Cockpit canopy fits nice and snug. No clean up needed
6 Likes
One month of Unidentified Flying Object remains!
Totally no pressure.
I know there are always a few people worried about completing on time, especially for campaigns that end during the holidays. Fret not! If you end up needing an extra few weeks to complete a project, you will get it.
…
Firestorm
Having finished construction on Sky Warden for Sci Fi 2025, I am now racing to finish Firestorm. The engine bay is done and work on a new, improved cockpit is underway. If necessary, to finish on time, I will skip decal design in Inkscape and use what I have.
3 Likes
Firestorm
These are the old and new cockpit parts plus the engine and (maybe) wheels. I still need to hack apart the old cockpit to salvage some of the control panels.
The new cockpit parts will drop in, just like the engine, making them easy to paint.
8 Likes
Great idea.
4 Likes
Firestorm
This picture shows the hexagonal mounting boss for the engine.
This picture shows the engine in place on the mounting boss. It fits by friction. Painting problem solved!
Most of the cockpit parts are now glued together and detailed. It looks a lot like the cockpit of a giant samurai robot. 
The mounting boss for the cockpit will be the tray that holds the seat. Pretty slick solution, me thinks.
I decided to mount the cockpit with the stairs at the 120 degree position because that is really weird and UFOs are weird.
Better give the pilot a head rest. Woops!
8 Likes
Wheels Down!
Hi guys,
Just thought I’d submit a quick completion photo for the campaign. So, here’s my finish of the MikroMir 1/72 Lockheed Martin ‘Hopeless Diamond.’ I’ll fill-in some more details and better photos at a later date. I placed it on a black background just for giggles, as I’m in the process of finalizing the actual base.
Thanks for having a look!
—mike …
9 Likes
That is a really neat looking stealth plane! Your build is very clean.
Congratulations on your model completion and thank you for joining the campaign!
3 Likes
Firestorm
New cockpit is ready. The tray with rails holds the ejection seat and serves as the mounting boss for the rest of the cockpit. I also cut back the canopy.
Here it is all put together. I also blanked off the 6 windows. They will become maneuvering thrusters.
On two problems remain. I need to hinge the canopy and build the landing gear.
8 Likes
Last time I saw a flying saucer was when I goosed a waitress.
5 Likes
Firestorm
This may not look like much progress but making the landing gear and bay doors was a lot of work. Before everything was glued, the gear folded up into the bays. Stuff like that is important to me.
The last problem to solve is how to hinge the canopy. Ideas one and two failed.
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@sluff Very envious. That is one of my favorite models from that era.
6 Likes
Hi guys,
Here we go… a few final pics of my entry for the campaign.
MikroMir (72-031) Lockheed Martin ‘Have Blue’ ‘Hopeless Diamond’
Other than some user errors (top-to-bottom alignment/glueing and nose antennas continually breaking), the kit went together relatively well. The included decals and window masks were exceptional.
I did a small amount of scratch-building, i.e. added seatbelts (Tamiya Masking Tape), scratch-built Nose Antennas and Exhaust Deflectors (Evergreen Styrene Rods and Strips).
Not sure if it comes across, but here’s the general look I was going for…
(Image for reference only)
Here’s a bunch of Paint Spec blah, blah, blah…
Fuseloge
• Rust-Oleum 334020 Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint, Flat Black
Exhaust Area
• Vallejo Exhaust Manifold Metal Color (77.723)
Canopy (inside glass)
• Vallejo Brass (70.801)
Landing Gear
• AK Real Color Marker: Aluminum (RCM010)
• Vallejo Dark Rubber (70.306)
Display Base Paint Specs
• Rust-Oleum 334020 Painter’s Touch 2X Ultra Cover Spray Paint, Flat Black
Tarmac Weathering
• Vallejo Desert Yellow (70.997)
• Vallejo Sand Ivory (71.075)… mottling
• Vallejo Light Grey (71.050)… light dusting
• Vallejo Pigment Light Slate Grey (73.113)
• Mr (GSI B502) Top Coat Semi-Gloss Spray
Tire Marks
• Crayola Crayons (black)
Final Coat
• Tamiya TS-80 Flat Clear
Note: Lots of rough sanding and experimentation between steps.
Placard Design
• Created with Affinity Software (Note: ‘Lockheed Martin Skunk Works’ logo was plucked from the web)
The entire build took roughly 25 hours over two months to complete — time to go “finish” (or start) something else. 
Thanks again for this fun campaign!
—mike …
8 Likes
That looks excellent and congratulations for finishing! I really like the small base you built for it. Tinting the windows is a nice detail. I wonder if that shape could work now, perhaps as a drone.
Is the model connected to the base in some way? Every so often I consider making similar flight line bases for some of my own aircraft models.
As an aside, I once built a stealth spaceship based on the same design. I should fish it out and finally make a stand.
2 Likes
Oh brilliant. I’m going to use that later 
2 Likes
Thanks guys!
@ Doug (Damraska)
The model is not attached this time. That way I can repurpose the base for other models down the road.
BTW: There was no Stolen Valor here. … No Crayons were eaten during this build.
—mike …
4 Likes
Firestorm
Manuevering thrusters are installed. Landing gear are built up. Gear well doors are detailed. Ejection seat is detailed and has a head rest.
I have a new idea for installing the canopy. If it works, I may start priming this weekend.
5 Likes
Firestorm
My solution to the opening canopy problem: This picture shows the upper fuselage, cockpit insert, and canopy. Note that the upper fuselage now has a mounting boss inside the cockpit depression. The cockpit insert now has two tubes at the front. The canopy now has two pillars.
The cockpit insert drops onto the mounting boss, anchoring it in the correct position.
The canopy columns slot into the tubes on the cockpit insert.
To show the canopy in open position, pull it up, flip it around, and drop the columns into the tubes the other way around.
With that, all major design challenges are solved. I will spend a day or two adding more detail, then send Firestorm to the paint booth.
7 Likes
One of the flying saucers from Plan 9 From Outer Space is complete. Thanks for the cool campaign/ group build @Damraska
5 Likes