Thanks for the props. I got some of them off ebay. This one seller, hotdogs_stuff has some pretty good repros. I also got some from Darkwynter, I am pretty sure his a member here. PM him and see if he has any available. His stuff was really good too.



Vinyl dye?? Never heard of it. Got a website or something on it? I am not too rough on my customs, I know the paint will chip if I am not careful. But one thing I like about the Flagg deck is that it seems to actually soak in the paint, its pretty crazy. I have already painted a lot of areas of the deck and will probably paint it all, but I am still interested in hearing about this vinyl dye.

this is fan'fn'tastic. kudos to you for the undertaking!

if anyone can pull this off, it's you!

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Vinyl dye is what they use to paint parts in cars (ie stuff that should never chip or fade). Go to AutoZone or O'Reillys and ask for "Vinyl Dye" - it looks just like spray paint except it says "Vinyl and Fabric Dye". It's spray paint with a special chemical added that breaks down the surface of the plastic just enough to allow the coloring agent to PERMANENTLY bond with whatever it's on.

At the end, it's not "painted" that color, it IS that color, because the plastic has been dyed, not just sprayed.

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Yeah, I went to Auto Zone today and checked it out after watching those vids, it looks like really good stuff. I already have a ton of Krylon in my garage, so I wont be switching for this project. But if scratch building a new spine from styrene doesnt work I will pick some up in black to paint the original spine. On future projects I might try it out.



Tonight I got all the lines on the flight deck done and I started doing the base coat on a few deck pieces. I should be able to get some of them meshed over the weekend. I also found the decals I needed on ebay. I need to check what i have on hand, I might need some Python Patrol signias as well.


Finished the deck lines on the tail of the deck.


Masking the deck lines on the main deck piece.


All deck lines done. Next is masking them over for base color. i always let the paint cure for 24 hours before messing with it. So some parts wont get base coated until this weekend.


i was thinking about the silver portion of the python pattern for the flight deck. Ive learned from painting the Defiant getting the silver lines in the pattern on correctly and creatively is tricky on a larger vehicle. So I sketched out the FLAGG with different numbers of silver stripes to help visualize what looks right. So I can see how many is too many or too few. In the words of the great Coach Klein "Visualize and attack! Visualize and attack!!"


Another sketch of the mast and radars to get a look at the color patterns I want to use for the best look.


Masking over the numbers to prep for base coat.


Base coat done. Should get this piece meshed soon and then we can see how it all turned out.

More pics: FLAGG WIP pictures by PViper - Photobucket

Ya know that sounds like a plot the Commander would put in play, send in Zartan to play an admiral and a buttload of CG's to act as important ops/eng/deck personnel to get her out to sea then set a course for a spot near an island near Cuba. Then fake a storm/reactor failure to fool the rest of the crew into abandoning ship.
Use the ship's real CO and "fake" ADM as insurance, then finally drug and dump the "real" CO off in a raft.
Then head for the huge honkin dry dock that was secretly built on Cobra Island.
Finally he shows Destro who as usual doesn't think the Joes will allow him to keep it, but once CC explains it will be "Pythonized" from stem to stern rendering it undetectable they both laugh menacingly and set forth planning its maiden voyage. . .

The CFS (Cobra Forces Ship) Anaconda CVN-88

Yeah that would be a interesting dio-story. . . LOL

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Also please tell me your going to do some Python Firebats as part of the Airwing?
That would be icing on the cake. Hahaha!

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I like the details for the back story you've come up with. They make great sense. I'd like to use them if you dont mind. I am not quite sold on calling it the Python Anaconda though. Maybe I will get used to it but I am still trying to think of other names.




I already have 2 to go with the 2 Terrordromes I did. But I will feature at least one PP Firebat with the PP FLAGG.

http://www.joecustoms.com/customs/customs_xml_single.php?t=gp&d=tfvspp&c=terrordrome

Sure thing, you can use it all.
I was just sitting here thinking how would they do it. (In a more comicbook way not kinda silly cartoon way.)
Cause I liked your idea of it originally being the sister ship of the FLAGG, and your reason for the Govt. building a second carrier (the USS STARR) to keep up with GWOT-ops on two sides of the world.
And how could they almost guarantee being able to keep and outfit it = pythonization.
The name is your call, she's your ship so who else better to name her.
But with it being so large, stealthy, powerful, and able to crush her prey to death before devouring it whole, I figured hell that's the perfect name for her.
That and as far as I know no other Cobra vehicle has ever used the name and it sounds like exactly like a name the Commander would give her. LOL
But I really don't want to take the honor of naming her from you.

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Ooh yes. A couple of those and a couple of Pythonised X 30s would look sweet. (and maybe a CCC or two)


Nice

I was thinking the same thing bigtatoo.
Also if he were to get one (or two) of those huge plastic card tables then trim the legs down or use a few wood blocks about 5-10 inches high.
Put down some clear blue vinyl between them (or on one side) place the carrier in the center.
Flank the ship (on the table) with both python t-dromes he would have the best damn dio/storage area ever.
Just hit the tabletop with grey primer and screw down some thread spools forward/mid/aft to give it that drydock/pier look.
And a few ground vehicles/troops, kit bash a gangplank and he'd have an awesome pier for launching this behemoth.
Hey PV do you have any morays/BUGG's or other Cobra watercraft?

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Yeah, i have a bunch of Morays, a couple Hammerheads and a Bugg. And I have a Python Hammerhead and a Python Moray. Why?


Well I surprisingly got a lot done this weekend. I got all of the deck finished. I am pretty happy with the results. i got a little heavy handed with the black paint on the second deck piece but overall it looks good. I also got in the black polystyrene for the custom hull wall which is all finished too. There are lots of new pics, enjoy:


Had to mask over all those thin lines which was pretty tedious. The lines are less than 4mm wide so I had to cut tape into thin strips to put into place.


Here is the polystyrene I ordered. I measured and cut it then glued it together. The original hull wall wasnt going to hold paint so well.


Front deck piece is all done.


Base coating the second deck piece.


Custom hull wall finished.


I used pins to help hold down the mesh and reduce over spray. This isnt something I would normally do or recommend. But because of the rough deck surface, the tiny pinholes are unnoticeable afterwards.


Second deck piece finished and in place.


Meshing the main deck piece. This part is so big I couldnt tape it or pin it down to anything. So I created weights out of empty paint cans to keep the mesh tight and in place. It worked pretty well.


Deck is finished, I know the pic isnt that great, I will try to take better ones soon.





For more pictures with descriptions: http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x31/PViper/FLAGG%20WIP/#!cpZZ1QQtppZZ16

This thing is freakin' nuts. Some day you'll have to explain all that masking stuff -- looks complicated!

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This is just unbelievable. Python Patrol has always been my favorite sub-team, so your customs always bring a smile to my face. This thing, though, is simply amazing.

My request for next pythonization jbo:

That is just stunning.

PV that looks BADASSSSSSSSSS!!!!
I was asking about the other vehicles as a part of suggestion for a dio set up, like I was describing.
Like a pierside pre-deployment set up, with the ship getting a load out and its battlegroup flanking it. . .

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