1/24 Extreme Turbine Combat Racer - Kitbash

[Will Vale]

Looks good with the windows on. And going back a bit, I hadn't realised what an awesome shape the floor pan is - the bits you've removed combine with (what I assume are) air ducts to get something which looks like you could race it without it saying "car". Great choice of donor kits!

[Hunter Rose]

Steady work there, Hunter. I'm looking forward to more engine stuff, cause the front body is looking pretty much finished now :)

Yeah thats about it for the front, excpet for the weapons in the side pods, but they will be one of the last things to go on. Just got to add engine outtakes and pipes underneath, attach and blend in the jet engines, and make a shield generator to be mounted on the back along with some rear weapons.

So when you say it like that its nearly finished! 

Looks good with the windows on. And going back a bit, I hadn't realised what an awesome shape the floor pan is - the bits you've removed combine with (what I assume are) air ducts to get something which looks like you could race it without it saying "car". Great choice of donor kits!

Thanks Will! Yeah thats right I'm using the cars already existing air intakes as the jet intakes, originally I'd planned on having the engines mounted on the side but that just looked silly and made it just look like a car with engines on it!

[Hunter Rose]

Just a small update, had an unexpected chance to get some work done, so made a start on the underside of the combat racer.

For the underside jets that provide the lift I used some hub caps from the italieri 1/24 truck accessories, I only used 3, 1 because I think it looks better, and 2 because the back end needs to be a bit more unstable to make it more maneuverable at the back end



Then added some pipes using some copper rod left over from the krote in my last build, just bent it using a vice and my hands



Then rolled out some aves nice and thin and used a scalpel to cut some rectangles to make some fasteners so they dont look like they are just floating on the underside!



Should be working on this tomorrow so another update will be coming real soon, thanks for looking 

[NickM]

For sure I thought those were the side of the little spools for thread on sewing machines. Surprised they are Italeri truck wheels.

Pipes make everything better :) When I do those tie down thingys I use the aluminum duct-tape from the hardware store; the stuff that is actually thin aluminum with a polished side and an adhesive side. Learned it off some MaK guys. Way faster than putty and looks more uniform.

Can't wait to see more details. Hopefully some smaller/different gauges of wire? 

[Will Vale]

I like the lift engines as a triangle like that. Oddly we used three simulated springs as the suspension for our hover racing game - it gave a good feel because having the two at the front would cause the vehicle (and camera) to react to changes in the track earlier (so you had better feedback and it felt more responsive).

I know this is early days, so feel free to ignore, but I'm not sure if the pipes work for me. I think they could maybe be symmetrical, and run from the individual lift engines to some kind of shrouded sockets (or indeed that notch in the tapered section in the rear of the car). But that could all change as you add more details and stuff to the underneath.

Look forward to more updates.

Will

[Hunter Rose]

For sure I thought those were the side of the little spools for thread on sewing machines. Surprised they are Italeri truck wheels.

Pipes make everything better :) When I do those tie down thingys I use the aluminum duct-tape from the hardware store; the stuff that is actually thin aluminum with a polished side and an adhesive side. Learned it off some MaK guys. Way faster than putty and looks more uniform.

Can't wait to see more details. Hopefully some smaller/different gauges of wire? 

They do look like that now you mention it! Yeah I am planning on a lot more for the underside this is just stage 1, and thanks for the duct tape tip, I'll remember that for the future 

I like the lift engines as a triangle like that. Oddly we used three simulated springs as the suspension for our hover racing game - it gave a good feel because having the two at the front would cause the vehicle (and camera) to react to changes in the track earlier (so you had better feedback and it felt more responsive).

I know this is early days, so feel free to ignore, but I'm not sure if the pipes work for me. I think they could maybe be symmetrical, and run from the individual lift engines to some kind of shrouded sockets (or indeed that notch in the tapered section in the rear of the car). But that could all change as you add more details and stuff to the underneath.

Look forward to more updates.

Will

I hear what your saying about the pipes Will and frankly I'm usually a fan of all things symetrical but when I held the pipe in place I just thought **** it and made it asymetrical, just want (as with the engine) a greeblie contrast to the ultra neat and smooth body of the racer, as I said to Nick, this is just stage 1 so there is still plenty more detail to come to tie it all together.
And great minds think alike as that notch is indeed going to have some pipes from the lower engine going in to it!

Should be more soon, sorry had intended to do some work on this yesterday, but after my little girl decided we should all get up at 4am I was a wee bit tired! 

[Hunter Rose]

Just a quick photo to show I am sill working on this! 

