Trojan Thunder Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 (edited) So I have been working on this 'project on and off for the last few years. Some previous work in a thread here. Work has come a long way with interior work done but not finished. Along with tinkering in the back end... ...I decided to see how to tackle the engines and pylons. After an afternoon in the garage I have had some success. I glued one nacelle together and attacked the sides with files and sand paper to flatten them. Picture is not that good but shows a slight shape change from the unaltered nacelle. I found after flattening the sides not as much work will be required with the lower lip. I have added some putty to the inner intake lips to thicken them up after removing about 2mm of resin from each side. I then turned to the engine pylons. Anigrand supplies different shaped pylons for inboard and outboard. After looking at the Revell 1/144 kit it seems the inboard and outboard pylons should be identical. The top pylon is an unmodified Inboard pylon, the hatched areas are to be removed to correct the shape. The middle pylon is the unmodified outboard item and finally the lower is the modified lower pylon. As you can see I added material to the top as it is fairly flat on the actual aircraft and not sloped as Anigrand portrays it. I also extended it aft as it was too short. So the engine intake needs cleaning up and some more shaping and the other 3 pylons need modification.While I am at that I will tinker with other areas such as the rear cargo hold ..and figure out how the cockpit windscreen and roof will be rectified. Edited December 21, 2014 by Trojan Thunder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted December 21, 2014 Author Share Posted December 21, 2014 (edited) Well back to the nose section, I have used an upsized scan of some decals for the Revell 1/144 kit as a template for the windscreen panels. I transferred them to tape and then to a CD case. The outlines were then scored with a hobby knife and removed from the surrounding plastic Then test fitting and slight reworking of the cockpit area to get the bits to fit. Finally I took part of the kit cockpit roof to fit back over the panel parts. All test fitting at this time. Finally a comparison of the modified cockpit/forward fuselage shape compared to what the unmodified kit clear parts are like. So it looks like I have overcome the dodgy windscreen shape of the kit. Still some adjustment to be done and I will start adding the pillars and mount the roof. Edited December 21, 2014 by Trojan Thunder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aurora Mark Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Incredible work and effort you are putting into this build! I really like the work you did up on the pointy end of this big bird. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ST0RM Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Does this help you any? Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted December 22, 2014 Author Share Posted December 22, 2014 Thanks guys... Does this help you any? Jeff Yes Jeff, I suppose how far off I am with my correction work, a long way to go to make the nose look ike that. Next update... Windscreen pillars are in. Time for some adjusting Panels are in loose and I may make up another set that will be a snug fit... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 Well the cockpit is almost there. Hit it with some primer today and it still needs some work. But I can say shape wise it is 99% there now Cockpit test fitted - front Cockpit test fitted - back end How it looked when I first started, before any chopping at all Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 Took a few more shots with the fuselage taped up. Also a size comparison with a 1/72 P-3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aurora Mark Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Brilliant!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alternative 4 Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Wow, looks awesome. I love the shape of the C-17's front end and you captured it perfectly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rocat Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 amazing amount of work! looks very nice so far. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Cheers guys :D Eyebrow window openings added.... Still refining the shape of the nose .. and some more work on the main wheel wells Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aurora Mark Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I must say that I really am blown away by your continued work to get the front of this C-17 looking just right! Great scratch work in the wheel wells as well. Thank you for the shots with the P-3, that really does give a bit of perspective with regards to the size of this big bird. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your progress. All the best, Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 No worries Mark, gives a bit of perspective of how big this thing will be when finished. Some more progress, a couple of pictures with the eyebrow windows added, just need to do the sensor ports next to the nose wheel well now. Work has progressed down the back. I have been adding some detail to the left side including the now dissected wing spar box in the ceiling of the cargo bay. I have also started to experiment with the insulation matting that seems to cover most of the exposed ribs. I am using kitchen towel roll wet down with diluted white glue. On the other side, I have just about finished adding ribs and storage compartments and the other half of the wing spar box. Finally, I hit the almost completed main wheel well with some paint... