Just a quick update tonight. I vac-formed the lower hull. Photos of pattern and formed part.

The first attempt didn't go so well. The plastic formed well to the rear of the pattern, but not the front. Fortunately, I needed an extension piece of that contour, so I'll use the bad form there.

For the second attempt I decided to elevate the pattern above the bed in an effort to get a tighter draw. After looking around the living room for a second, I found the perfect item to prop up the pattern. Aunt Dimity's Christmas by Nancy Atherton. About 3/8" thick, and sufficient size to keep the pattern stable on the bed. Worked great, don't tell the wife.

should look great for a Crusader shuttle too!

Funny you should mention that. About fifteen years ago I converted a Crusader shuttle to a Quinjet. It wasn't a total loss, and I learned a lot, but it did make me promise to revisit the subject when I could do a better job.

My initial shopping for landing gear wheels tells me I can expect to pay $4-$6 per pair. I'm gonna need 13 of 'em. Ouch.

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated this thread. Just a quick one to let you know I'm still working on this ship.

Here's the bottom fuselage half with a reinforcing strip glued to it to prepare for the joining of the two halves. While I was checking the fit I took a couple snaps of the fuselage halves taped together, including an Iron Man for size reference. Next step: build the side pods to fit the assembled halves, and start working on the landing gear.

Sorry it's been so long since I updated this post. Long story short: I set this to the side while I mulled over landing gear designs. Originally I wanted to use r/c aircraft wheels and tires for the landing gear, but ultimately I decided to go with model car wheels and tires. Why? Because I couldn't bring myself to part with the $$$$ for the r/c wheels. Of course, this required me to redesign the trucks for the landing gear, and a whole lot of other things I wouldn't have otherwise considered. Domino effect, you know.

Anyway, here's a look at the main gear trucks in process. 1/4" square rod glued together to make one hefty base for the wheels and axles.


Of course, I had enough tires roughly the same size, but not enough wheels. So I'll end up casting some wheels and hub caps.

Awesome to see this build still marching on!!!

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Very amazing work! Glad to see its coming along!

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Time for another long-overdue update. I had to stop work on the quinjet because a) my workshop gets real cold in the winter, and b) I wasn't satisfied with my original construction plan. During the winter I came up with the idea of using .090" acrylic as structural reinforcement of the rear fuselage. Doing so would allow me to not only stiffen the structure, but integrate the wings and tail fin to make a much stronger, yet light weight, structure. Shown here are the horizontal and vertical acrylic parts. The holes in the horizontal plate are for the main landing gear. Also included are the .040" styrene ribs which will hold the vertical and horizontal plates in proper alignment as well as index the landing gear hinge and support the vac-formed skin.

Here's the nose gear and main gear with the styrene tubing attached. I thought the main gear was rather plain looking, so I cobbled up a couple scissor hinges to be installed on the trucks and vertical tubes.

As I work on these projects I'm constantly checking each piece with the others. This lets me find any interferences and deal with them early on. It also gives me a sneak preview of what the final project will look like. Here's the upper hull installed on the acrylic armature, with the tail fin template taped in place.

More progress to report tonight. I've installed a floor plate in the lower hull, and joined the lower hull to the acrylic armature. It's starting to look like a quinjet now. Here's the joined assemblies.

I toyed for a long time with the idea of installing an opening floor hatch in the cabin, but ultimately I decided against it. A) it would have been another fiddly bit for me to get distracted with, and B) I didn't like the idea of an easily damaged hatch right where I figure I'm gonna lift the completed project. Also, I couldn't decide whether a single, thicker panel would be suitable or if an inner/outer door arrangment would be proper. Ultimately, though I would've loved to be able to hang a rope ladder out the bottom and let Hawkeye fire away at somebody, I didn't like the extra seam in the lower hull. Instead, I've suggested a hatch in the floor with scribing.

I'm thinking of marking the floor in various places to indicate access panels for avionics, sensors, or electronics.

Here's the start of the rudder and wing assemblies. They're more acrylic, to be sandwiched with styrene skins. The acrylic is the same thickeness as the armature material, so once the hulls are joined together and things fit perfectly I can slide the rudder and wings on as a last step.

Here's a quick. cheap way to make seat pedestals. I use adhesive-backed hooks found in the wal-mart hardware aisle. Cut the hooks back so the socket you glue on is centered. When you make the seats, just make a shaft that fits the socket. The pedestal height should allow for a seat frame and cushion under the legs of your figure.

Some real progress now. I've glued the top and bottom halves of the fuselage together. After much filling, sanding, filling, sanding, priming, etc. I've cut out the canopy and the canopy area. Here's the rough canopy cut taped in place on the assembled body, with Iron Man sitting on a seat pedestal.

It ain't gonna be long now before it's done.