Wednesday 30 January 2013

Hornethopter - what to do?

Some more progress for you today. Here we have all six legs now on:
Which raises the question - "How do i display it?" I couldn't have it landed even if i wanted to as those legs are FAR too spindly to support all that weight for 5 mins, let alone over a large amount of time. So its got to be in mid-air, which means a support rod - but where to put it? Usually it'd be best to put it on the underside, but there's just too much detail and its too darn narrow to put it there. I think i'm meant to put it here, so i've drilled a hole ready:
The problem i've got is: Usually i'd use a clear rod for the job as (A) it does a good job of suspending disbelief, (B) i really don't like flying models held up by an all-too apparrent bit of metal stuck out of it. But, if i use clear rod, it'd mean bending it through a 90 degree angle - and no plastic i use will hold that weight at that angle for a long amount of time. So i've no choice but use metal. Very opposed to it, but have thought of maybe a way i can disguise it. If i bend the metal shortly after it comes out the craft horizontaly, rather than vertically down to the ground, i could attach it to a building the craft could be flying past. So all i need is some brass rod and a Tamiya 1/35th WW2 building. Sorted. Another bit of progress is that i've assembled the antennae. It comes with these seperate brass etch pieces:
Which i've glued together, but will not glue on 'till almost done, as they could ping off real easily: