Sci-Fi and Alternative history campaign X

[Damraska]

Guided Missile Frigate

Early today, while waiting for paint to dry, I decided to start work on a project for this campaign. It will be another of my relatively quick build, spare parts contraptions. After making some quick sketches, I decided on a near future, tokamak powered, guided missile frigate measuring approximately 18 inches in 1/350 scale.

The vessel is built around a box magazine containing 24 nuclear missiles, each measuring three meters in diameter and 20 meters in height. The missiles are ejected from the magazine sideways, in pairs, in the manner of a recoilless rifle, so as to avoid imparting a rotational moment on the ship during launch.

Other major components will include a large bow with navigation equipment and coil guns, a drum shaped, spun crew compartment, tokamaks, fission reactors, fuel tanks, and thrusters.

The plan is to build all major components, join them, then add details until my patience runs out about two weeks from now.

[Johnnych01]

Sounds very cool. Looking forward to watch it get built up.

[SGTJKJ]

Sounds very cool, Doug. I am always impressed by the scratchbuilding skills when making stuff from just plastic card.

Looking forward to see more

[Damraska]

Guided Missile Frigate: Day 2

The head (radar, telescopes, and other sensors), chin (guns), and magazine (missiles) are now mated together. A spun cylinder measuring 115 feet in diameter (10cm in 1/350 scale) houses the crew. A long, tubular elevator shaft currently serves as the spine of the vessel. That will probably change.

After only two days of work, I already know this is not the best way to build a functional military spacecraft. The lessons learning building this will result in a much improved second effort.

[Stickframe]

Hello gents,

I just scrolled through this thread, and saw there are lots of cool projects going on, and am I’m wondering if I can join? Coincidentally, I started this project today:

The plan is to make an anti-gravity overlander. Step one, cut a 1/20 Ferrari F1 kit in half to make it into a two seater, and I’ve made some pretty good progress so far. This is a what if and not based on any franchise that I’m aware of. I searched various conceptual art and design sites to see what people generally think an “anti-gravity” vehicle might look like, but didn’t see any one in particular that caught my attention, tho I did see some common elements used that I will likely incorporate too.

I cooked this idea up over the last few days as I was wrapping up another project. I’ve had this kit sitting around for a long time and just decided to go for it.

I went to the top of the thread, and looked at the rules, and well, I don’t have a starting photo other than this.

Is it OK to join with this?

Cheers,

Nick

[Tank_1812]

@Stickframe

Is it OK to join with this?

I would say yes.

[Trisaw]

Head and arm glued to this 250mm 3-D printed figure.

I added a 1/12 EO Holotech gun sight to the submachine gun.

It’s ready for washing, priming, and painting. No sanding required.

[Floridabucco]

Hello everyone throwing my hat into the ring with the new 1/32 Tie Fighter from
AMT…scuttlebutt says a true 1/32 Darth Vader Tie and a 1/32 Tie Interceptor is in the pipeline from AMT.

I found this paint from England, Archive X paint, suppose to match the New Hope Tie fighter original color…I also ordered other colors for my Revell 1/39 X Wing fighter.

[Floridabucco]

This kit has a ton of plastic in it…

[Floridabucco]

I am actually kinda disappointed about the quality control of AMT (Round 2). The details are very soft as you can see with the pilot. At 1/32 the detail should be good especially with a brand new modern kit. Guess I have been spoiled by Bandai Star Wars kits. If Bandai can do it, (what are they now, 6 or 7 years old), why can Round 2 not do it?

[brekinapez]

Because that is not what Round2 does best, which is repop old kits.

[Floridabucco]

It is not a repop…it is 100% new tooling from 2023

[brekinapez]

I didn’t say it was; I said Round2 specializes in repops which is why their new tool kits are gappy and the decals suck.

Round2/AMT does not nor will they ever approach Bandai’s level of tooling.

[Floridabucco]

Oh ok…I misunderstood your comment.

[Stickframe]

I’ve kept working on my anti-g overlander - figuring out how to handle the actual anti-g part, and something for thrust! who wants and anti-g that just hovers in place?

Of the various concepts I saw of this type of vehicle, many had four anti-g units, located where tires would otherwise go, but most don’t show any sort of thrust or propulsion for horizontal movement.

I decided to take a different approach for this vehicle. In my version, I have single anti-g unit in back, where most of the weight will be, and I’ll figure out what to do in front, likely two of these, but smaller.

Then for horizontal propulsion, two engines, one on each side. I figure the actual “heavy lift” would be to get this off of the ground, then with the resulting lack of friction (ie lack of gravity holding it down and by extension, in place), moving forward would we easier, and would require less thrust than you’d need if trying to both lift and move well, that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!

My incredibly strong background in aerodynamic design and conceptual physics helped to solve this complex challenge…uhh, or, my lack of knowledge of both led to this!

I have seen these “rings” used for anti-g vehicles several times, but had no idea how they are supposed to work. So, I looked it up and found that the outer ring would be super conducting ceramic, with one set of solenoids located within to put a magnetic field around the ring, and a second set of solenoids to allow the “ring” to levitate magnetically…yep, naturally, just what I thought…

Ok, on we go

Cheers
Nick

[justsendit]

That is SWEEEEET!

—mike

[Damraska]

Guided Missile Frigate: Day 4

Day 3 was spent building the spine. The head began to take shape on Day 4.

Getting things right in 1/350 scale is kinda hard. A person stands about 5.2mm tall. This thing is essentially a 50 story sky scraper laid on its side.

I learned two important lessons today. Pencil marks rub off really easily. Any construction based on such marks needs to happen as soon as possible because redrawing guidelines can get really hard. The second lesson is that any piece of spare plastic can serve as an excellent measuring gauge when lain against the hull and butted against some feature.

It also occurred to me today that this sort of thing is mostly about adding more polygons. Gotta keep making little boxes and gluing them to stuff until it stops looking dumb and starts looking cool.

One problem I need to solve is making large numbers of identical parts–the art of jig making.

[AussieReg]

Very cool Nick, concept and execution moving along beautifully!

Cheers, D

[SSGToms]

May the 4th be with you! Happy Star Wars Day!

[Dixon66]

And also with you.