1/18 LLRV - WIP

[crackerjazz]

Hey, John, thanks for stopping by :)

[niart17]

Hi Bill, really appreciate your most positive comments. For scaling and alignment of reference drawings I do them all in SW.

I normally start initially with a construction line centered at the origin, which I dimension to the length of the scale model.

I then exit the sketch and go to the front plane again and start another sketch (this way it's easier to turn the reference sketch

on and off by hiding or supressing).

After that, using Tools -> Sketch Tools -> Sketch Picture I select my reference sketch (jpg I notice pixelizes a lot when resized;

I like high-res png files). The reference drawing will appear with the sizing handles and can be dragged and resized just like in

any photo editor. I always resize using the top-right corner handle and never the edges. Click also on Transparency -> Full Image ->

then set it to maybe around 60 percent. There are also positioning and rotating selectors on the left side, but I just normally drag

the photo into position. Here's the fiddly part. Whenever you resize you'll need to drag it into position again. Just be patient

with repeatedly resizing and dragging and you will be rewarded with a nicely positioned reference drawing. If you exit out of the

sketch picture by accident just double click on your photo or in your tree and you'll see the handles again.

If you go the top view, you wil still see that initial reference line so I just start another sketch, import my reference top view and

do the resize-and-drag in the same manner. If you want to stack another photo on the Front or Top plane, just start another sketch

on that plane, then import a photo again. And don't forget to play with the transparency.

Hope that helps : )

Edit: Oh, forgot to tell you, when you're ready to sketch over the reference drawing, you'll have to

start another sketch on the front plane, for example, then you can start sketching. This keeps your

photo and your sketch separate (to make it easier to hide the photo off and on).

Ok, I see. I was just curious. I haven't done a lot of using sketch reference images but the few times I've done it I started by using Autocad or Illustrator to scale the images first. I prefer Autocad because you can set some reference points and measure and then it's a simple matter of math to figure the ratio and scaling. I suppose you probably could do the same in a SW sketch, I just like having them all scaled and set @ 0,0,0 before I bring them into SW. I've done a few parts using images in the model, but never stacked multiple images like you did for your engine over your frame. Don't know why I never thought of doing that. It's one of those "well duh" moments.

Thanks for explanation.

Bill

[niart17]

and oh yeah, I forgot one thing.........WOW!!!!!!!!

Are you going to print this sucker?!?!?(no pun intended) That engine work is outstanding. Circular patterns...a life saver sometimes huh?

Bill

[crackerjazz]

Hi Bill, thanks! :) Circular patterns are definitely indispensable.

I'll try it with styrene first -- just need to do the intake and compressor stage. And I suspect the blades may not be printer-friendly. On the model

I was planning to make just the visible blade parts -- the guide vanes and that first row behind them.

I'm getting close to where I was on the 3D engine (wish I could say the same thing about the control panels) before the crash. Except for the skirt and

that slotted band along the waist of the aft section -- I'll have to figure out how to do those all over again, as well what to do with the various

greeblies. After which I can hang the engine on a gimbal -- can't wait to see how that looks.

Edited December 3, 2014 by crackerjazz

[crackerjazz]

Some work on the fuel nozzle assemblies and manifold and some detail on the combustion section casing...

[crackerjazz]

Found the basic profile of the accessory gearbox from a block diagram of all places :) And also found some photos on the web that helped -- it's the same accessory gearbox used on the CJ610.

[Aurora Mark]

If I had the words to describe how I looked - complete with drool on the keyboard - when looking over your work, well, I'd use it here. Incredible!

[crackerjazz]

Hey, Aurora Mark, thanks! :)Z

[crackerjazz]

After finalizing the gearbox cover and moving on to the other parts, I chance upon this profile of the top cover from a CF700 parts manual. I wish I'd worked off of this instead.

It has some particular nuances I would have wanted to incorporate into the model. But now I don't have the heart to start over *sigh*.

[crackerjazz]

Wrapped some styrene sheet on a rod and turned it on the drill.

Edited December 20, 2014 by crackerjazz

[K2Pete]

It's good to see you building again, crackerjazz!

It's all looking really good ... and I'm always surprised when I see just how small this is ... your attention to accurate detail amazes me!

Thanx!

Pete

[Apollokid]

Interesting build and great progress. I really like your techniques.Excellent work!

Gene

[crackerjazz]

Hi Pete, Gene, thanks guys!

Say cheese! :)/>

Test fitting. Some puttying is in order. And I need to remember to paint the guide vanes and bulletnose first before I glue the bell on.

