*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 01:59:01 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 1686604
  • Total Topics: 118111
  • Online Today: 626
  • Online Ever: 2235
  • (October 29, 2023, 12:32:45 AM)
Users Online

Recent

Author Topic: VSF'ing a starfury?  (Read 4389 times)

Offline YPU

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4255
  • In glorious 3D!
VSF'ing a starfury?
« on: February 04, 2010, 11:14:40 AM »
I have an old revel model of the babylon 5 starfury lying around, now I never watched the show (I don’t think it ever aired here) and bought the model rather cheap many years ago. It isn’t build all that well, but not the point here.

For some weeks now I have been looking at it and I can’t stop thinning if and how I could VSF’fify this thing. Perhaps I should add a cylindrical or half cylinder body to its front and turn this model into the wing and engine section of something like the more ‘traditional’ airsleds, but perhaps you guys have a better suggestion?

Here is a good picture of the model, tough this isn’t mine.

« Last Edit: February 04, 2010, 12:32:20 PM by YPU »
3d designer, sculptor and printer, at your service!



3d files! (here)

former user

  • Guest
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2010, 11:21:36 AM »
difficult....

how about:
cockpit works fine, just add rivets
jet engines are nono, so better add propellers, and then some wing extension to make up for height rudders; possibly some kind of tail for stabilization

the result would be some kind of X-doubledecker with four engines?

Offline YPU

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4255
  • In glorious 3D!
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2010, 12:04:32 PM »
Another idea I came up with is to put it on a large launch rail like contraption and have it simply be a part of the abandoned moonbase.

Offline Gluteus Maximus

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5427
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2010, 12:49:10 PM »
I agree it's very "hard" SciFi design and doesn't really strike me as being VSF. Still, I'm sure it would be possible to do it, though I wouldn't have a clue how  :(

I loved those things when I first saw B5. I was really impressed that they had taken the trouble to depict them "flying" correctly in space, unlike the Star Trek/ Star Wars style whizzing about in every direction like WW2 dogfighters on heat.

Whizzing around isn't a bd thing of course, but along with the Earthforce ships designs, it showed JMS had tried to use "real" science in the show.

Offline OSHIROmodels

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Elder God
  • *
  • Posts: 27708
  • Custom terrain a speciality.
    • Oshiro modelterrain
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2010, 01:28:47 PM »
As Bezzo said, I'd strip it down as much as possible and work from the ground up.

Props would be good for the front of the engines, loose the directional fins and thrusters.

If I remeber right, the 'wings' come in two parts, top and bottom. I'd be tempted to use only the top part and then have struts inbetween, similar to a Wright brothers plane.

Actually, having a second look, use the directional thrusters as location points for more props so you've got a main one at the front and then smaller ones on the top and sides  :D

A single nose mounted gatling gun under the cockpit would do and some small boilers/gubbins in the space between the wings next to the cockpit...

I want one myself now  lol

cheers

James
cheers

James

https://www.oshiromodels.co.uk/

Twitter account -     @OSHIROmodels
Instagram account - oshiromodels

http://redplanetminiatures.blogspot.co.uk/
http://jimbibblyblog.blogspot.com/

Offline YPU

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4255
  • In glorious 3D!
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2010, 01:39:30 PM »
Putting small propellers on the smaller noses, I was just thinking that. (no really, I was)  I think that adding some sort of boiler on both sides of the cockpit and adding hoses to the engines would help with the idea that it works on some sort of lunarium enhanced steam engine.
Adding wing flaps sounds like a good idea, and putting struts and ropes in between the wings like early biplanes should look very good.

I’m not sure what I am going to arm it with. It has four weapons that have a very high raygun vibe, to I seriously dislike their looks for some reason.

Oh and perhaps I should paint it up/scorch it to represent wood? 

I agree that the design is hard scifi, but for some reason the idea of using it for my mission to the moon campaign wont let go of me.

Offline Skrapwelder

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1768
  • Pluviophile
    • What Ho, Cythereans!
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2010, 02:30:01 PM »
Maybe a long, cylindrical gasbag attached to the backside of the cockpit looking like the abdomen of a wasp. Then put your props on the rear of the nacelles, airship style. Add a bunch of rivets and steam fittings to taste.

Offline Red Orc

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2601
  • Baffled but happy
    • My new VSF blog:
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2010, 04:48:13 PM »
Seconded. I was thinking gasbag(s) too. Nothing says VSF like an improbable airship.

Either as Skrapwelder says have the envelope behind the cockpit, or, for ultra-whackiness, how about one above each top wing?

Props on rear nacelles too. Props on the front are so 20th century.

In other words, what Skrapwelder says, with the option of real daftness and two parallel envelopes (I'd recommend 2-litre coke bottles).

Who will be using this little beauty do you think? It looks like a pirate ship to me. The guns don't look right, you're spot on with that, but whether you can replace them with Galvanic Lightning Cannons or Aetheric Flux Bombards or something, I don't know.

EDITTED because I can't spell 'VSF' it appears.
« Last Edit: February 04, 2010, 06:30:20 PM by Red Orc »

Offline YPU

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4255
  • In glorious 3D!
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2010, 05:09:53 PM »
Hm, perhaps I will put twin airbags in between the wings. I was contemplating behind it as well. I think I have some nice containers for that, but I’ll have to see.

The ship will be a prusian contraption, left behind at the abandoned moonbase. Capturing it will be the point of one, if not two linked battles. Which will unlock the shop to whoever capture ship.
We will be switching sides pretty much every battle, so nobody has to feel left out anyway.

Offline YPU

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4255
  • In glorious 3D!
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #9 on: February 05, 2010, 09:54:11 AM »
Does anybody happen to have a good tutorial on how to make some propellers, cause I am a bit stuck on it... :D

Offline YPU

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4255
  • In glorious 3D!
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #10 on: February 05, 2010, 12:25:30 PM »
I could ofcourse take a note from crimson skies and use clear plastic discs as props.

Offline OSHIROmodels

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Elder God
  • *
  • Posts: 27708
  • Custom terrain a speciality.
    • Oshiro modelterrain
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2010, 01:20:01 PM »
Buy some proper ones, discs on something that big just wouldn't look right.

cheers

James

Offline YPU

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4255
  • In glorious 3D!
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2010, 02:30:05 PM »
Hm, well my girlfriends dad is into RC airplanes, so I’m sure he can point me in the right direction, not sure if I could find small enough props for the side exhausts, for some reason I think props looking more like ship props would look best on those, I might just get some lego ones as they seem to fit correctly.

Offline Trencher

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 259
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2010, 02:43:00 PM »
Lego might be your friend there:

http://www.bricklink.com/browseList.asp?itemType=P&catString=30

You'll have to create an account prior to buying, though. Which isn't that bad since some specialized parts might be helpful for some other scratchbuilding jobs... ;D ;D ;D
TANK POLO? God, how our gardener hated that game!

Offline YPU

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4255
  • In glorious 3D!
Re: VSF'ing a starfury?
« Reply #14 on: February 05, 2010, 04:28:16 PM »
wow, if that’s correct, 0,008 dollar each for the small ones I was planning on using, Might just be a very good source of materials for other things as well yea. :o And many many people selling them in the netherlands as wel. Thank you very much for that site!
« Last Edit: February 05, 2010, 04:47:18 PM by YPU »