Haven't had much time to work on the racer this week, still doing the underside details, added a few more pipes and a little detail made from an engine piece from a 1/20 lindberg dodge stealth (red bit) and some styrene rod, the pipes are going into a tau gun drone head which I sanded flat on the underside and cut out the little vent to create an entry for the pipes, just to add detail. Will be adding more, and adding some fixing/strappings to the pipes



More work on this soon (I hope!) 

[Will Vale]

That drone part looks like it belongs there, nice one!

[Hunter Rose]

Thanks Will!

Did some more work on the underside that I'm pretty happy with





That just needs to be primed I'm calling it done, although I will be drilling a hole in the middle of the bottom jet, for my stand.

Next I'm going to sort out where the main jets meet the car body, there is a step where they meet so I need to add a sloping curved bit, then it will be time for painting the engine

More soon thanks for looking 

[struschie]

Nice work, man!
For just the right amount of detail for a such flat surface.

[NickM]

It reminds me of a robot stingray. Sorry, an awesome robot stingray. 

Beautiful details. Keep the ball rolling!

[Sharkdog]

Great work on all those bits and bobs on the bottom. Almost makes me a little sad you're going to drill a hole and mount it, after which we'll hardly ever see the bottom anymore.
Unless you mount a magnet inside and get one of those magnetic bases

[Hunter Rose]

Nice work, man!
For just the right amount of detail for a such flat surface.

Thanks struschie! I was really conscious of wanting detail but not going crazy!

It reminds me of a robot stingray. Sorry, an awesome robot stingray. 

Beautiful details. Keep the ball rolling!

Cheers Nick, yeah it does have that shape for now but "anything can happen in the next half hour"  thanks

Great work on all those bits and bobs on the bottom. Almost makes me a little sad you're going to drill a hole and mount it, after which we'll hardly ever see the bottom anymore.
Unless you mount a magnet inside and get one of those magnetic bases

Fear not shark I've already though of that, the base I'm using is the clear stand from a tau piranha, and when I actually looked at all the bits it comes with a cool clear ball and socket joint so that I can have it at more dynamic angles so the bottom wont be hidden.
And if I had the money I'd LOVE to have done this on a magnet base!

[Hunter Rose]

Okay, got a chance to spray my primer on the underside, also drilled my hole ready for the stand when its done.



Also had a little play around with one of the rear weapon options, used the front plasma gun from the tau piranha as a rear facing weapon, the gun drone on top is the shield generator dome, the red bits they are sitting on are just some engine pieces from the dodge stealth to act as a platform



Finally made a start on the annoying fiddley bit I wasn't looking forward to, there is a step where the jets meet the racer body, so I cut some styrene pieces to the circumference of the jet and then cut it to the profile of the car body. This was then glued into position and using aves I will start to blend this smooth with the aid of some squadron white when its dry.
The problem was the jets must be painted before assemble as must the engine parts before even the jets were attached so I couldn't just simply glue the jets on then blend them in.

[Hunter Rose]

Okay, so once the aves was dry I smeared it with squadron white putty





Sanded the crap out of it, then puttied again then sanded more (sigh!) then gave it a spray of primer to check





Just a couple of imperfections...so....... more putty! 



Once thats dry I shall sand some more!

Thanks for looking guys, more soon 

[Hemish]

 
Simply stunning, I love seeing updates in here

[Hunter Rose]

Thank you Hemish 

[Hunter Rose]

Update!

Sanded down the putty and it chipped in a couple of places so I put down yet more putty





Once it was dry I sanded it. One thing I'll say about this project its improved my sanding skills a ton! 
I then sprayed it with more grey halfords primer from a rattle can, and I'm now really pleased with the finish.





I'm really happy they are done, its been the last remaining fiddly job thats been sweating my brain for weeks so I'm glad I just got it done!

Next will be... Some paint!! FINALLY! Going to sparay the underside and back engine with some alclad metalics, need to get them sorted before anything else goes on as I wont be able to reach it to paint after.

Thanks for looking guys more soon 

[NickM]

This is exciting. Can't wait to see the finish!

[Hunter Rose]

Me too Nick! lol

Laid down some paint! Started by spraying down the alclad gloss black primer on the underside of the racer and on the engine





Then I sprayed down the alclad steel





Then just to adda little sheen and brighten it aq little I lightly sprayed some alclad chrom over it, focusing on the jets slightly more than the rest.



And finally just to give a subtle impression of heat tarnish on the jets I sprayed a tiny bit of alclad pale gold onto them



Its a very subtle effect that doesn't show up that great in the photo, if you use too much it just looks gold, rather than the yellowing of heat tarnish.

Once its dry I can dry brush with some enamel silver and pick out some details and lay down some washes

More soon guys thanks for looking