Firefoxm31
Sr Member
something in the works.....got alot of work yet, though it will be right.
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M-31 Firefox, scale plane replica
- Thread starter Firefoxm31
- Start date
Beagle Bill
Sr Member
Dude!
This is uncanny. I was fixing to e-mail you and ask you how your Firefox was coming along! I'm in your yahoo group. It looks awesome! Will it have a cockpit? I've been following your progress for a couple of years on your website. It's looking really great! I've been wanting one of these babies since the movie came out. What do you think the cost will be?
Bill
P.S. Now you just need a 1/36 scale Clint Eastwood to go with it...
This is uncanny. I was fixing to e-mail you and ask you how your Firefox was coming along! I'm in your yahoo group. It looks awesome! Will it have a cockpit? I've been following your progress for a couple of years on your website. It's looking really great! I've been wanting one of these babies since the movie came out. What do you think the cost will be?
Bill
P.S. Now you just need a 1/36 scale Clint Eastwood to go with it...
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
Hi all,
It will have all details from film including fully realized cockpit, missle bays, engine details, pitot tubes, speed brakes, wing speed brakes, rearward defense pods, machine guns under center intake. It will also have the option of doing studio style intakes or open ones revealing mock twin Turmansky engine turbines...up to builder of commisioned piece.Also hope to have option for full undercarriage and landing gear, detailed bay doors and all...
It will have all details from film including fully realized cockpit, missle bays, engine details, pitot tubes, speed brakes, wing speed brakes, rearward defense pods, machine guns under center intake. It will also have the option of doing studio style intakes or open ones revealing mock twin Turmansky engine turbines...up to builder of commisioned piece.Also hope to have option for full undercarriage and landing gear, detailed bay doors and all...
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JediG60racer
Sr Member
Very cool. I'm in the yahoogroup too, but haven't checked in there for awhile. Do you have an interest list started yet for when you're done with these?
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
Hi again,
Interest list hmm.....well everybody on the group seems so but we'll see...lots and lots of details to do yet, but she'll be a wonderful replica when finished..
William
Interest list hmm.....well everybody on the group seems so but we'll see...lots and lots of details to do yet, but she'll be a wonderful replica when finished..
William
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Firefoxm31
Sr Member
Well,
I saw the movie when I was a teenager in 1982, always waited for the plane to be produced as a kit, never was. I started making models and flying rockets of it (modified from a "d"powered Black Brant 3 of all things). Anyway, I used to make all kinds of models of it, waited for it to show up on TV, then made sketches and such of the details and general shape. Later in college I learned to use CAD. before that point I had been hand drawing everything, including my Nautilus pics. My cad drawing was drawn, redrawn and kept changing as I acquired more and more information about the plane. The laser disc came out and I traced it off the TV (sound familiar). about 1996 or so I talked to a gentleman that as a kid had actually talked to the original studio that made the effects miniatures, Apogee. The guys at the shop were so enthralled that someone had contacted them. they sent him a set of studio drawings..this is the short version of this story ..Anyway, I found contact with this guy and he agreed to send me a set of these drawings. There were nine drawings detailing every aspect of the plane, including the detailed turkey feather patterns for the engine nozzles. The drawings provided development patterns for the nozzle itself. Then there were the McDonnell Douglas Phantom F4-E landing gear drawings, and a ducted fan placement and wing rib drawings for the radio control flying model fox's made for the film. The most important drawing of all to me, was a close up of the nose showing the faceted shape of the plane (this is where all models replicas have gone wrong to date) top view, front view, and side view. Then, on separate drawing, there was the side detail elevation of the plane drawn a a smaller scale including all intakes, landing gear and undercarriage. another drawing sheet had the landing gear bay doors with the double panel and detailed inserts. This is stuff that Fox fans drool over if they like details. Four years later in year 2000, I got in contact with someone that knew about a 63" Firefox model that still existed, long story short, was able to get about 40 photos of it. OK now I have all my reference I would ever need.
I Started back up my cad drawing and proceeded to trace the Fox right off the plans as the shape was exact to what they ended up with for the film. Then I took all my photos and referenced certain points for certain details. This allowed me to transfer all details from the "hero" 63" straight to my drawings, panels, wing brakes, speed brakes, rearward defense pods, tail drone and chute unit, landing gear and under carriage, virtually every detail necessary to model this plane to the likeness of the film "hero." Then with countless hours and a later released DVD version of Firefox, a friend and total Firefox fanatic, Adam and I went back and forth detailing the entire cockpit as per film, calling out common used pieces of equipment, from the F 4 Phantom. I then transferred this information to the CAD drawings for pattern making. This is the plane currently under development should be a real pretty plane replica when finished. I will keep those interested advised of it's progress. I hope to attend my first Wonderfest this year, and will hope to bring a finished plane with me, and perhaps a few other surprises..we'll see.
