S-foil deployment mechanism upgrade - 1:48 MPC X-wing

[Hagoth]

3D printer arrived today! Prototyping costs are going down.

RigidBot Big, dual head, heated bed, USB and LCD. Assembly required. Guess what I'll be doing for the next couple days.

Project update: Manual mechanism described above is designed. Pictures coming by the end of the week.

 

[usaeatt2]

Rechargeable battery with a hidden USB charger port out the back
Lit engines, cockpit, and possibly R2. The power for the engine lights feeds through the mechanism with hidden micro wires.
A controller board with a sound chip of the wing operation.

If you haven't already, you might want to check out the offerings at Adafruit.
They have a nice Audio FX board which can be upgraded with a power backpack and a Lipoly rechargable battery pack.
I also contacted their R&D department a few weeks ago about offering a fiber optic lighting kit.

http://www.adafruit.com/products/2210

 

[5792z]

For the 1:17 scale version does anyone have a model they could loan me to take measurements from?

Where are you located?

 

[rbeach84]

For the 1:17 scale version does anyone have a model they could loan me to take measurements from?

Where are you located?

Perhaps Hagoth can list his critical dimensions and someone could make those measurements for him, so to save on shipping a big 'thang' all over. Some disassembly is required obviously - perhaps someone already working on 'detailing' one is in the midst and can provide those measurements on the fly. Where is that search tool!

Well could only find one! Rogue Trooper's thread (he has split the wings...) but he has progressed to the point that he may have already chopped things a bit.


R/ Robert

 

[Archive&Future]

This is superb!! Beautiful engineering Hogarth. I'd love to have one of these to fit in the big Revell kit (is it 1:32?) as I've got plans for servos and lights for the one in my stash

 

[Laspector]

If you are 3-d printing these parts, would it be possible to build the mechanism in different sizes for other different size x-wings?

 

[Junk Pilot]

I believe Hagoth said he can. He just requires certain dimensions from the particular kit in question to upscale.

 

[danikin72]

For the 1:17 scale version does anyone have a model they could loan me to take measurements from?

I have 2, I have one that's been opened and one that's untouched.
Let me know what measurements you need and I'll get them to you.
Shoot me a pm and let's make this happen.

 

[Hagoth]

Sorry I've been silent for the week. Got hijacked with touching up the paint in our house and ended up painting the entire thing.

Also got my printer built but I have a lot left to do to get it calibrated and printing.

If you haven't already, you might want to check out the offerings at Adafruit.
They have a nice Audio FX board which can be upgraded with a power backpack and a Lipoly rechargable battery pack.
I also contacted their R&D department a few weeks ago about offering a fiber optic lighting kit.

http://www.adafruit.com/products/2210

Thanks for the pointer, That looks very promising! I think it is even small enough to fit in a 1:48 scale. I'll have to figure out how to connect it up to Bluetooth.

 

[Hagoth]

For the 1:17 scale version does anyone have a model they could loan me to take measurements from?

Where are you located?

I'm in Spanish Fork, Utah. Anyone close by?

 

[Hagoth]

Perhaps Hagoth can list his critical dimensions and someone could make those measurements for him, so to save on shipping...
R/ Robert

I'd have to see what the inside of the toy looks like and then I could tell you what to measure. Anyone want to post images? We can keep them in this thread to have everything in one place for all these X-Wing mechanism projects.

 

[Hagoth]

This is superb!! Beautiful engineering Hogarth. I'd love to have one of these to fit in the big Revell kit (is it 1:32?) as I've got plans for servos and lights for the one in my stash

Thanks Haystack! The way it is designed it is very easy to scale up. Is your 1:32 the Pro-Shop version or is there yet another scale of X-Wing out there? I have a loaner 1:35 Pro-Shop kit in hand as that is the next iteration of this mechanism. It will require a replacement of the motor that comes with it which is a clunky piece.

 

[Hagoth]

If you are 3-d printing these parts, would it be possible to build the mechanism in different sizes for other different size x-wings?

I believe Hagoth said he can. He just requires certain dimensions from the particular kit in question to upscale.

Correct. I'm 3D printing the prototypes and depending on the interest level I will make molds for the different kits. If there is not enough interest to justify making molds then I am willing to do 3D printed prototypes at cost for those interested.

