AAV Drop Ship

yuumi2891103 · Apr 16, 2019

Here's a little progress of the last week.
I have been making some instruments panels around the cockpit of pilot.
I really felt that my eyes are getting so weak.

I've used 2 mm thick orange acrylic plates.

I made a X,Y axis cross table last year and I used it this time for the first time.

With a back light.

I will make an up front panel next and then go for weapon officers cockpit.
Sorry for a bit boring and slow progress but as always your suggestion and advice will be welcomed.

Thanks for watching.

Katsu

yuumi2891103 · Apr 16, 2019

Sorry double posted

korben44 · Apr 17, 2019

Amazing work!

yuumi2891103 · Apr 17, 2019

Thank you, korben44-san!

SCUDMAN · Apr 17, 2019

The cockpit looks amazing!

Analyzer · Apr 18, 2019

Excellent attention to details!

yuumi2891103 · Apr 18, 2019

Thank you very much, my friends!

yuumi2891103 · Apr 23, 2019

Making a gunner's seat and instruments.

I don't know if this orange touch panel fits for this.

Thanks for looking

Analyzer · Apr 24, 2019

I love all the various details and controls!

I think the orange panel could work. I'd be curious to see how it looks lit up

You could mask off the instrument panels and paint it black or grey. That would give a good effect as well, especially if you are going to back light the panels. But then again, maybe that's what you are already intending to do

Out of curiosity, what scale is it?

Do you plan on having pilot figures?

SmilingOtter · Apr 24, 2019

Definitely a fan of the orange - though I'm sure other colors would look good as well. And I really like that the joysticks have different button configurations.

yuumi2891103 · Apr 24, 2019

Analyzer said:
I love all the various details and controls!

I think the orange panel could work. I'd be curious to see how it looks lit up

You could mask off the instrument panels and paint it black or grey. That would give a good effect as well, especially if you are going to back light the panels. But then again, maybe that's what you are already intending to do

Out of curiosity, what scale is it?

Do you plan on having pilot figures?

Hi! Thanks for the kind comment, Analyzer-san my friend.
The scale is exact 1/24. The finished model will be 24 inches long.
I thought the masking way at the first place - may be that could be a better idea - but I need a little futuristic twist for this. I thought this way may makes those displays looks just like images in a one big screen. So, I took this idea. And Yes, I will back lit this instruments panel.
Here's a few pics of cockpit I built many years ago. This was a little classic style cockpit. I referred a F-16's one.

Here's a few pics of today's progress.

Oh, Yes, I am going to sculpt a couple of Marines aviator for this.
I'm thinking to use Sculpie.
Then I am going to ask this guy to be a model.

He is a F-15 Eagle driver Ken-san.

SmilingOtter said:
Definitely a fan of the orange - though I'm sure other colors would look good as well. And I really like that the joysticks have different button configurations.

Thank you, Tom-san.
Last time I made a green one, so I chose orange this time.
And thanks for noticing about the joystick.
The rear seat is for the pilot, so I gave it a control stick for the right hand side and something to control a vertical movement for the left hand side.
The front seat is for gunner. The both sticks are basically the same thing. In case the pilot is down, they will be a flight control.

Thanks for looking!

Katsu

Analyzer · Apr 26, 2019

I like rectangular orange display! It does give a more futuristic kind of display. Plus being closer to red wouldn't kill your night vision either

Pcoz · Apr 26, 2019

Hey there ! Looking good !

I haven't been here in a while. It's good to see a friendly face making some fantastic models again.

I can't wait.

Maybe you can inspire me to start a new scratch build project.

Pcoz

yuumi2891103 · Apr 26, 2019

Analyzer said:
I like rectangular orange display! It does give a more futuristic kind of display. Plus being closer to red wouldn't kill your night vision either

This is a very professional advice. As I said I'm going to sculpt pilot figures and now am inspired about the IR goggle or integrated helmet visor.
Thank you sooo much!

