IIRC the original description of the Thunderhawk had the Rhino carried under the rear section, not internal. The huge loading door allows Dreadnaughts or the 30 Marines packed nut-to-butt to exit quickly.
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C'mon guys! Didn't you see that exquisite gem of an animatic masterpiece known as "Ultramarines" that clearly shows us the mammoth door is for loading (and unloading) a Landspeeder!
Very nice!!
Hope to see it finished soon...
Considering it took the better part of a week just to make the loading ramp fruition will be a long time coming. In my defense my workload this week was extremely heavy and I could only devote a half hour in the morning to working on the ramp. Each slats had to be secure before the next could be applied or they would move when the spacer was run between them. I also managed to apply the outer skin (1 MM sheet styrene) to the forward hull. I finished up the ramp this morning and taped it into place. Everything is square and true so tomorrow I will start applying the forward armour. This will be the fun part when the model starts to look like something other than a long white shoebox. Right now I am sitting back sipping a well deserved Martini and reflecting on a satisfactory accomplishment.
[URL=http://imgur.com/3hxpj]http://i.imgur.com/3hxpjl.jpg[/URL]
[URL=http://imgur.com/tmSrx]http://i.imgur.com/tmSrxl.jpg[/URL]
My patience is holding strong and the worst of the build is behind me now it's just a matter of detail, the part I relish.
Regarding the capacity to carry a Rhino etc. From firsthand experience I know that military vehicles sometimes are needed to be employed in roles that for which they were not intended due to the exergy of battle. All hardware is expendable and secondary to the objective. If the capacity to carry outsized loads is there it will carry outsized loads! 'nuff said.
Right now I'm gluing on the second layer of sheathing to strengthen the hull and provide a good base for the armour.
[URL=http://imgur.com/o4jBG]http://i.imgur.com/o4jBGl.jpg[/URL]
[URL=http://imgur.com/t4srJ]http://i.imgur.com/t4srJl.jpg[/URL]
[URL=http://imgur.com/4gTFK]http://i.imgur.com/4gTFKl.jpg[/URL]
Not really much to see for all the work involved but as a matter of interest the hull is square and true to the width of a sharpened pencil line in cross section and in length. Speaking of length I may have gone overboard in extending the aft hull I'll have to see after the forward armour is installed. I'm trying to avoid the blocky look of the FW model but right now I feel it may be a decimeter too long.
looks good so far. keep up the great work.
Whew, after a month of convalescing I'm back and finally feel like building models again. I don't recommend spending three weeks in a hospital.
Anyhow here is my first days labor on my long neglected project. I've decided to install the armour as I proceed back to the unfinished stern section. This is probably a mistake but I believe the hull is too long so once the armour in the front is done I'll be better able to trust my eye than actual measurements. As per usual I shall be doing this the hard way. No wonder I have ulcers.
[url=http://imgur.com/srXdC]http://i.imgur.com/srXdCl.jpg[/url]
I've laid out the coordinating lines on the hull and am fashioning the armour to fit. This is why it would be prohibitive to duplicate and sell copies of this model aside from copyright infringments
[url=http://imgur.com/DfBuk]http://i.imgur.com/DfBukl.jpg[/url]
Front view more of the same. The hull walls are approaching the proper thickness now.
[url=http://imgur.com/DfBuk]http://i.imgur.com/DfBukl.jpg[/url]
Side view of the nose armour which I calcuate to be 1.5 MM thick.
Nice work, makes me want to start my own...:)
Whoops big errors, have to re-do the nose armour.
Strangely I had forgotten I made this enlarged image on my photo editor to plot coordinating intersections. The actual model superimposes rather well on the 3D image with the exception of the most recent work which will be rectified. It appears that 6.0 mm is the proper thickness for the front cargo door and the aligning recesses in the side armour. The image has a two pixel margin of error due to the fuzziness of the enlargement. I can live with that.
[url=http://imgur.com/nqdIH]http://i.imgur.com/nqdIHl.jpg[/url]
Rather poor in my estimation.
[url=http://imgur.com/SvWME]http://i.imgur.com/SvWMEl.jpg[/url]
This is the goal.
[url=http://imgur.com/QGHdt]http://i.imgur.com/QGHdtl.jpg[/url]
With coordination lines superimposed on model
[url=http://imgur.com/r11Jc]http://i.imgur.com/r11Jcl.jpg[/url]
With pencil lines adjusted on model; by god that is close enough for government work.
E. Blackadder