Klingon Bird of Prey

Ccustomizing the Ertl kit's wing baffles

 

 

 

Finished product

Click on the images below for larger images


torpedo-baffle_detail
back
back
front

above
landing-position
lower
side
 

wings-up
  
 

 

The steps and images are listed chronologically from bottom to top:

09/14/03
  
Comparison of the hull and circuit board engine.
 Click for larger image.
Internally mounted unit configured with LED-flickering circuit board, white LED's and one each of red and orange blinking LED's, which have fiber optics inserted to simulate blinking running lights (note the fiber optic strings). Click for larger image.
   
08/12/03 More to follow soon..
Standard emitter in steps from beginning to end. More appropriately detailed, custom scratch built emitter was designed, see below.
This was built using multiple sizes of brass tubing and styrene strips, and was very hard to get just right.
The standard tube (also pictured here), was replaced with a scratch built brass tube that spans all the way from the emitter on the nose, to the rear engineering hull, appropriately.
08/01/03
The baffles were glued on to the ship by a two-step process. First, a liquid weld was used to fuse each styrene piece in place, and then gap-filling super glue was implemented to form a really strong bond.
Seen from above, note the uniformity. This was achieved by carefully fine-sanding the bevels in groups.
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Hull bevels close-up
   
3/24/03
The lighting plan. White LED's for the hull, yellow steady LED's for the engine, including a blinker board for the LED's from Don's Light and Magic to simulate the engine flickering effect as seen in the films and series.

First, we started with (.040) sheet styrene cut down into appropriately sized squares. After drawing out detailed plans, an acceptable shape was determined that would be used for the pattern of the wing radiator grille baffles. Holes were drilled into the center of the cards to keep the bafflesfrom moving during the cutting and final sanding process.

 After cutting out the pattern, the shape is sanded and contoured again in reference to the original part Even though they were not perfectly even, when separated and spaced accordingly, they have the look of perfectly uniform baffles. The final set of baffles, before dividing and painting.