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I'm finally getting serious about this project now that I've got my 3D printer dialed in properly.
I've been working with a gentleman down here in Florida who ended up in possession of the actual maquette they created and scanned for the TV series, which means that the 3D files we generated from it should be about as bang-on as you can get in terms of accuracy. I've always loved the series and have been wanting to do an R/C version of the boat for years, first inspired by a 10' long scratchbuild out of the UK.
Now, I'm nowhere near crazy enough to tackle a boat that large, so I elected from something a bit more transport-friendly while still offering a lot of room for electronic guts needed for real operation.
The work-in-progress will ultimately be around 50.6 inches in length. If the full-scale boat was 1,007 ft long (according to Wikipedia), then that would make this model around 1/250th scale (give or take).
I originally did a smaller version that is sitting on my shelf collecting dust. The size is just a bit too small for my liking, and the seams could have been handled a lot better, so I elected to have another go.
Here is the first model I made:
I really like the bigger size and I'm glad I bit the bullet and took the extra time. I'm managing a new section at a rate of about one per day, but I have a trip coming up that will take me out of the state for two weeks. I'm hoping that by the end of August I'll have the full boat printed, assembled, filled and primed, ready to mold and cast.
As I need at least two copies (one for me and one for my friend with the maquette), I'll go the route of molding and casting. If I didn't need to make more than one, I'd simply use the plastic parts that came off the printer as they're really tough and with good finish.
More to come soon! Here is a shot showing the 3D sections and the first few sections off the printer:
I've been working with a gentleman down here in Florida who ended up in possession of the actual maquette they created and scanned for the TV series, which means that the 3D files we generated from it should be about as bang-on as you can get in terms of accuracy. I've always loved the series and have been wanting to do an R/C version of the boat for years, first inspired by a 10' long scratchbuild out of the UK.
Now, I'm nowhere near crazy enough to tackle a boat that large, so I elected from something a bit more transport-friendly while still offering a lot of room for electronic guts needed for real operation.
The work-in-progress will ultimately be around 50.6 inches in length. If the full-scale boat was 1,007 ft long (according to Wikipedia), then that would make this model around 1/250th scale (give or take).
I originally did a smaller version that is sitting on my shelf collecting dust. The size is just a bit too small for my liking, and the seams could have been handled a lot better, so I elected to have another go.
Here is the first model I made:
I really like the bigger size and I'm glad I bit the bullet and took the extra time. I'm managing a new section at a rate of about one per day, but I have a trip coming up that will take me out of the state for two weeks. I'm hoping that by the end of August I'll have the full boat printed, assembled, filled and primed, ready to mold and cast.
As I need at least two copies (one for me and one for my friend with the maquette), I'll go the route of molding and casting. If I didn't need to make more than one, I'd simply use the plastic parts that came off the printer as they're really tough and with good finish.
More to come soon! Here is a shot showing the 3D sections and the first few sections off the printer:
That's cool! I loved that show!
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