Current Status: Delays, Delays!!

Well, as the title of the page suggests I've hit a few setbacks (pictures will be posted as soon as I get off my butt and take them).

1] COM front lit

2] COM backside

Firstly, I have come to the sad realization that there is no room on the right side rear wall (pilot's right) for the lightbar I planed to use. The door simply won't clear the socket and circuit board when mounted in the hole under the COM panel. This will have to be built like the little wedge-shaped lightbox I made for the left rear console. Above I've snapped out the lightbar and will mount a clear styrene window there shortly. I'll likely add the same lightbox treatment to the right side light also. Same may go for the front red lights too, but I'm not sure yet. I may try to make those fit but it will depend on the ceiling treatment I use.

The good news is that I have the com panel fiber optics complete and have mounted a flashing red "explosive bolts armed" light. It doesn't flash quite like the movie one but it's still pretty cool IMHO. I am going to cut very small steel pins for the switches and glue them into equally small drilled holes (I have a very fine pin vise drill bit that does the trick. Drilling will be slow as too much pressure will snap this super fine bit (heck, blowing on it too hard will likely snap it!)

3] BOWMAN

Bowman is underway now and I've primed his body and pinned the back and front packs. I need to do a bit more work with Mr Surfacer on the helmet and his pointing hand (finger tip has a bubble) but I am getting ready to start painting his body red, silver and gray. I probably do that with a fine brush. The helmet will be done with an airbrush to make it as glossy as possible. Same for the packs.

Hose-wise, I'm making the thicker black pack hoses with a thin wire wrapped around a fatter one, then bending the whole thing to shape. The helmet air hose is an elastic cord that I painted silver and looks really good. Just like a braided steel cable. I know that once he's in the pod, all the details I put on him will more-or-less vanish, but I think the overall impression will be better for it.

 

4] POD ARMS

Another thing I did was to paint the arms. They are looking really fine. I cut off the little hydraulic piston on the front face of the lower arms and drilled holes for replacements made from thick sewing pins and plastic cover from 25 gauge wire. Once painted it looks pretty convincing.

Once Bowman is done, I'm going to tackle the door paint. In fact I'll be priming the whole thing so I need to setup a paint booth next. I'll shoot that too.