Nighthawk (9)

Hello everyone,
thanks for your comments and suggestions on the smoke issue for an image.
I will try it with Photoshop first, and if I can't get a decent result with it, I'll try some of the other suggestions, like cotton, dry ice, water vaporizer ect.

After the last update one user in the WIP forum pointed out that the original platform for the STRIX was too small (too narrow), now that the armament is attached to the wings.
So I decided to build a new elevator for the scene.

It now looks like an elevator on the outside of the "ship" - be that a real ship or an airship aircraft carrier.

Here you can see some first details I added.

Now the STRIX, navigator, and pilot have their new positions.

And this is the image I'd like to take with the smoke (once everything is completed).

More details to the ships front.

Next I masked off the cockpit and prepped everything for priming.

And here is the crew, ready for painting :)

I hope you like it.

Thanks for reading, C&C welcome.

Cheers

Klaus

Smoke for a photo?

Hello everyone,

for the NIGHTHAWK I'd like to create a photo like this

Any idea how to create the smoke?
Since I'm an ex-cigarette smoker, using cigarette smoke won't be an option.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Klaus

Nighthawk (8)

Thanks guys :)
I must admit it is fun to be back on this project and I realized over the weekend, from some angles the NIGHTHAWK looks really stunning :)
In regards to mass-production I must say, there are currently too many angles and small pieces to be really suitable for mass produciton. But when I started the project I did have a second NIGHTHAWK - already lifting off from the deck of the ATHENA - in mind. So I *may* look into improving the design and make it easier to "template-ize" ... we'll see.

Over the last view days I continued with Amilia and the Navigator.



Here you can see her shiny new belt buckle :)



The Navigator got some fur on the sleeve and nice knee pads.

The new tigh armor on Amelia.

And finally the knee pads.

The Navigator received several straps and belts, cables for the mechanical arm.

A fur collar and boots.

Now these two are complete.

So now it's time to think about a nice paint scheme for the STRIX. For this I looked into my old and trusted "Complete book of World War II Combat Aircraft".

As you can see from my hand, that's a mightly large volume ;-)

This is one design I fancy. Pretty simple, but IMHO with a nice effect.

Or I may go for the night fighter/interceptor pattern and use the "Black Widow" as base.

Would also be a nice twist with the female pilot to have a black widow, as well as a nice "Lady in the Dark" slogan on it, wouldn' it?

Also I like this little symbol on the fuselage of this Japanese Kawasaki plane...

I may steal it :)

Well, speaking of books.

My copy of the CMON Annual 2009 finally arrived.

It is a great book with many very talented artists in it.

And I have to admit I'm mighty proud to be part :)

So, you can find me, or rather the ZEUS, on page 80 :)

It is really a nice book with some excellent pieces in it.

Thanks for reading.

As usual C&C welcome and apreciated.

Cheers

Klaus

Project Nighthawk (7)

Thanks guys :) I realize I sounded quite like whining about the CMON voting.

It wasn't intended. To me it's just a mystery how some of the scoring happens :)

I put the image in, with my initial rating of 8, and after the first 25 votes it dropped to 6.5. So there must have been quite some very low votes...but that's CMON for you :)

In the meantime I had a short visit from my nephew Florian, and we chatted a bit, looked at some of the models, complete and incomplete.

And I realized, there are quite some nice projects not yet finished.


While it's still not the ATHENA, I think I'm getting closer *wink*

So I decided to give the STRIX another go. First I mounted the Punisher Cannons and the AA-Missiles, as well as adding some details to the wing joints.






And then I figured, for a proper diorama I need some pilots, don't I?

And looking at my old ideas and scetches, I had a female pilot planned.

So I used some old Dark Eldar bits, and mixed them with IG bits.



This will be the gunner, with an artificial eye and mechanical arm.



This is after the first round of Greenstuff on Monday.







And four days later she looks like this:

Still a lot to do.

A bit Amelia Earhart :)

The gunner also received a proper mechanical hand to his arm.

I hope you like it :)

Cheers

Klaus