Moebius Colonial Viper Mk 2 WiP
Moebius kit
Photoetch from Paragrafix
To back-light the cockpit ...
... everything must be opened.
Now the photoetch.
The resin pilot
First primer
Primer for the pilot
Black basing
Some middle grey
Details in Black grey
Details in Black grey
Weathering with oils
Instrument screens installed
Instrument screens installed
Instrument screens installed
The pilot received some love, too ...
I used 0603 and 0402 LEDs
First light test
Need to think about light insulation ...
First light insulation
Little lights an switches were done with fiber optics.
Some ugly ejector pin marks in the cockit sidewalls
Thats the look I'm after!
Second bundle of fiber optics - this time blinking
More light insulation
Closed the gear bay doors for in-flight position
Too much plastic for illumination
That's better
After installing the Paragrafix screens painting is cumbersome - so I base-painted everything beforehand.
Screens installed. Added light shielding to prevent the nozzle plastic from glowing.
The brain of the illumination: A little circuit board by Helios Models & Lighting. It gives me flickering engine lights and various blinking sequences for the cockpit and position lights.
For the engines I use flashlight LEDs. Beware: they get very hot without cooling, so operate them only in the lower range!
Light insulation
Cockpit tub installed
The cables were bundled with little PS bits
Clused up the fuselage
Engine LEDs installed with light insulation/reflector material
To keep the Viper in flight I installed a brass tube which will also route the cables into the base containing the electronics.
Engines installed!
One ugly gap had to be treated with the nuclear option for gap filling - Milliput.
A little black basing in the engine area
And ready for paint!
For this model I'm trying black basing for the first time. I did some testing beforehand ...
I didn't have Mr. Surfacer 1500 at the time, so this is still classic priming.
I really like the Paragrafix photoetch, but here it's just ... urgs.
Out comes the wire!
Better.
Black based! Like Knight Rider ...
Covered the engine for a different color.
The marble coat
Blending it in with the blend coat, here Gunze C69
A detail shot showing the subtle variation of the color.
Did a lot of testing for the red stripes. You can use the decal, but I wanted to chip them, so hairspray an paining it is.
The best way to get shape correct is to copy and print the decal and use it as a template.
That's a loooot of masking ...
To reduce the chipping contrast I pre-painted the stripes with tan. Then I applied the hairspray.
Now we're getting somewhere!
Chipping in progress
Time for decals
For the open pits I used RLM66 a base color.
For the weathering part I'll be using OPR techniques described by Mike Rinaldi.
OPR in progress
Now for the details. The position lights were made from acryl glass.
The antenna is a needle.
Metallic tubing on the seat
The cannons got muzzles made of syringe tubing.
Apart from the lighting module every LED gets its own poti to trim the individual lighting levels. Additionally, every group (cockpit, position lights, ...) got an extra poti to tune the lighting levels as a whole.
The base is an aluminum casing.
Every fine wire gets a plug.
Quite busy in the base!
Kommentare
6 October 2018, 12:22
Spanjaard
i have a similar idea for my viper, but you certainly know a lot more about electronics than i do. it looks simply fantastic!!
i have a similar idea for my viper, but you certainly know a lot more about electronics than i do. it looks simply fantastic!!
7 October 2018, 23:09
Gordon Sørensen
The cockpit display looks great! Looking forward to seeing the finished build.
The cockpit display looks great! Looking forward to seeing the finished build.
8 October 2018, 17:18
Demigod
Thank you all for the supporting feedback! My real fun begins when painting the bird.
Thank you all for the supporting feedback! My real fun begins when painting the bird.
8 October 2018, 17:25
Acki
Impresive work! For this right now in the
bench but I'll not do so much work on
this kit as you do. Keep the pics coming.
Impresive work! For this right now in the
bench but I'll not do so much work on
this kit as you do. Keep the pics coming.
14 October 2018, 19:13
Spanjaard
very convincing chipping. what did you use to get the right color for the bands?
very convincing chipping. what did you use to get the right color for the bands?
14 October 2018, 21:17
Demigod
Thanks! Spanjaard, I ended up using Gunze H327 (FS11136) toned down with a few drops of black for the bands.
Thanks! Spanjaard, I ended up using Gunze H327 (FS11136) toned down with a few drops of black for the bands.
15 October 2018, 07:01
Greg Baker
Wow. Very nice work indeed. I'm a fan of a few well-place electronic components and you've done a great job here.
Wow. Very nice work indeed. I'm a fan of a few well-place electronic components and you've done a great job here.
16 October 2018, 03:08
Rene Scheiblich
What the... How did you crimp those wires to these 'big' faston? 😄
Nice work so far! I like the weathering. Not completely shot up like some in the series but not shiny as new either. Kudos!
What the... How did you crimp those wires to these 'big' faston? 😄
Nice work so far! I like the weathering. Not completely shot up like some in the series but not shiny as new either. Kudos!
19 October 2018, 14:59
Demigod
Rene, you're right, crimping was not an option. So I soldered the tiny wires to the plugs.
Rene, you're right, crimping was not an option. So I soldered the tiny wires to the plugs.
19 October 2018, 15:35
Scott Dutton
Impressive commitment to electrifying, and with. PIC processor, hope you do a video running.
Impressive commitment to electrifying, and with. PIC processor, hope you do a video running.
21 October 2018, 11:42
Demigod
In fact I already have - check the "finished" album: Moebius Colonial Viper Mk 2 finished | Album by Demigod (1:32)
The first comment is a Youtube link.
In fact I already have - check the "finished" album: Moebius Colonial Viper Mk 2 finished | Album by Demigod (1:32)
The first comment is a Youtube link.
21 October 2018, 13:43
Scott Dutton
Thanks very cool, less is more, restrained use in cockpit and that glimmering thruster is especially well done
Thanks very cool, less is more, restrained use in cockpit and that glimmering thruster is especially well done
22 October 2018, 12:01