Full Afterburner Firefly............................

[RShanko]

Hi all,
This is my progress report on the fiberglass full afterburner Firefly kit I'm making in the 36 inch size.

All major parts are roughed out now, just like the my plans show.
Right now, the hull is taking shape, and gets more detail, especially around the cockpit, and head.
I just primed it and wanted to show the status of this ship.
It is a big project, but I am almost done all the hard work, and this model is accurate to the original ship design.
I still have to do the centersection top.
Thanks,
Enjoy

Firefly Primed

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/PRIMEDFIREFLY012.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/PRIMEDFIREFLY003.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER1011.JPG

Earlier in the day I caulked the plating so mold goo won't run behind anything.
It looks like its old in these pictures.

Firefly Hull Caulked

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008008.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008009.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008012.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008021.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008023.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008025.JPG

 

[RShanko]

[image width=1024 height=768]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008031.JPG[/image]

I cant post pictures for some reason.
Can anyone help?
:rolleyes

 

[Replicator1701]

That looks cool!!

Test

 

[Replicator1701]

Photo posting worked for me.
I think I got them all.
Nice work so far!!

 

[Aegis159]

Hi all,
This is my progress report on the fiberglass full afterburner Firefly kit I'm making in the 36 inch size.

All major parts are roughed out now, just like the my plans show.
Right now, the hull is taking shape, and gets more detail, especially around the cockpit, and head.
I just primed it and wanted to show the status of this ship.
It is a big project, but I am almost done all the hard work, and this model is accurate to the original ship design.
I still have to do the centersection top.
Thanks,
Enjoy

Firefly Primed

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/PRIMEDFIREFLY012.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/PRIMEDFIREFLY003.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER1011.JPG

Earlier in the day I caulked the plating so mold goo won't run behind anything.
It looks like its old in these pictures.

Firefly Hull Caulked

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008008.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008009.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008012.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008021.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008023.JPG
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008025.JPG

So you're saying the ship is ready to be cast??

 

[Sumatra]

[image width=1024 height=768]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008031.JPG[/image]

I cant post pictures for some reason.
Can anyone help?
:rolleyes

You need to use the right Image tags. You can either use the image button (the yellow square with mountains and a sun) or type them in by hand.

[ IMG]Image address here[/IMG] (remove the extra space in the first tag)

 

[KnightAsylum]

Thanks for the update - nice to see some in-progress pics.:thumbsup
I have not seen anyone else get this far on a big version of this ship, so I look forward to seeing how it turns out.

 

[Chronicle]

Fantastic! May all the nay-sayers insert foot into mouth please... Can't wait to see more!

Clay

 

[Yorpheus]

[image width=1024 height=768]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1032186/FIREFLYMASTER6-16-2008031.JPG[/image]

I cant post pictures for some reason.
Can anyone help?
:rolleyes

RShanko, use

tags. Not [image]pic.jpg[/image]

 

[Nwerke]

Fantastic! May all the nay-sayers insert foot into mouth please... Can't wait to see more!

Clay

I haven't been a naysayer, to date. But if I had been, my foot wouldn't exactly be in my mouth right now.

OTOH, good on Ron for posting the pics, I'm glad some of you like it, and that's all I'm going to say.

 

[RShanko]

Thanks for the picture posting help and encouragment fellas. To post pics I usually click the icon with the mountain and sun, and then paste the link into the little window and say OK, but now, the icon makes a 'boink' sound when I click on it, like it's saying NO!
I wonder if my settings are changed? That handy icon isn't working now.

Anyway, I have a few more pictures for you guys. These are pretty much dead on sides, top and bottom of the ship's nose section. The spine is not done, and I'm adding the bumps on the head that make it look like a stegasaurus, and more vents and plates.
Wait till you see the wings on it.

 

[Treadwell]

Looks like you're coming along, but curious:

I understand the need to fill in any unwanted undercuts in the detailing, but your application of the caulk filler seems overly generous--all of your crisp edges of panels, etc., are now reduced to gradual curves. You're losing a lot of detail that way. Will you be cleaning those up?

Also...caulk? I've never heard of that approach. I guess what works works, but have you tested whether it will react badly to silicone (or whatever casting method you're using)? I'd hate for your mold to refuse to cure or, worse, cure permanently stuck to the caulk, entombing your pattern.

 

[moffeaton]

I think Bondo would be a more versatile/stable surface prep, for next time.

 

[RCB]

I typically use bondo myself. JB weld I actually prefer when dealing with finer details due to its better strength. Regardless, it looks pretty good.

 

[RShanko]

Thanks for asking about the caulking and finishing.
There is so much raised detail on this ship, that I'm trying to capture most of those raised plates, vents and piping on my model, in fact I'm putting on as much surface texture as possible, as long as I can pull it from the molds.
Here is one of my reference pictures showing how the plates look rough running down the ship. I am using bondo too.

From the movie, movie version.

My finished fiberglass kits will yeild a model looking just like this, a working transport pulled from a junkyard and pieced together.
It would be cool if someone built it with the skeletons on it! LOL.

Also, don't forget the bonus's I'm adding to the kits, that the retracting tubular landing gear and rotating core come with each ship, and I plan to light my side engines with blue light and probably have the fan blades spin in those as well.

It'll take alot of weathering to make an accurate paint job, but as you can see, the master has the detailed surface to weather nicely, and even caulking brought out that surface texture.

Please stay tuned, I'm going to post new pix soon of the wings and other parts, and I'll have fiberglass Firefly bodys this summer.
It is a good coffee table size model.

Just under 36" long, and 22" wide, and should fit most of our budgets to build one.
Thanks

 

[dr_slurpee]

Great work so far, that's quite the scale!

So you're making the movie version? I'd of course prefer the TV version myself.

What kind of price tag would be involved with this kit?

 

[pennausamike]

Great work so far, that's quite the scale!

So you're making the movie version? I'd of course prefer the TV version myself.

What kind of price tag would be involved with this kit?

The scale will be close enough to HO to use model railroading parts and figures for detailing.

The model was originally based on the TV version, I thought.

The price is being aimed at the $350 mark, right?

I'm excited at the prospect of being able to buy and build this kit and
I STRONGLY want to see it completed and available.
It will be the crowning addition to my collection, some of which can be seen here:
http://fireflydvd.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3541

 

[Styrofoam_Guy]

Excellent start and I love seeing the in progress photos

 

[RShanko]

WOW!

Mike, your Serenity collection is so fantastic!
You got me excited about Serenity today, thanks for showing us your excellent pieces. I've never seen such a great collection.
The 3 ft would look good in there.

TV version has the rectangle foot pad, same as the "full afterburner".

 

[modeler1964]

Don't quite know what to say here. There appear to be glaring issues with mis-alignment of panels and other symmetry factors that make it look just "off". The grey stuff all over the ship really softens the detail too much as has been said. What is the master made of? It looks like plaster?? I hope this is not what you are considering molding and offering for sale as it really needs cleaning up and I am not sure that even that would help it.
I have no beef at all I just feel like I am stating what should be obvious to all who see the pictures. Maybe consider starting over...???