Racked Up and Ready to Rock

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:34 pm

With Comicons and similar type shows round the corner and NOT much time with the other stuff I have goin on, I worked on a few things here and there over several months. Development started about 5 months ago and the planning, testing and other prototyping took more time than I wanted. Cutting and Sanding to shape really sucked and I hated it with a passion. I definitely don't wanna go thru this one again!!! First was the LAU-115 Launchers with Twin Rack capability. It is also a stand alone unit minus the extra rails.

steelbonnet · Post by **steelbonnet** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 12:19 am

WOW Rob,
Those look bloody awesome mate. You`ve certainly given your F/A-18 sharper teeth.

Excellent work indeed with the weapon racks mate.

Ja
Steel Bonnet

USCGSARdog · Post by **USCGSARdog** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:55 am

.....Thats one Hornet I wouldn't want to piss off.

Beautiful work Rob!

-Rob

KAGNEW · Post by **KAGNEW** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:58 am

WOW!

love that look

popeye357 · Post by **popeye357** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:42 am

great pics, the weapons look awesome, i dont mean to nitpick but the aft stripes on the missiles should be brown for low explosive.

scope uk · Post by **scope uk** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:36 am

WOW mig29k that is just awesome! the armaments that you have given it totally rock.

The clips you use to attatch the ordinance are very cool too!!

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:40 pm

Thanks all of you for the input and comments...and yes Popeye, NO worries, I knew that someone would catch on that one... well I have a very sorry excuse: a slight bug of laziness. I didn't have brown paint, I even tried a furniture touch up pencil which *EENT* didn't work. (Paint at the local model shop is mad expensive) So I chose a dark color: dark gray (yes, i took liberties) If I find a cost effective 'brown' or manage to mix my own, I'll definitely correct it. But anyhow Popeye, thanks for telling me what the brown signifies. I hadn't come across it while I was doing my research. I'll throw in a few RAW pics for you guys...My hands were literally mangled from all the sanding and yeah, the DUST was obnoxious... so those were my bigger gripes. If I had my own shop/work area, I probably wouldn't have bitched as much HAHA! But cleanin' carpet and wearing millions plastic dust particles can get to ya. So yeah, I did enjoy the process minus all that. Here are the unrefined pics:

If you notice in the three pics below, there is the main LAU115 unit which is stand-alone for use with single Sparrows and then the full LAU115 with LAU 127 twin rails. This unit was designed to be modular and be taken apart to its basic elements. All pieces are designed for snug "snap together" lego-like construction. There are about 5 other special attachments for other weapons like HARM, Sidewinder, and certain bombs.

Spudkopf · Post by **Spudkopf** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 4:25 pm

G'day MiG29K

That load sure going to make someone's day.................NOT!

blaster_e11 · Post by **blaster_e11** » Thu Sep 14, 2006 11:31 pm

i'm not familiar with the original toy nor with the real missile load such a fighter is supposed to come with, but WOW ! your work is detailled and smooth, almost factory like (even better imho)

steelbonnet · Post by **steelbonnet** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:52 am

Rob,
Always great when you show the WIP photos too mate,it truely shows the work you have put in & detail too.

Again Outstanding work mate.

Ja
Steel Bonnet

jeffrowse · Post by **jeffrowse** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 12:53 pm

Beautiful work!

Just one question - are you going to add the cabling that runs from the pylons to the missiles and bombs? I can't see anything else you've missed - and I've looked hard enough.

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:09 pm

jeffrowse wrote:Beautiful work!

Just one question - are you going to add the cabling that runs from the pylons to the missiles and bombs? I can't see anything else you've missed - and I've looked hard enough.

Hey Jeff! You're gonna have to help me here...or I better lay of the booze!! Just Kidding. What wires were you referring to? For a second there, I thought you were gonna rebuke me for not adding Gun Powder!!! I used about 3 books (2 were by Squadron Publications and one called Uncovering the F/A-18) and a Magazine from the UK called Tomcat VS Hornet (From Air Forces Monthy I think) as reference. But like to hear your input.

JA... You might as well live down the block from me man! haha!!

jeffrowse · Post by **jeffrowse** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 1:04 pm

Hiya,

The cables ar eabout 1/2" to 1" thick and connect the weapon(s) to the pylon/mount to allow for aim or location data to pass from the aircraft to the weapon; the only pic I have immediately to hand is on page 48 in a book called "The Cutting Edge", a lovely selection of photos taken aboard ship by a Naval Aviator called C.J. Heatley III (who apparently had the "misfortune" of flying Tomcats for a living!

).

I'll see if I can scare up some more pics and scan them in - much as I would love to scan this one for you, I'd ruin the book and it's too nice to do that too! Not many close-up shots - he was on an operational aircraft carrier! - but some beautifully composed photos and a fair bit of info from various trades aboard. (As an aside, I'd recommend the book to anyone who likes pics of aircraft in real-life operation)

Laters...

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:04 pm

jeffrowse wrote:Hiya,

The cables ar eabout 1/2" to 1" thick and connect the weapon(s) to the pylon/mount to allow for aim or location data to pass from the aircraft to the weapon; the only pic I have immediately to hand is on page 48 in a book called "The Cutting Edge", a lovely selection of photos taken aboard ship by a Naval Aviator called C.J. Heatley III (who apparently had the "misfortune" of flying Tomcats for a living! ).

