Egilman

Thank you James, I hope it's going to help people get a better understanding in how the various technologies are coming together to revolutionize our hobby... This is only the first step in the process....

Yep I've read the same things, but the best results I achieved was with Formula 560, a specific glue for micro thin canopies works very well on the kit canopies as well... It usually take one application as it shrinks to completely invisible level and the bond is something to believe.... Not that Micro clear won't work cause it does, it's just that there are other products that work even better in some circumstances... This is one of them...

Ok this update is going to be a step by step of the process of designing a mechanical part in 3D from just a few photographs... We start with the Images... The first is a picture of the top of the frame... It has been adjusted in gimp to measure out to full size, 115.5" wheelbase and 56.5" track at the rear wheels and straightened as much as possible for a distorted scanner image... The second is a picture taken at the IMS museum of the actual Wasp... From the right side, underneath looking forward towards the Thrust Crossmember.... The third pic is the same as the second except from the left side.... And the fourth is also from the left side but at a different angle.... All of these pics are of sufficient quality to be adjustable to full size so we can take measurements... Now I already have figured out the measurements I need for the adjustment... With the frame image at full size I take off the thrust tube diameter and it is the known common feature in the other pics... The process we are going to be using to create the basis of our part and get the dimensions we need is called Photogrammetry... Today Photogrammetry has it software packages just like everything else, But I've been doing it long before there were computers to either assist or baffle us in the minutia of perfection... those software packages have been around a while and make 3D modeling relatively easy if you want to learn the process, the problem is you need images, LOTS of them of the subject your going to model... Unfortunately we don't have lots of images, only a few of unknown quality and differing composition... So we go back to the old school way of rulers and calculators... Except we can use the computer for the sizing and measuring... So I guess the old school process has evolved a bit as well... Now most of my images have already been resized to full size for the info I want to get but I do have one where I will demonstrate the process... And hopefully give everyone a better understanding of what is taking place... I chose this part cause it is the one part where I have only a few images and incomplete coverage of that part I will have to derive a lot from what is happening in the image and take into consideration all the info in the images... It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words... We are going to see if this is true.... More later my friends.... Onwards...

Another update.... Getting ready for the design of the Thrust Collar... it mounts to the Thrust Crossmember and receives the Thrust Tube from the Rear End.... The Transmission is connected to the thrust tube and all the parts need to align accurately.... To this end I drew an engineering sketch of the locations and alignments of all the pieces, it looks like this... The three lines across the top are the top flange of the right frame rail... The lower horizontal line represents the clutch/engine output shaft line.... The vertical line represents the flange side of the thrust crossmember and the circle behind it is the first universal joint... Then there is the box that pops up above the floorline in the cockpit, it has the cross shaft of the shifter and emergency brake which is represented by the small circle on the box's centerline....The next feature is the large circle, it represents the thrust head that resides in the thrust collar, inside it is the circle for the second universal joint and the vertical center line is the split line between the collars socket and it's retaining cover... Between the centers of the two universals is the transfer shaft, a short driveshaft to allow the driveline to flex into the suspension pivot point the second universal sited at the suspension flex point... Behind that we have the driveline/thrust tube centerline which runs thru the transmission to the Differential center... The large circle represents the Rear Axle flanges and the right brace represents the Differential case perpendicular to the driveline centerline the transmission will be to the left of the brace with the Differential Housing setting the angle of the transmission... I know it's sparse, but it has all the info I need to set it up accurately... I also set up an index point matched to the models origination point in the software, so no matter which drawing I drop it into, it will be in the same place, (model space) on all of them... This is what it looks like... With this you can readily see that the Tranny is too high and at the wrong angle... The angle problem comes from the Differential Housing rotated too far back and is causing the Transmission to be too high... So, the first step is to correct the Differential Housing's problem, the second step is rebuild the tranny so it matches both the Differential housing mating surface and so the driveline centerline enters the center of the Thrust tube collar on the front of the tranny.. The Differential housing was a snap... took maybe an hour to correct.... The Tranny took four days and three rebuilds... I finally ended up with this... Looking it over for the last day, there isn't much that can be corrected or re-shaped, it looks like it's pictures and feels right... I'm calling it done... I figure about 97-98% accurate to the real thing.... Here is what it looks like with the Rear Axle.... And here you see it with the Alignment sketch... Here's a better look at it in the frame.... You can't get any better alignment than that... That was a lot of work... Almost ten hours a day except for the normal interruptions of the day... I think it looks kinda good, It fits... More detail takes more work.... {chuckle} Anyway this is where I'm at now, ready to start the Thrust Collar design...... (and give you guys a view into what this kind of modeling work involves) EG Onwards!!!! Ubiquetous overall shot....

