Builds By Baz- Full scale Mk II Colonial Viper
- Thread starter sandbagger
- Start date
George
Master Member
This just keeps getting better and better.Thank you so much for sharing this 'voyage' with us, Baz.
It's been one heck of a 'ride' so far. I tell you, when you stepped into the plane behind the controls with the garage lights off I felt like I was looking at a movie set ! Keep the updates coming please and thank you
It's been one heck of a 'ride' so far. I tell you, when you stepped into the plane behind the controls with the garage lights off I felt like I was looking at a movie set ! Keep the updates coming please and thank you
sandbagger
Master Member
Thanks George.
There are a million cool things I could do to the Viper, but I am tired and I want to get it finished. I'm also not made of money and am currently waiting to sell some of my knives so that I can pay for the next lot of materials to finish her.
Baz.
There are a million cool things I could do to the Viper, but I am tired and I want to get it finished. I'm also not made of money and am currently waiting to sell some of my knives so that I can pay for the next lot of materials to finish her.
Baz.
sandbagger
Master Member
message duplicate deleted
sandbagger
Master Member
Busy busy. Work, kids, gold prospecting, astronomy in the dome, knife making, Viper building, it never ends. COVID has hit our family twice now, so I'm currently in ISO again for the next 7 days.
I got the Viper weighed using vehicle scales borrowed from a local racing club. Total 752kg, but likely to reach the ton by the time I've skinned it, put the other wing and gun on, plus a few layers of paint and some extra mechanical accessories.
Now I can get to work. I built some vehicle dollys out of 14mm thick leaf spring stiffeners. Each trolley is rated to 800kg+ and has been tested, so well over engineered. Now I can move it around in the workshop and with the addition of some securing stirrups over the foot, I can winch it up the ramp of the trailer, currently in the design phase.
I've made a quick cardboard concept. It may go to three axles and they may or may not have to be positioned further rearward, but that's for the engineers to decide. The roof comes off in overlapping sections, the sides fold down to become platforms. Stabilisers wind down in the corners, bollards and stairs pop into holes and recesses, plus a ladder over the wing to enter the cockpit. There's a lot going on.
Finally, I got some hardware to test for the reaction control systems (RCS). 8 ports forward and 8 ports rear, from an on board air compressor mounted inside the nose, to be controlled via Arduino, connected to the joystick in the cockpit. These will fire each RCS port individually, picking up a bit of water from a reservoir via a siphon between the solenoid valve and the port.
I got the Viper weighed using vehicle scales borrowed from a local racing club. Total 752kg, but likely to reach the ton by the time I've skinned it, put the other wing and gun on, plus a few layers of paint and some extra mechanical accessories.
Now I can get to work. I built some vehicle dollys out of 14mm thick leaf spring stiffeners. Each trolley is rated to 800kg+ and has been tested, so well over engineered. Now I can move it around in the workshop and with the addition of some securing stirrups over the foot, I can winch it up the ramp of the trailer, currently in the design phase.
I've made a quick cardboard concept. It may go to three axles and they may or may not have to be positioned further rearward, but that's for the engineers to decide. The roof comes off in overlapping sections, the sides fold down to become platforms. Stabilisers wind down in the corners, bollards and stairs pop into holes and recesses, plus a ladder over the wing to enter the cockpit. There's a lot going on.
Finally, I got some hardware to test for the reaction control systems (RCS). 8 ports forward and 8 ports rear, from an on board air compressor mounted inside the nose, to be controlled via Arduino, connected to the joystick in the cockpit. These will fire each RCS port individually, picking up a bit of water from a reservoir via a siphon between the solenoid valve and the port.
This is a whole new level of awesome! Real thruster spray? This is beyond words.
sandbagger
Master Member
^^^Cheers guys. 
I changed some of the press stud arrangements on the flak vest, so that the bottom straps can unclip and feed through the front belt loops on the flight suit. Colours of the studs are off, I know, but it's hard to get the right ones here. I'll paint them later.
I changed some of the press stud arrangements on the flak vest, so that the bottom straps can unclip and feed through the front belt loops on the flight suit. Colours of the studs are off, I know, but it's hard to get the right ones here. I'll paint them later.
binarysunset
Well-Known Member
Awesome work Baz! Some great ideas for the trailer and movement of your Viper. I’m thinking along very similar lines, but I have a little ways to go before I need to do anything about it.
sandbagger
Master Member
Except I am not in Tharwa...
Meet the '52-year-old nerd' building a life-size spaceship in his Tharwa shed | Riotact
Meet the '52-year-old nerd' building a life-size spaceship in his Tharwa shed | Riotact
sandbagger
Master Member
It's been a while.
After a massive purge of social media and extraneous hobbies, I've been able to focus on the Viper.
I've taken the port wing off, put the Viper up on it's dolly trolleys and now it pushed around the shed at the slightest touch. The starboard wing is now fabricated and waiting for a block of time where I can do the final shaping and sanding on it. I've also got the starboard wing on saw horses, where I can concurrently shape and sand it's underside.
The landing gear has got a fresh primer coat on it, as the bare steel was starting to flash-rust.
The rest of the ship has been filled in with loose/broken panels, gaps and alignments and sanded in readiness for fibreglassing. All the fibreglassing materials are now here.
I drilled the 30mm bore in each cannon end and mounted the second cannon. This week I have also been working late nights on electrical and lighting. There is a new 80 amp power supply in the back end to run all the studio and sub woofer speakers in the engine nacelles, as well as the motor drive for the turbines and the lighting in the rear thrusters.
Cockpit instruments are all retro-fit with LED lighting to the instruments.
I reckon between kids and job, I am a mere few weeks away from fibreglassing the hull.
I'm mostly on Facebook with the WIP now, so come and say hello. Log into Facebook
Back to it.
Cheers, Baz.
After a massive purge of social media and extraneous hobbies, I've been able to focus on the Viper.
I've taken the port wing off, put the Viper up on it's dolly trolleys and now it pushed around the shed at the slightest touch. The starboard wing is now fabricated and waiting for a block of time where I can do the final shaping and sanding on it. I've also got the starboard wing on saw horses, where I can concurrently shape and sand it's underside.
The landing gear has got a fresh primer coat on it, as the bare steel was starting to flash-rust.
The rest of the ship has been filled in with loose/broken panels, gaps and alignments and sanded in readiness for fibreglassing. All the fibreglassing materials are now here.
I drilled the 30mm bore in each cannon end and mounted the second cannon. This week I have also been working late nights on electrical and lighting. There is a new 80 amp power supply in the back end to run all the studio and sub woofer speakers in the engine nacelles, as well as the motor drive for the turbines and the lighting in the rear thrusters.
Cockpit instruments are all retro-fit with LED lighting to the instruments.
I reckon between kids and job, I am a mere few weeks away from fibreglassing the hull.
I'm mostly on Facebook with the WIP now, so come and say hello. Log into Facebook
Back to it.
Cheers, Baz.
sandbagger
Master Member
Thanks JB.
Baz.
Here's a video.
Baz.
Here's a video.
Great to see you're still making progress. Large projects can be quite a drain and we sometimes need a little break. It's looking great!!!
ghostryder
Legendary Member
Love this!
