway and I’d love it if it came together.

As per photos jet intakes were so off that I re-did them….





It looks like a mess…and it was/is….intakes better….bit Technicolor..Joseph would be proud





Detailed parts, engines, rear tail stack. The tail box was created using Rexel plastic document intrays around a wood core- then clad in plastic and sanded to shape. Airfix girder bridge (now made by Dapol) features a lot – like the ‘X’ in the rear engine bulkhead recess. Assorted kit parts from Tamiya tanks grace the recess.





Mastered the hydraulic leg blister in mdf – resin coated still working on it. The small side intakes on the tail are thanks to electrical styrene trunking covered in plasticcard laminations and sanded to profile shape

Dry fit…





Looking lonely.......but not forgotten



Filler primered and how she looks today…









Now filler, sand, filler and casting the leg blisters in resin and building the legs, interiors, cockpit (not sure) maybe lighting…ad infinitum…
 
Small update…reasonably small anyway..

Casting the hydraulic leg blisters



blisters attached and blending process



Smoothed out





Tail vent master to be cast in resin..





Needs trimming to fit, cast vent pieces



Tubes cut for legs..if this does not work then will turn them into pan pipes. Used whatever around the house – copper pipe offcuts, curtain rail poles and aluminium leftovers



Assembled and glued



Test fit



Legs will need trimming down, as it needs to sit just above pod door….but for now..



Assembling the fins to elevator box and adding rear rocket tubes





Adding side intakes – fashioned from cable trunking laminated with plasticard and sanded to shape.







Side booms covered in plastic curved to shape and then fillered



Strut footpad master – too big will redo this so its smaller….



Dry fit thus far…..next windows….



not happy with footpads as they are too large,,,.makes TB2 look like a puppy





You may not be able to see it but there is lining on the inside of the pod ready for rib detail and greeblie parts…not sure which pod to make yet.





 
Quick update – window sections added by conforming strips of clear plastic to the cockpit areas and using filler to blend in. Masks formed the window shapes and filler primer created the frames.

Blended in









 
To create this out of the piece of junk you started with is astounding. Beautiful work Lazyeagle. I love the colour of Halfords filler primer.
 
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