I'll see if I can scare up some more pics and scan them in - much as I would love to scan this one for you, I'd ruin the book and it's too nice to do that too! Not many close-up shots - he was on an operational aircraft carrier! - but some beautifully composed photos and a fair bit of info from various trades aboard. (As an aside, I'd recommend the book to anyone who likes pics of aircraft in real-life operation)

Laters...

DUDE,

This Naval Weapons Officer gave me that same book when I was still in school as a present!! We had him and a close friend of the family stay with us when we were stationed at NATO base in South Italy. Now if I can find that book...Page 48 eh? Heatley took some bad-ass shots!

R

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:00 pm

AGM-88 HARM (High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile) Option w/ LAU-118 V Launcher Rack

RED · Post by **RED** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:58 pm

Hey Mig---All I can say is WOW!!!!! My hats off to you brother!!!!---RED---

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 10:42 pm

Very good work! Its amazing how much that BBI F-18 cleans up with a little custom work

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:00 pm

tmanthegreat wrote:Very good work! Its amazing how much that BBI F-18 cleans up with a little custom work

Thanks Tman and Red for the always kind comments...

I finally added the rear retracting wings and reshaped the front wings for the GBU-12 from way back... I figured that it could use a smoother finish... (On the first two, you might need to scroll towards the right)

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:31 pm

looks good!!!!!!!! I only wish I had some

scope uk · Post by **scope uk** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:56 pm

Totally Awesome!!! it's great to see these pics, great work MiG29K!!! A heck of alot of work has obviously gone into these and the results are very cool!

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:39 pm

Attention WalMart Shoppers, we got a good deal on some dual-purpose ribbon in Aisle 14!

Everytime I hear the name WalMart or visit it, I always get that part of the Gretchen Wilson song stuck in my head: Victoria's Secret, their stuff's real nice but I can get the same damn thing on the Wal-Mart shelf half price...

So here the lowdown for all you WalMart shoppers who happen to be looking for planes...hit two birds with one stone and check out the fabric and sewing department. It's so easy, EVEN a caveman can do it! Hook up some ribbon for less than a buck and a half and you got yourself some decent 'Remove Before Flight' tags.

kevrut · Post by **kevrut** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:44 pm

That's cool.

jeffrowse · Post by **jeffrowse** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 6:52 am

MiG29K wrote: Hey Jeff! You're gonna have to help me here...or I better lay of the booze!! Just Kidding. What wires were you referring to? For a second there, I thought you were gonna rebuke me for not adding Gun Powder!!!

Finally found a couple of pics that show the "wires" (actually cable bundles) I was babbling about; thinking about it, you probably won't find them on fast jets as exposed wiring and high-speed air don't get on too well...
Anyway, these pics are courtesy of the boys'n'gals over at www.fas.org :-

I think this one's on a Hornet, and

this one's on an Apache.

steelbonnet · Post by **steelbonnet** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:27 am

Well am I glad someone added comments to this thread.
Sorry Rob for missing those updates you put up early Oct mate.

She`s a beauty Indeed & if you were to photograph her on a tarmac surface would probably fool most of usas being a REAL F/A 18 mate.

Those tags the extras you made for the plane & the mods to her too have truely pushed her into a league of her own.

OUTSTANDING work mate.

Ja
Steel Bonnet

MiG29K · Post by **MiG29K** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 9:58 am

jeffrowse wrote:
MiG29K wrote: Hey Jeff! You're gonna have to help me here...or I better lay of the booze!! Just Kidding. What wires were you referring to? For a second there, I thought you were gonna rebuke me for not adding Gun Powder!!!
Finally found a couple of pics that show the "wires" (actually cable bundles) I was babbling about; thinking about it, you probably won't find them on fast jets as exposed wiring and high-speed air don't get on too well...
Anyway, these pics are courtesy of the boys'n'gals over at www.fas.org :-

I think this one's on a Hornet, and

this one's on an Apache.

Hey Jeff,

Good lookin' out again... I think the first picture is from an F-16 and thats based on the look and shape of the pylon. (Also the ground crew is in full BDUs - Navy/USMC ground crews are decked out a lil differently) I believe the item loaded on it is a Zuni Rocket Pod which I've mostly seen on Hornets and I haven't a pic of one on an F-16C. I just built a set of those same pylons not to long ago for my F-16 because the armament set up is a bit goofy and off kilter. BBI gave the Viper an ADF loadout and the ADF model is phased out and relegated to the scrap pile or sold to other Air Forces. The addition of the Sparrow missile is pretty much the hint here and NO current U.S models have Sparrow Firing Capability - A few European models do.

Anyhow Jeff, those are pretty useful pics and I may just have to add those wires to the Viper now! If you find anything else of interest, hook us up!

lassstly... Bonnet!! "B-DAWG" JA, good to see you hoppin in here again. Just when I thought I put the whole Hornet thing in Spraylat and plastic in the Arizona Desert, I had thought you'd seen all this. I'm kinda delving into Falcon Territory now. Work's been crazy so I haven't really done much. I have to ask you a question about some DVDs later.

Small Scale Military Headquarters

Racked Up and Ready to Rock

Racked Up and Ready to Rock

yep yep

howdy

Re: cables

Re: cables

AGM-88 HARM Option

Attention Walmart Shoppers...

xd

Re: howdy

Re: howdy