 

[Hagoth]

I have 2, I have one that's been opened and one that's untouched.
Let me know what measurements you need and I'll get them to you.
Shoot me a pm and let's make this happen.

Deal. Can you post some images of the one that is opened up? I might be able to tell you what I need from the images. It is always better to have a kit in hand for fit perfection but I'm willing to try this long distance and see what we can do.

As my third iteration is scheduled to be the 1:24 scale and it was to be a generic one I'll switch places with it and the 1:17 if I get agreed upon dimensions for it first.

When I get a chance I'll try to post pictures of the dimensions that I needed for the 1:48 scale MPC just as an example. This might help as a guide for other scales. It might be a week but I can't hurry this as I'm still in the middle of the first iteration. Which by way of an update...

The 1:48 manual drive mechanism through the servo hub on the back of the model is designed. The simulation works... so now to build the prototype. I'll post pictures as soon as I can now that I'm back on this project.

Just so people know my time availability it could take 6 months to get through all these iterations.

 

[Junk Pilot]

Here's some photos of the large 1/17 Hasbro ship I found in a couple other threads that may help.

 

[Hagoth]

Awesome! Thanks Junk Pilot! Now a picture of the top of the wing roots and the wings which is the other side of some of the parts in the pictures. Looks like the wings will go right through the body hard points at the front of the wing box. In the top picture it looks like they were mostly removed which is a good start. Custom fitting a new mount will be a little bit tricky to get the dimensions for. Might have to use the old cardboard cut out fit and trim trick to take dimensions.

For a project like this who's afraid of a little bit of scratch building. Ok, a LOT of scratch building.

 

[Junk Pilot]

Here's a better picture of the parts breakdown from RogueTroopers great thread. As you can see the wings clip onto the outside of the engines cans.



As you can see the fuselage and wing/engine box is one piece.

 

[newmagrathea]

This is really cool. I wish you would have made it a year ago because I would have put it in the MPC X-wing that I just finished a while back. I totally agree that the MPC wing mechanism is crap, I wound up gluing mine in the open position because it bothered me so much. Keep up the good work.

Just some thoughts. You could also make the R2 a button to open an close, but it would only really work if you have it motorized. Or use R2 as a way to hide the charging jack.

 

[Hagoth]

Thanks Junk Pilot, looks like I need to check out Rogurtroopers thread on this to get a better idea on what we have to work with. These are not what I would consider logical part configurations.

This is really cool. I wish you would have made it a year ago because I would have put it in the MPC X-wing that I just finished a while back. I totally agree that the MPC wing mechanism is crap, I wound up gluing mine in the open position because it bothered me so much. Keep up the good work.

Just some thoughts. You could also make the R2 a button to open an close, but it would only really work if you have it motorized. Or use R2 as a way to hide the charging jack.

Thanks Newmagrathea. Looks like you will need to build another MPC kit. Given that it is an official movie prop from ROTJ... D

Later on I will be showing how I take my old original model and upgrade it with this mechanism and a manual drive through the servo hub on the back plate.

Using R2 as a way to hide the charging jack... that is something to consider. Now If I can figure out a way to combine twisting R2's head as the on off power switch and his body as a cover for the power jack... He is an astromech after all. I've seen all those appendages that can stick out of him. How hard could it be?

Voice in the back of my head... "He's barely 1/2" tall and you already cut off his head..."

That's right I already cut off his head. Hmmm, I think I know how to do this. I might even be able to still keep his eye lit up. Thanks for the inspiration man!

 

[Hagoth]

Ok, after several hijacks of my time I'm back on track.

Here are the links to my progress on designing the manual mechanism for operating the wings through the servo hub on the back of the model. Any one of the links will allow you to scroll through the other images.

Clutch parts - http://hagoth.wix.com/the-brass-ball#!Manual Clutch Parts/zoom/cjex/image_i36

Parts installed - http://hagoth.wix.com/the-brass-ball#!Manual Clutch Parts/zoom/cjex/image_1o5i

Interface with back plate and servo hub - http://hagoth.wix.com/the-brass-ball#!Manual Clutch Parts/zoom/cjex/image_1w0s

Direct link to video showing operation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyvSBYLBbtY There is a bonus feature revealed in the video.

Parts are being printed (including a re-print of the messed up high resolution parts) so a complete physical prototype will be coming soon.

Also I hope to post images soon showing what measurements are needed in general and for the Hasbro toy.