It's also an application of the Lever in the round.... All wheels are... But that's an aside... Yes your suspended on the few spokes on the tops of the rims... The spokes at the rear of the front wheel drag the front wheel from the axle at the same time every where it goes as well, and the rear wheel is drug by the axle as well with a slight bit of differing physical forces acting on it... Structural strength is maintained by stressing the wire spokes in tension, Adjusting a wire spoked wheel is just about a lost art today... And if I remember correct the lacing of the spokes is just as important to power transmission as it is for structural strength.... There a lot of practical tech out there that's being left behind as engineering advances...

Wow the 9.85" heavy mortar, choice of short or long barreled versions as well.... That would be a heck of a piece for it's own depiction brother....

Now this is what modeling is all about.... She looks real, a captured moment in time... Dawn Patrol; Just departing Scapa into the North Sea, the sea state is changing into the rolling waves of the open ocean which are beginning to overpower the relatively sheltered water of the anchorage channel..... Several patrols done going out for another... Appropriate rust with fading and failing camo paint... The only thing left is imagining the impossible to model fog.... You need to get close to see her wear and tear, from a distance she looks well apportioned, ready for anything, an imposing force ready to meet it's destiny... Getting ready to signal the rest of the squadron..... This is on the extreme end of well done brother.... Superlative in everyway.... A contest winner for sure....

Beautiful, with one exception, the front reduction gear cover should be grey... (your pics will give you the color) They were painted that way, (every single one) on the production line before they were ever shipped....

Yep definitely read both pages... The info is pure gold... Also that's the place to ask those questions... The general idea is that given the mission and what was on hand munitions wise, they could have carried anything within the aircraft's approved spec config, any day of the week... The full range of munitions was available... The best bet is to look at combat pics for specific aircraft... (which is typical for any model carrying external ordinance) You have the decals for VF-31 Tomcatters, off the USS Lincoln, one of the three carriers operating in the Persian Gulf over Afghanistan & Iraq during OEF, OSW & OIF 2002-03....

Here ya go... http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/221470-f-14-tomcat-weaponry-config/ Covers typical air to air and some fairly standard OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) loadouts... The weapons that come with the kit puts you right into that OIF & OEF time frame... Hope it helps...

Yep, this was still the era of open air tapered clutches, they had just began using universal joints to transmit power so the only place the Tranny could go was in front of the Differential.... You see a lot of people use the 20th/21st century term Transaxle for this but it wasn't that at all, there is no mechanical connection between the two, the differential can be completely disassembled without touching the tranny... When they perfected the disc clutch, that's when the engineering concept changed, a flat thin flywheel with a thin clutch plate allowed the creation of the bell housing which acted as the mount for the Transmission and removed the need for rear engine mounts... It also reversed the method of mounting to two points forward and one point rear... (usually at the end of the Tranny, the system still in use today) This made the Engine Clutch and Tranny one single assembly which made manufacturing even more efficient.... One of the residuals from the system this car has is the thrust bearing with it's integral universal joint in the middle of the frame became the carrier bearing along with the split driveline with the rear suspension pivot point remaining the same clear into the late '50's early 60's... (where we still saw it on the light trucks of the era and eventually lead into the two link coil spring rear suspension we saw on the 60's/70's chevy pickup trucks) So many of the features of this car carried long into the future of the automobile and didn't really disappear until the early 2000's..... She was state of the art in her day....

One of the most beautiful model airplanes I've ever seen, any era... Well done....

IT's RED!!!! Wow fantastic job... Red isn't a great color to go overall with but you've done it justice... Well done....

Back in the '90's I had a model room in my previous home 14'x10' it had two shelves that went around the walls completely just above the door line... On those shelves I had every single one of Monograms 1/48 scale lineup... (add in a few of Revell's as well) The jets definitely take up a LOT of room.... Almost as much as the B-24 & B-17....

