Aeronef madness (new pics 07.11.14 finished hull)

[Admiral Benbow]

A couple of days ago a friend of mine asked if I wouldn't like to get me some of the nice aeronefs from Brigade Models and paint some for a game using the Full Thrust rules. Hhm, at first I was a bit sceptical, another project when I don't really need a new one ... But then I thought I could have a look at the website, browsing a bit around if there is anything inspirational. I found the gallery and the "Damn the Torpedoes"-pics from a 2011 Salute game, and was in love: http://www.brigademodels.co.uk/Galleries/VAN-11.html

But before just buying a couple of Brigade's ships I had the idea of building some of my own from scratch first, a usual habit of mine when it comes to modelling ...  

I started searching the net for ideas and inspirations - and found lots of magnificent pictures and images from great artists, mainly on deviantArt. The work of a US guy called Merinomgm is amongst my favourites, and I decided to try building his "Imperator":








I'm sure you will like these rendered images as much as I do, and as soon as I had printed out some of the best pics I found and collected them into one of my "Inspirationen"-books I was eager to start working. The plan is not to buy anything new for this project, so out came some of my spare boxes and a couple of older accessories kits. I use to buy those when visiting a modelling shop looking through the discounted kits and mostly paying very little for lots of great parts.




The Hasegawa Aircraft Weapons sets are of especially good use if you plan to scratchbuild aeronefs as there are so many tanks, bombs and rockets included with just the correct basic shapes needed. Some looking, fiddling around, cutting and sanding later I had the basic shape for my interpretation of the "Imperator":








From another suitable bomb I created the tail shaft for the twin propellers, and the twin funnels started life as inner parts of disposable lighters. Oh yes, never throw anything anyway ... Well mostly.








So let's see where this is going to ...  

[Vanvlak]

So let's see where this is going to ...  Smiley

Somewhere splendid - it already looks brilliant. 

[OSHIROmodels]

Great stuff 

cheers

James

[Steam Flunky]

Looking good already,
and sorry Michael. I didnt realise what an innocent sugestion would start off..................or did i?  

I obviously cannot wait until Crisis in Antwerp next week to get some models and had better start building now, this minute!

[dampfpanzerwagon]

A great little model - I will follow this thread with interest.

Tony

[warburton]

Good work so far

[von Lucky]

Lovely start. Aeronefs are the easiest ways for most of us to start stratch building, though your efforts are sure to be a cut above the rest of us. Will follow with interest.

[Blackwolf]

Wow! Lovely stuff Michael

[FramFramson]

Can't wait to see where this goes - you planning on more than just the one, Admiral?

[Admiral Benbow]

Can't wait to see where this goes - you planning on more than just the one, Admiral?

Hhm, not decided yet. Let's see how much work this really is ...

[YPU]

a game using the Full Thrust rules.

That's not a bad idea.  I bought the original aeronef rules and found them a step or two to simplified for my tastes. Anything battleship related should at the least have arcs of fire.

And naturally I will be watching your scratch building closely like the rest of LAF.

[Admiral Benbow]

So, yes, it's a lot of work looking for all those tiny suitable bits and pieces. Another four hours later ... 

I didn't like the double pumpjacks on the painting, so I found something else in my spares. The gun turrets are 1/35 jerrycan clasps, tiny enough and with some very tiny barrels from streched sprue. The mast is a spare from a 1/700 ship model and I epoxied a piece of thin steel wire behind it for extra stability. Otherwise one incautious action and the mast would have gone. Extra fine rigging at the tail assembly, streched sprue again.

Before airbrushing and painting the thing I have to experiment concerning the airscrews. I want to show just the blurred rotation, so I think I start cutting a circle from transparent plastic and use oils and turpentine. We'll see ...












I think it looks quite like the "Imperator" in the painting, doesn't it?
 

[von Lucky]

Your cut.

Us.

[OSHIROmodels]

Excellent work Michael 

Incredibly tempting to do something like this myself 

cheers

James

[von Lucky]

You have something BIGGER we're waiting on.