By the way, I tried to fly a new F-14 Tomcat simulator yesterday. They say this has very authentic flight model and systems.
And I realized that how the modern jet like F-18 hornet is so sophisticated than F-14. It is so different in many way.
I've been always loved F-14 and when US Navy decided the retirement, I was so disappointed. But now I know why.
F-18 is A super.

Pcoz said:
Hey there ! Looking good !

I haven't been here in a while. It's good to see a friendly face making some fantastic models again.

I can't wait.

Maybe you can inspire me to start a new scratch build project.

Pcoz

Hi! thanks for a nice comment and I really glad to hear you might start the new project.
Your steampunk gun was so original and impressive as well.
It's getting a good season to the new project. I look forward!

Katsu

Analyzer · Apr 26, 2019

yuumi2891103 said:
This is a very professional advice. As I said I'm going to sculpt pilot figures and now am inspired about the IR goggle or integrated helmet visor.
Thank you sooo much!

By the way, I tried to fly a new F-14 Tomcat simulator yesterday. They say this has very authentic flight model and systems.
And I realized that how the modern jet like F-18 hornet is so sophisticated than F-14. It is so different in many way.
I've been always loved F-14 and when US Navy decided the retirement, I was so disappointed. But now I know why.
F-18 is A super.

There was an F-14 that went down at the Naval Air Base near where I live during one of the shows. I remember seeing it banking for a turn, then it disappeared behind the trees followed by a fireball and smoke. It was a very sad and I can't imagine what the pilots went through as they had no time/height to eject

I don't know how accurate it was, but I had heard they had some stall issues

yuumi2891103 · Apr 27, 2019

Analyzer said:
There was an F-14 that went down at the Naval Air Base near where I live during one of the shows. I remember seeing it banking for a turn, then it disappeared behind the trees followed by a fireball and smoke. It was a very sad and I can't imagine what the pilots went through as they had no time/height to eject

I don't know how accurate it was, but I had heard they had some stall issues

Wow, you got quite a story.....
Like a simulator of F-18 Hornet, this F-14 simulator also has many good reputation and its quality has been endorsed by many real F-14 pilots. After a long engine start up procedure, I took her to several thousands feet high. Oh, I could hardly managed to maintain even a straight level flight. As I made a hard turn with full afterburner, it suddenly stalled and went into a unrecoverable flat spin. All I could do was punch out.
I

Analyzer · Apr 29, 2019

I am terrible at flight simulators

I went looking for an article on it. Apparently the pilots did try ejecting. I thought they were too low and sideways, but...

Accident Grumman F-14A Tomcat 158629, 18 Jun 2000

"Demonstrating simulated wave-off maneuver. aircraft made right turn, after wave-off, added power; flameout of one engine. Attempts to regain control of aircraft at low airspeed failed. Plane impacted trees, and burned, outside airbase perimeter. Two crew ejected, horizontal into treeline. Did not survive. (Lt. William Dey of Hightstown, NJ and Lieutenant David Bergstrom of Annandale, Va.)"

A few years before that there was also an A-10 crash at the same airbase. The pilot came in too low and clipped the top of a tree sending him into a quick nose dive. I remember driving home seeing the smoke near the approach path thinking that can't be good.

The base shutdown as an active airfield about 10 years ago. I miss watching the A-10s doing their weekend practices buzzing over the house

At any rate, back on topic, looking forward to seeing you build the rest of this!

yuumi2891103 · Apr 30, 2019

Wow, A-10 is one of the toughest machine in your arsenal and always assigned to the toughest mission. I love that flying tank. If I'm a soldier on the ground, That plane is a guardian angel. A-10 has a many huge fans here in Japan.
And thank you for coming along with my little derailment talk.

The very last day of Heisei-era, we went to peony flower garden in Ueno, Tokyo.
After the gentle spring rain, the garden was so impressive. And we welcomed for the new era 'Reiwa'.
I'd like to share these pics with you.