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3DSA-32A Thunderbolt Starfury (Babylon 5)

VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
edited August 2012 in Work in Progress #1
well, been re-watching old Babylon 5 episodes, and it made me want to model!! (a good thing!)

First off we have the SA-32A Thunderbolt class Starfury.. , and yes i'll get around to the original starfury eventually, felt like starting this baby first..

hoping that this is the first in a string of Babylon 5 related models, with a big push to eventually model the Victory class!! ( a ways off) so in my mind a few small meshes to start off with then a good push on the Victory, with the occasional shuttle or ship to break up the monotony! well thats the plan anyways.. might burn out tomorow for all i know! but really would like to do a Victory Class... something Not Star Trek!!!

so I blocked out most of the ship, and started on detailing the engine naccelles (pods) first.. there pretty much done, now on to the gull wings!!

Pictures!

and oh.. if ya'll happen to have any screenshots or refs of the Excalibur... Please!!
Post edited by VALKYRIE013 on
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  • Knight26Knight26191 Posts: 837Member
    Very solid start, we need more b5 on these boards
  • aylaa12aylaa120 Posts: 0Member
    Woa nice valk the thunderbolt now jijiji you're getting bolder with every new project
  • gusdorfgusdorf175 Posts: 51Member
    Great work! Agree with Knight26, more B5 needed on this site.
  • BrianSzepBrianSzep187 Posts: 115Member
    Hi,

    Looks like it's going to be a great model. I started something new to learn the new Blender 2.5 interface before I finish my B5 station.

    -Brian
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    well a bit more work.. done the canopy and the cockpit cutout.. top wing and fuselage is smoothed out.. lower wing left, then to decide on what to do with paneling.. been collecting real world images of f-16s and f/a 18s, and f/a 35's to see paneling and access hatches.. need to find images of a naked f-15 they used for speed records.... hmm

    then to add the grappling arm, and the specs out there on the internets say it has 4 cannons plus the centerline cannon.. though i don't remember watching any scenes with it firing anything other than the centerline cannon... or that i have no idea where the other 4 cannons are.. they should exist.. be kinda dumb to only have 1 cannon .. and no backups!! Thinking of putting the cannons in the engine pods under the reverse thruster.. has a nipple there for something in the refs!! bout the only place for it.. but if anyone has any ideas on that... i'll listen!!

    so pictures!
  • JennyJenny2 Posts: 0Member
    I've always liked the Thunderbolt, even if it did sort of seem like they were saying, "Alright, already! This one looks like a plane! Are you happy, now?!"

    That said, your version is making great strides! The flight deck and canopy look fabulous!
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    some images of the cockpit (or flight deck for the PC inclined!!!) with some blonde twins to show some scale.. seems pilots have more room in the orignal starfury than this thing!!! owell more latter!
  • somacruz145somacruz1450 Posts: 0Member
    Ah I was probably the only one who didn't watch the series but the model is cool so far :thumb: Are the pilots final version ? They could use helmets :D
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    Are the pilots final version ? They could use helmets :D

    what? its presurized in there!! I'm shooting for a B movie here!!
  • MelakMelak332 Posts: 0Member
    I don't think they'll mind the tighter space with those twins there ^_^
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    alright, re did the upper and lower wings, adding a rounded front edge to give it a more of a wing apperance.. also modeled up the radiators under the top wing ( atleast they Should be radiators.... look like it!!)

    so now i have to decide on how to do the paneling on this thing.. the B5 random panels.. or some more realistic panels and hatches... or is it bare metal finish?? with the only paint being the nose art?? hmm...

    The field of vision is horrible in the cockpit! unless they use some holographics to project whats under them.... coming in from underneath would be a Big flaw if not!! seen some stuff in macross and Gundam to eleviate this.. though they should have just given the darn thing a glass canopy instead of the greenhouse... owell

    so, Pictures!
  • Dr-TimelordDr-Timelord0 Posts: 0Member
    The thunderbolt is all kinds of awesome.

    hehe reckon it could give a Xwing a run for its money....maybe
  • CASUAL OBSERVERCASUAL OBSERVER171 Posts: 0Member
    Amazing job so far.