[crackerjazz]

I had no plans of making the aft fan visible in the beginning. But it will be somewhat visible when viewed from atop so I thought I might as well make one.

[spaceman]

Man alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your skill and perfection of your scratch building art is incredible.

[K2Pete]

Man alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your skill and perfection of your scratch building art is incredible.

Couldn't ... say ... it ... better ... myself!

Is one of your fans cut out of sheet aluminum crackerjazz, or is it just painted aluminum? ... so far this engine assembly looks mah-vell-uss!

Pete

[crackerjazz]

Really appreciate your kind words, Spaceman! Means a lot coming from you! :) Hi, Pete, that compressor fan is just styrene painted with Alclad polished Aluminum. I know what you mean about Alclad now -- the material magically "transforms" into metal :) Vidar710 was right, too, after all. Maybe I should have followed his suggestion to use Alclad on my LM-5's coffin - I regret sanding down all the rivets.

I've been looking for plain Alclad Aluminum but my LHS says the color has been back-ordered for months. I want to see the difference between Aluminum and "Polished" Aluminum and I guess the cast titanium fan blades would fall more under an Aluminum-looking (no sheen) color? I might need the same on the LLRV frame.

[K2Pete]

I've been looking for plain Alclad Aluminum but my LHS says the color has been back-ordered for months. I want to see the difference between Aluminum and "Polished" Aluminum and I guess the cast titanium fan blades would fall more under an Aluminum-looking (no sheen) color? I might need the same on the LLRV frame.

My local hobby shop doesn't carry Alclad products but I went up to Modellers Choice in Hamilton and he's got some Alclad 'paints'.

Send him an email to see if he's got some Aluminum. I've only used their Chrome and, when I get it prepped correctly, it looks super!

[crackerjazz]

Awesome, Pete, thanks for the info!

[crackerjazz]

Gave in to modifying the accessory drive gearbox. The gearbox is tiny -- about 23mm wide on the 1/18 model so I'm wondering if I can actually scratchbuild

all the details in.

And attached the old oil filter.

The shape of the oil tank is a bit tricky.

Working on the indentations on the oil tank.

Happy new year, everyone!

[crackerjazz]

Long way to go :(

[Youngtiger1]

Brother Jazz, I hope you had a great Christmas and New Years because you sure going crackers over this build

Yes, a long way to go but it will be one of a kind ones it's finished. I was a Hiller Museum over the weekend and I saw some interesting looking choppers that will make some head turns if built into kits. Sort of like your project here. Very inspiring!

Mike

[crackerjazz]

Thanks, Mike! Yes, had a wonderful Christmas and New Years, I hope you did, too! They flew by real quick, though. Just yesterday it was Christmas Eve :) Chipping away....oil cooler added.

Edited January 3, 2015 by crackerjazz

[K2Pete]

This 3D work is visually stunning, crackerjazz ... but, where, oh where are you getting all this detailed reference from? Is it just from Tony's pix or is there THAT much online?

You need a pat on the back for sleuthing all this lovely detail!

Pete

[crackerjazz]

Hi Pete, thanks! Tonys shots are the best ones so far but many components are hidden behind hoses and piping, so I bought a CF700 maintenance

manual. It was helpful but you still have to refer to photos as the hand-drawn drawings don't exactly match the real parts. The accessory drive

gearbox, at least, seems to be shared between the CF700, CJ610 and J85 and the Kalitta Maintenance website has some good photos. I also got the

illustrated parts manual from Sicuro Publications but except for the top view drawing of the gearbox, was more part numbers than illustrated parts.

My references so far:

1. Tony's shots

2. Photos - http://area51specialprojects.com/nasa/llrv_misc0003.html

3. Prop from Earth to the Moon - http://www.americanspacecraft.com/pa...mod/llrv2.html

4. Big photos - http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/LLRV/Large/

5. Dryden LLTV - http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/LLTV-952.html

6. Unconventional, Contrary and Ugly pdf (with side and top views) - http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/LLRV_Monograph.pdf

7. 3 Stooges photo CD (Jay Chladek's JSC LLTV shots) - http://www.tagteamhobbies.com/llrv.html

8. CF700 Maintenance manual - http://www.sicuropublishing.com/servlet/the-5545/GE-CF700-Aircraft-Engine/Detail

9. Kalitta Maintenance - http://kalittamaintenance.com/turbines/photo-gallery/

Even with the references above I'm still trying to make sense of the engine parts. The hardest ones are around the gearbox. I don't know if I could

replicate everything as it looks like a jumbled mess. I can't wrap my head around how Ben Guenther did his painfully-detailed 6.5-incher. I wanted to get

in touch with him but couldn't find any contact info.