Best,
William
I saw the movie when I was a teenager in 1982, always waited for the plane to be produced as a kit, never was. I started making models and flying rockets of it (modified from a "d"powered Black Brant 3 of all things). Anyway, I used to make all kinds of models of it, waited for it to show up on TV, then made sketches and such of the details and general shape. Later in college I learned to use CAD. before that point I had been hand drawing everything, including my Nautilus pics. My cad drawing was drawn, redrawn and kept changing as I acquired more and more information about the plane. The laser disc came out and I traced it off the TV (sound familiar). about 1996 or so I talked to a gentleman that as a kid had actually talked to the original studio that made the effects miniatures, Apogee. The guys at the shop were so enthralled that someone had contacted them. they sent him a set of studio drawings..this is the short version of this story ..Anyway, I found contact with this guy and he agreed to send me a set of these drawings. There were nine drawings detailing every aspect of the plane, including the detailed turkey feather patterns for the engine nozzles. The drawings provided development patterns for the nozzle itself. Then there were the McDonnell Douglas Phantom F4-E landing gear drawings, and a ducted fan placement and wing rib drawings for the radio control flying model fox's made for the film. The most important drawing of all to me, was a close up of the nose showing the faceted shape of the plane (this is where all models replicas have gone wrong to date) top view, front view, and side view. Then, on separate drawing, there was the side detail elevation of the plane drawn a a smaller scale including all intakes, landing gear and undercarriage. another drawing sheet had the landing gear bay doors with the double panel and detailed inserts. This is stuff that Fox fans drool over if they like details. Four years later in year 2000, I got in contact with someone that knew about a 63" Firefox model that still existed, long story short, was able to get about 40 photos of it. OK now I have all my reference I would ever need.
I Started back up my cad drawing and proceeded to trace the Fox right off the plans as the shape was exact to what they ended up with for the film. Then I took all my photos and referenced certain points for certain details. This allowed me to transfer all details from the "hero" 63" straight to my drawings, panels, wing brakes, speed brakes, rearward defense pods, tail drone and chute unit, landing gear and under carriage, virtually every detail necessary to model this plane to the likeness of the film "hero." Then with countless hours and a later released DVD version of Firefox, a friend and total Firefox fanatic, Adam and I went back and forth detailing the entire cockpit as per film, calling out common used pieces of equipment, from the F 4 Phantom. I then transferred this information to the CAD drawings for pattern making. This is the plane currently under development should be a real pretty plane replica when finished. I will keep those interested advised of it's progress. I hope to attend my first Wonderfest this year, and will hope to bring a finished plane with me, and perhaps a few other surprises..we'll see.
Best,
William
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
Well,
It will be 1/32 scale actually, making it 23 5/8" long..nice large scale allowing for super detailing.
It will be 1/32 scale actually, making it 23 5/8" long..nice large scale allowing for super detailing.
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Keith
Sr Member
Very cool! I would love a model firefox plane.
I went to a small shop that deals with vintage star wars and action man toys here in the UK about 5 years ago and the shop owner had quite a large model of the firefox for sale for £100. He said it was resin and was used in the film.
I didn't know much about screen used props at the time though, so i didn't buy it
Keith.
I went to a small shop that deals with vintage star wars and action man toys here in the UK about 5 years ago and the shop owner had quite a large model of the firefox for sale for £100. He said it was resin and was used in the film.
I didn't know much about screen used props at the time though, so i didn't buy it
Keith.
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
was the name of the shop Comet Miniatures, and the guys name tony James? no accurate models of the plane to date i will change this little dilema
you probably saw the infamouse Studio 2 resin replica 1/48th scale sorta
William
William
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
1/48 would make this model 16" long the only other thing he could have had thanks to monsters in motion (not the first time they've taken someone elses piece and sent it over there to recast) is my studio casting 21" model the one i'm doing will be even bigger at 1/32 scale making it 23 5/8" long
with the "hero" as a match. will no disputing if someone recasts this one
Best,
William
with the "hero" as a match. will no disputing if someone recasts this one
Best,
William
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
here's a new pic of the progress
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PHArchivist
Master Member
Sweet model.
autoprops713
Sr Member
Hey Will. What year is it again??? :lol3
Looks great man.
Dave
Looks great man.
Dave
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
Ha...Ha Dave, not sure of the year , help me out..... lol
Wolvster1,
hope to have this ready to mold by end of May. I hope to take the patterns or better yet,a casting, to Wonderfest
Best,
William
Wolvster1,
hope to have this ready to mold by end of May. I hope to take the patterns or better yet,a casting, to Wonderfest
Best,
William
Firefoxm31
Sr Member
PICS update! still lots of details and she does break down into sub-assemblies..getting there!
William
William
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