    For what it's worth, I say update/ improve the base model as you see fit. The original model is what? 15 years old? About time for a little face lift. ;)
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    I"M ALIVE AND MODELING AGAIN! YAAAY!

    man.. what a slump I was in.... owell.. thats the past!
    So.. to get back in to action, gone back to an old mesh that I didn't finish ( among many I will admit..) and try to finish her.
    So, found some better refs, and tiddyed the old mesh up ( I.E. Rebuilt nearly everything except the engine pods) so, looks better, bit more cleaner, and alot more accurate!

    Not to to much to go on her, some panel lines, and maybe a cockpit (or lovely near naked model...pit...) interior, simple pilot..

    Really want to start on that Excalibur mesh, and do that pole launch sequence Crusade had! ( basically, a gaggle of fighters are lowered on a pole on the underside of the ship, and each fighter rotates on the pole to face all directions, then launch.. wish there was a Youturd vid of it.. aint one!)

    so more latter... Out of town next week, Nationals model contest in Orlando!
  • TALON_UKTALON_UK2 Posts: 0Member
    Nice looking work. This is a model I've been meaning to get around to as well. Did a Starfury many many moons ago. B5 has to be one of my all time fave sci-fi shows, great starship design, especially the Earthforce starfighters.
  • BolianAdmiralBolianAdmiral1114 Torrance, CaliforniaPosts: 2,560Member
    Awesome work on this so far... I agree that we need way more B5 stuff here, and I've always loved the Thunderbolt!
  • SaquistSaquist1 Posts: 0Member
    It's nice to See B5 making a comeback on these Trek/Wars areas of the forum.
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    Thanks Guys/Girls ( the girls are lurking Somewhere..... I hope....)
    More!

    Worked on the gattling gun abit ( only armament on the thing.. plus read a theory on what kind of armament this thing has, more in the line of an A-10 with a BIG gun in the nose)
    detailed out the back of the nacelles, and added the radiators again, rebuilt of course.. LOTS more accurate, and just better all around! ... even though this mesh is only 2 years old... I do things Alot better now.. weird..

    So.. more tommorow.. start tackleing panel lines, steps body details etc.

    Thanks!
  • Klavs81Klavs81224 Posts: 197Member
    Looking great! Love this ship!
  • SaquistSaquist1 Posts: 0Member
    Are you going to give the Thunderbolt control surfaces?
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    hmm.. It DOES have control surfaces.. has ailerons on the deployable mini wings.. none on the main wing surface though :)
  • SaquistSaquist1 Posts: 0Member
    Any bomber flaps? Or just ailerons
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    I'm Back! (applause!)

    as in giant air flaps/brakes like dive bombers? proabably not :)

    worked on her abit today, getting some panel lines into her top wing... trying to be as thin as I can be since it Is Not a shield grid.. just panel seperations... had a thought of just doing it by texture.. but seemed like a cop-out... ( need to visit a military forum and ask them what they do!!)

    so.. more tommorow
  • TALON_UKTALON_UK2 Posts: 0Member
    Looking good.
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    Thanks Talon!

    threw out a color render of her :)
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    okay, bit more progress, got the panel lines on the body now. most of whats left is the lower wing and a few areas, beaver tail etc. then its on to textureing!! YAY!
    97072.jpg97073.jpg
  • ryo80ryo800 Posts: 0Member
    I know nothing about Babylon 5 (I'm lame, I know :P), but I really like this ship. Very slender and aggressive. It also looks like really solid mesh work on your end, sir. This should look really cool once it's textured!
  • SaquistSaquist1 Posts: 0Member
    I've played Wing Commander, watched Macross Pluss and Babylon 5 but it wasn't untill I watched some of the military documentaries of world war II that I understood why so many genre's reuse the name Thunderbolt.
  • ElowanElowan0 Posts: 0Member
    Toning down the highlights would help
  • VALKYRIE013VALKYRIE013547 Posts: 1,473Member
    well back at it again!

    not to much work, but atleast going into the right direction
    Panel lines are ( atleast should be) done paneled the lower wing, and put in some more detail on the nose 2 light pulse cannons .. just trying out some details, let me know if it works.. some parts of this thing are lightly detailed in the series, but I want just a bit more detail

    Thanks!
    97231.jpg97232.jpg
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