Well, I've gotten the Transmission to where I'm going to call it done.... Might still need some tweaking as other parts are added... But we will do those if any when we get there... Here is what she looks like... And with the axle/differential.... The yellow is for glamor purposes... {chuckle} In the frame... I would say she is 95% accurate, there were still a few spots without enough coverage to be sure, but a lot of hints to what had to be there... Anyway I'm calling it done for now... And the usual overall shot... Onwards!!!

Yep, that happens all too often.... Good that you found it...

Wow, that hs made up my mind, I won't be buying AM for mine then,, those kit engines look great...

If those are your aftermarkets they look very good.... Nice paintwork....

You have a PN brother....

Oh I completely understand my Friend.... May I make a suggestion..... Do some materials pre-work/ pre-prep,... Standard poster board is about the thickness of the cardboard on the bottom of many notepads.... About 20-30 thousandths thick... A standard copy paper sheet is 4-5 thou thick... Laminate 6-7 sheets together into one sheet... You could even stagger the sheets to give you a thin starting and ending edge... This way you get the benefits of a thicker stronger foundation medium and a thin edge for finishing... The laminations would be lay a sheet down on a non stick surface (plastic sheet) and spray it wet with your diluted glue, lay the next sheet and do the same continuing with the inside sheets to the thickness you want, then the final sheet you lay over the freshly wetted last inner sheet and allow the glue to soak into it from underneath... Then allow to dry.... It will be a little stiffer than normal poster board from the laminating process but should duplicate the medium quite well.... But before you commit to this test it out with a one sheet set to find out how it works best for you if you go this way.... I think it will be a lot easier in the long run, yes a bit more time in preparation, but less chance for issues when you get to applying it on the model...

Should work brother, but it's going to be heavy... I would recommend poster board for the contours, it's thicker and much lighter, and you can put holes in it under the uppermost layers to keep the weight down, then use your typing weight sheets with waters down PVA to give the final layer before doing the grass sheet.... One thing it does do is give you a good surface to mount figures and trees and the like to....

Yep, Copperhead BB's .177 cal. (4.5mm) Steel covered in Copper.... Cheap and very effective... I bought a bottle of 1500 4 years ago for under $10.00 and still have over half of them... Mfg. by Crossman of Air rifle fame for a goodly number of decades.... You can get them pretty much anywhere, Wally World is where I get mine... Or you can buy the Stainless ones, for three times the price for only a few hundred from the model paint manufacturers... In this particular case cheaper is better.... {chuckle} But seriously, if you have a large collection of seldom used paints that tend to settle out in the bottle a paint shaker is a fantastic way to revive them, especially if you have a few copperheads in the bottle, there are several do it yourself shakers online and several cheaply made ones from the model supply companies... But liquid shakers are old old tech, they have been using them in the drug manufacturing industry for over 5 decades, those are the ones to get, built to last... Yes they are pricy, but they seldom fail or break... You will probably never need to get a second one....

Ouch!!!! Which part is the malfunctioning one? the Hood or the Distributor? I know HEI distributors set a bit high when mounted..... but even with the carb top flange is a bit much.... Is there a shave in the offing? A bit off the hood and a bit off the distributor? Or is it a bit too much to take off.....

Invest in a medical grade paint shaker, or stainless steel balls... Or the budget alternative, a bottle of Copperheads.... I generally put 5 in a bottle, it doesn't take much shaking to get a good mix that way, gives you creamy smooth paint when combined with a medical grade shaker...

Thank you Mike... It's appreciated.... Well another minor setback, my initial design doesn't work, everything that needs to be there won't fit.... and it's basic fitment, the detail HAS to be there and reworking the current design just didn't cut it, it was becoming even more convoluted a mess trying to fix the original so I decided to start fresh, take the best parts of the original and adjust to what needs to be as I go.... this is where I stopped adding detail and re-evaluated... The Real deal... That is from a 1911 Marmon Speedster The one below is the Marmon Wasp.... What was before.... And what is now with the added changes.... Yep the differences are subtle, but they make all the difference when fitting details where they need to be... And, like almost always, it is close to the finish when this issue pops up... But such is the life of a design draughtsman.... RE-starting the detail design part now.... {chuckle} Onwards Brothers, onwards....