Academy 1/144 B-1B

Villiers de Vos
A very nice exhaust effect.

Robin (WhiteGlint)
That's quite a looker. I like the exaust effect very much as well.

S M
That's amazing! Looks like Mach diamonds!

Brandon H
Very cool!

Villiers de Vos
Brent, how did you create the effect? Did you use one LED per engine, or multiple lights per engine?

Brent Beck
Villers de Vos, I created the effect with a pink LED per engine. I measured the diameter of the kit nozzle and found that an LED would fit in the center with no problem. I ordered a clear acyrlic rod the diameter of the nozzle so it would slide right in. To shape the rod, I placed it in the chuck of a cordless drill sand it to a point. I then used the same technique to polish the acrylic rod. I also created the shock diamond effect using the same technique. I used a low speed on the drill and a piece of sand paper to rough up the acrylic. The kit has plenty of space to run the wires down the hollow aluminium shaft to the base. In the base I have the battery and switch.

Things I would do different in another try would be to order a premade strip of lights like the kind found on Evan Designs website. There was a short of some kind and a 9V battery would get very hot and drain out in about an hour. The premade wiring should eliminate that problem. I would also paint the exhause using Mr Color Transparent Pink.

Villiers de Vos
Thank you Brent. You have captured a very difficult and complex visual effect very well. The best I have seen yet. I have a few jets in my stash and am definitely going to try out your technique.

Huma
Woaw. Very nice effect. Really inspiring. Like Villiers de Vos, I've few jets in my stash and it gives me ideas.

Greg Baker
That's a great bit of work. I did something very similar with my kit (AREA 88 : "Break The Big Leg" (B-1B) | Album by strobez (1:144)). 9 volts is a lot to run that little bit of lighting. Did you use any resistors in the circuit? Almost all my 1/144 scale Area 88 builds feature motors or LEDs and I usually use 5 volt USB plugs. That way to you plug them is or run them off a battery.

Brent Beck
Greg Baker, I consulted an electrical engineer at work to discuss how best to make the circuit. It is an area that I am totally unsure about. It does have resistors in the circuit but it was also a first time soldering for me. I might have accidentally got a little bit too much in an area that is causing the short. I am looking to try the same effect with a unit from Evan Designs since I won't have to use solder on it. Here is a link to the product. evandesigns.com/products/chip-light-kit

Ben M
oh very nice!

Greg Baker
Yeah soldering can be a bit tricky, but it's easier with practice. I also found investing in a wire clamp/magnifying glass set up really frees up your hands to focus on the important bits. That Evan Designs kit looks pretty good for $5, but it is pretty easy to do yourself if you want more flexibility in how you arrange the lights. A selection of LEDs, some resistors in the 110-220 ohms range, a switch, a battery and some wire… you're all set! 🙂

Eric Thornton
ok that's cool!