BSC2025 Wirelizard's small dropship/shuttle

[Wirelizard]

Detailed the outside of the cargo bay roof last night. The layers of styrene are built up to recess the docking/escape hatch into the roof. I might yet add some more surface details but structurally the roof is complete at this point.

The grey bits are more LeClerc tank kit bits.


In place on the roof of the beast:


Got started on the first couple of detail panels on the skin, starting at the nose and working backwards. These are all 0.5mm styrene, with panel lines engraved in. Still need a bit of cleanup, but that can be done after the solvent glue cures.


When you're forming these panels over an angle, you're much, much better off doing one section then leaving the glue to cure solidly before trying to bend the other part into place. I had to wrestle with that nose panel too much because I forgot that and tried to do the whole thing, all three surfaces, at once. Don't do that, it's silly.


After these first few panels I need to get back to the engine pod/wing setup and put the primary skin on the belly before I get the rest of the detail panels done, because as I work aft on all sides I'll need to know where the engines/wings mount, and I want to continue the underside detail panels over the nose/belly join (around the nose landing gear well) to make the whole thing more coherent.

[snitcythedog]

Coming together nicely!

[tomrommel1]

looks very convincing

[anevilgiraffe]

it's going to be a tough one this year...

[has.been]

it's going to be a tough one this year...

Yup!  Not that I am contributing to the toughness. 
This year I am making something I hope to use a lot in wargames.
NOT more bulky items no-one wants to buy & that I don't really have shelf space for.

[Wirelizard]

Bit slower recently, but I did assemble the fourth blog post on the shuttle build. I think all the photos have been seen here, but the most recent post is here: http://www.warbard.ca/2025/02/19/bsc-2025-wirelizards-shuttle-part-four/

Painting of the cargo bay has started, although of course I can't show you that per our BSC rules!

I've gotten the main detailing done on the belly of the beast, including the three landing gear bays. I missed taking many WIP shots, but you've seen how I did the nose and this was similar - 1mm styrene as the structural layer, then 0.5mm styrene pieces over that as the detail layer - and in this case, I put the main gear bay door shape in the 0.5mm because it's so much easier to work with than the 1mm layer!

The basically finished underside from the rear looking toward the nose:


And looking rearward from the nose:


The landing gear is started but it and the gear bay doors will go on very last, right before priming, because they'll get in the way until then... (and risk being damaged...)

Back to the wings and engine pods today, which means I might be done major construction by the end of this weekend! There's also some detailing left to do on the sides of the nose.

[Ragnar]

This is looking amazing.   

[Lost Egg]

Crikey, this is looking quite the beast. I look forward to seeing it completed.

[Wirelizard]

It has wings and engines!

They're very very temporarily taped in place for some of these photos, but they exist.

The engine pods being assembled. Half-hex central pieces and fairly simple side pieces.


This is wing design #3 being laid out in 1mm styrene for cutting.


Engine pods and wings assembled and held in roughly the right position with painters tape, rear view. I have to be careful with photos, as the painting inside the cargo bay is ticking along nicely and I can't show that off...


Front quarter view of the tacked-in-place engine & wing assemblies. I like the chunky angular look I've achieved overall.


The wings will be getting a second layer of 1mm styrene to bulk them out, which will also help integrate them into the frame to hold the cargo bay roof in place. The engines will get some sort of intake grill at the front end and various rocket/jet nozzles at the business end.

Still TODO:
a couple of detail panels on the sides of the nose
some additional detail on the belly
possibly something on the sides of the main fuselage
probably one more painting session will finish the cargo bay, then I'll glue the rear bulkhead into place and finish up the ramp attachment panels.
that'll let me detail the insides of the rear extensions that shield the cargo ramp from the engines

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

This gets more impressive every time I look at it, 

[snitcythedog]

Those wings work a treat.  very inspiring build.

[Ragnar]

This gets more impressive every time I look at it, 

Indeed

[Daeothar]

Yes; getting more awesome with each installment! 

[has.been]

I hate you! 
Brilliant work.

[Wirelizard]

Engine pods have details!

The jet/rocket nozzles are that old kitbasher's standby, tank road wheels. The LeClerc has some nice detailed wheels for this sort of thing.


Slightly different view. Little bit of cleanup to do around the edges, but that will wait until I've finished building the wings and then I'll do all the edges at once.


At the leading edge of the engine pods I put a sturdy intake grill built up out of styrene strip. Bit fussy to make but not complicated. I built it oversized then cut it to fit, which was MUCH easier than having to measure each piece in the tapering half-hex space!


Rest of the wings tomorrow, then back to the fuselage for the last of the detail bits on the nose and sides before I glue the wings on - the beast is going to start getting awkward to handle once both wings are in place!