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aurora Mark Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Wow! I mean, that's all I can really say, is wow. Fantastic work up on the nose, and then the interior as well. I do think though that the paper towel might be a bit aggressive in its texture. As odd as it may sound, what about trying Kleenex instead? It should work with diluted glue just the same, but having a finer texture might just give that look you're looking for. Just my two cents. Regardless, the build is really looking superb. Cheers, Mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Cheers Mark. I have removed it as it did not look quite right. I think tissue will be easier to work with as well. It will be covered in a gloss coat so texture is not an issue Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nimrod77 Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Ray you have the patients of a saint well done thus far. Good to see I'm not the only one who builds slowly and difficult kits! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) Cheers Nimrod, Slow, I started this one back in early 2009. It will be record if I ever get it finished. There will be a few updates for the 'work' forums when I get back to work in the new year Edited December 30, 2014 by Trojan Thunder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted September 28, 2017 Author Share Posted September 28, 2017 So another month on and the C-17 mojo is back.  I preparation for sealing up the fuselage I had to tape the subassemblies together  And then I had to figure out how much weight I needed to add to avoid and massive tailsitter  Fun Fact No. 1 The model before nose weight was added weighed approx 1.4kg  Fun Fact No. 2 The amount of nose weight required was approx 285g (not your piddly 5-7g for those wimpy injection moulded kits)  Weight installed  Final weigh in  My cutting mat is A2 size   And finally, some size comparisons with a couple of in-progress builds  C-130J-30  C-47 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted September 28, 2017 Author Share Posted September 28, 2017 I also have done some more interior work, one day I might update the older PB images in the thread  Interior work    Flight deck [   Some work behind the cockpit  Some internal lighting installed  And some cockpit glazing added Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hajo L. Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 Great work! Â Â HAJO Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 The fuselage is now together, but before closing up I had to add a screen that goes around the entry door which can be seen on the left up front. Â Â Turning my attention to seams and filling pin holes, oh what fun. Â I am also fixing up the vertical stab. I had previously cut out the rudders so I could pose them slightly offset as they usually are when the jet is parked. Â I didn't get it quite right the first time around, so now I have had to increase the size of the rubber cut out and lengthen the rudder panels. Â The top 2 panels have been reshaped with the addition of some card. I also have to remove some material from the base of the fin as the curve is not quite right. You can just see the marked area at the base of the leading edge. The area where the two parts of the cabin ceiling came together is a bit of a mess. I will fix it as much I can. Â The horizontal stabs are getting some attention as well, I am drooping the elevators like on the real thing again when parked. Â Time for more cutting, filling, and sanding. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Madhatter Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 absolutely mental mate! But in a good way Glad to see some progress on this again. I must finish off my VC-10 one of these days but I have no where to put it currently I like the small touches like the Aussie flag All you need now is a bush master to go in the back! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peterpools Posted October 5, 2017 Share Posted October 5, 2017 (edited) Just catching up - very impressive work for sure: size and weight is huge. hopefully you will update the earlier PB photos. Keep 'em coming Peter   Edited October 5, 2017 by Peterpools Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017   What an epic build. Years in the making. Progress for sure is up to your usual standards and is just simply amazing. Just hoping that the updates keep on coming no matter how long between them.  Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trojan Thunder Posted March 21, 2019 Author Share Posted March 21, 2019 18 months between updates is not bad, though I have actually done some tweaking since the last update  So it's time to spend time on this build again with renewed enthusiasm.  I had issues with the nose and puttied areas cracking so off it came and a new nose fashioned with Milliput. The shape still needs refining. I was not happy with the cockpit windscreen pillars so they have come out along with the clear panels and they will be repositioned.  Finally, I got around to replicating the support structure and ribbing in the starboard main gear sponson. This is now getting some reinforcing work to the gear support tabs so it does not collapse under the kit weight 😄.  I also reshaped the sponson front sections to make them more true to the prototype. A lot of the Aaingrand shapes are oversimplified,  then again it looks like they just copied the old Combat Models kit so why go to any effort to make it look right? Manufacture of the ribs that will support the gear leg support arms and the white metal gear parts glued together  Tail unit components with flight control surfaces removed, which will be repositioned in power off positions and rescribed. I have started scribing the details on these now using the Revell 1/144 kit parts for reference./url], on Flickr  C-17 with reference Revell 1/144 kit and C-130J-30 conversion that I am also dabbling with at the moment  The starboard sponson now has new detail and I could not resist a gear test fit. I did find that some legs are now going to be straight so I am replacing the mounting plate and making it larger so I can reposition the mounting holes to square up all the gear legs, three down, one to go.  More to follow ( and hopefully another 18 months won't pass. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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