USS Cygnus 1/700 - The Black Hole

Sorry if this has been asked already, but is there somewhere with all the files for 3d printing this beauty? I have all the Primitive Dave ones, but quite a few of them were busted and the files cant be opened..

would it be possible to list them all if you haven't already?

Cheers
 
Sorry if this has been asked already, but is there somewhere with all the files for 3d printing this beauty? I have all the Primitive Dave ones, but quite a few of them were busted and the files cant be opened..

would it be possible to list them all if you haven't already?

Cheers
Hi, This is the list of parts that was originally on Primitive Dave shop back when I was getting them printed. That was maybe 5-6 years ago. I have not checked it against what is up there now.

Also there are some parts on Thingiverse that are based on Primitive Dave's (I think) but may have been modified by the poster.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Part/File NameQuantity
Antenna5
Antenna Light box5
base antennas 11
bow bulkhead1
bow fuel modules pt85 min1
bow windows1
center bow forward1
center bow top open21
center bow ventral open1
Command capsule clear6
command dome 11
fuel modules stern1
observatory cages (Frame)1
observatory dome full detail2
Outboard Module6
Outboard Module Connector6
port mandible 41
port stern engine1
port stern rocket shield21
spaceport module2
spaceport module tank cap2
spine underside1
starboard mandible 41
starboard stern engine1
starboard stern rocket shield 11
stern back1
stern front port & starboard1
stern lower deck port1
stern lower deck starboard1
stern lower platform1
stern upper platform1
tanks module a1
tower1
tower cap1
tower center antennas2
upper deck port1
upper deck starboard1
upper spine final1
 
Probably too many pictures for this update but here goes. The connection between the bow and the center armature parts is a major pain in the ass. I guess the design was not really finished or it could be that I am just not looking at it correctly. Either way I just could not get the parts to fit properly with the original design so some improvisation was needed. The armature part between the two areas need to be significantly slimmer so thankfully my son's skills in Solidworks saved the day. He redesigned the parts and I had them recut. That was a whole other drama with Pololu and file formats but I have to say their customer support was unbelievably amazing. The large hole in the piece was designed in for running wires. Now the armature insert sits flush with the 3D printed model part which it was not doing previously.

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While I was waiting for parts to be cut I continued to detail out the center span. There are tanks that fit into either end and they are a bit of a puzzle. I figured it out eventually from looking at reference pics but it was a head scratcher.

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Very impressive SZArchie.

You mentioned SolidWorks above. Did you and your so design the whole thing in SolidWorks outside of the exoskeleton?

Speaking of the exoskeleton were those previously designed by someone else.

I'm a complete novice so thanks for your patience.

Marc.
 
Very impressive SZArchie.

You mentioned SolidWorks above. Did you and your so design the whole thing in SolidWorks outside of the exoskeleton?

Speaking of the exoskeleton were those previously designed by someone else.

I'm a complete novice so thanks for your patience.

Marc.
Hi Marc

Welcome! Glad you enjoyed the USS Cygnus build. We did not design the model. That was done by a guy called Dave "Primitive Dave" Nelson. There is another, much longer Cygnus thread here on the RPF that goes into that. He took the model about 99% of the way but there is a problem with the Bow armature connecting to the center span armature that needed to be fixed. That was what my son was using SolidWorks for to try to get that last 1% sorted out.
Dave has a shop on Shapeways that sells most of the parts I think and another guy Kremmin (I think) sells some of the missing ones. Its been about 5 years since I bought my parts so I am not entirely sure what is there anymore.

Best

John
 
John,

Thanks for your kind reply. I replied earlier but for some reason it wasn't posted - doubtless my own fault.

Was there anything except the bow armature connection to the centre span armature that your son designed in SolidWorks that you needed to design yourself?

If available I'd love a copy of the SW files you made.

I've seen the other thread also and got some great input there from Jeff.

Best regards,

Marc.
 
John,

Thanks for your kind reply. I replied earlier but for some reason it wasn't posted - doubtless my own fault.

Was there anything except the bow armature connection to the centre span armature that your son designed in SolidWorks that you needed to design yourself?

If available I'd love a copy of the SW files you made.

I've seen the other thread also and got some great input there from Jeff.

Best regards,

Marc.
Hi Marc

We did design some spacers as well and I think we used one, maybe two as sort of shims to get a better fit. I'm attaching pdfs of the designs and the materials we got them made in. I cannot attach the SolidWorks files as the format is not allowed on the forum for what ever reason. BTW we used a company called Pololu to get the parts made.
 

Attachments

  • Bow Connector Revised1.pdf
    8.2 MB · Views: 123
  • Bow Spacers1.pdf
    9.7 MB · Views: 126
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If you're doing the 1/700 version it should be about 40" long when completed. Good luck!
Interesting! What is the source for the 1/700 scale being about 40"?
700 x 40" = 28,000", or 2333.3333333333333333333333333333', which works out to 711.2 m...
I've seen a few sites claiming the Cygnus was a mile long (1,600 or 1,609 meters).
I had taken the production plan's scaling of 1" = 96', & the models' stated size of 12', so 12 x 12 x 96 = 13,824' or 4,213.5552 m.
Most recently, i found a reddit post where a gamer was writing stats for the Cygnus in an rpg, and he used the scaling of the model he had as a kid, which he had worked out as coming to 2.6 km...

Edit: Any chance you might someday use a 3d scanner to make a virtual clone of your completed model? The detail on your build is amazing!
 
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I think I was the first, or one of the first, to build Dave's 1/700 Cygnus--I think I collected the parts over a period of between 18 months and two years, so I could justify the cost--I think it wound up being around $1500 in parts and I eventually sold my build for $3500. But man, I could NEVER afford to build the ship now based on the prices of the parts on Shapeways. 308 Bits is selling the clear observation dome for $135! I feel like I paid at most ten dollars for that part originally--I paid $135 I think for the entire nose section, an amazingly complex, big part. I hate to think what it would cost to assemble all the parts now, let alone what people are paying to build the 1/350 version...
 
I think I was the first, or one of the first, to build Dave's 1/700 Cygnus--I think I collected the parts over a period of between 18 months and two years, so I could justify the cost--I think it wound up being around $1500 in parts and I eventually sold my build for $3500. But man, I could NEVER afford to build the ship now based on the prices of the parts on Shapeways. 308 Bits is selling the clear observation dome for $135! I feel like I paid at most ten dollars for that part originally--I paid $135 I think for the entire nose section, an amazingly complex, big part. I hate to think what it would cost to assemble all the parts now, let alone what people are paying to build the 1/350 version...
 
According to the studio blueprints created at the time, the Cygnus was 2331.5 feet long. Thus, the filming models (there were two of them) were both 1/192 scale. A 1/700 replica would indeed be 40 inches long.
 
This might be a bear to do but I wonder if this might help:

Do 3D prints from ice as molds.
 
Coming to the party late, but where/how did you get the design fir the armature?

Someone posted a link to Primitive Dave’s 3d files on Facebook a while ago.

I have a Saturn Ultra printer, and would love to tackle this project, but lack of information on the armature has held me back.
 

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