William, I suggest you take your own actions into consideration when, during late 2003, you posted links to your “studio-scale:” model directly in the Starship Modeler Forum thread I started to post pictures of my original MiG-31 model.
Orne,
Did i Really?
Man I’m sorry, geez , I hate to step on anyones toes, I apoligize profusely if I did.
Again I’m anxious to see how your model turns out. just think the Firefox is the wildest plane on film. 
Woody, Sorry, but I didn’t make it to Wonderfst, I really wanted to ,but didnt get the travel time necessary from work to make it there. Yes I’ve been showing the masters on this forum to show progress of the build…fun stuff, If I’m not hurting anything, then I will continue do do so, otherwise I’ll stop.
Best,
William
I agree with Woody wholeheartedly!
Sorry I misconstrued your posts as a promotion your product, William. I was primarily concerned that it might get yanked by the moderators, which would be a shame. Not only that, but I was seriously thinking about ordering one! I guess that’s why I thought it was a promotion (cuz I was hooked!).
As Woody said, please continue to share your talent with us!
Oh, and thanks for clearing up the Propmaker/Replicator thing, too.
Howdy, little update on progress
Carved out and puttied the master patterns for the engine nozzle surrounds. I just molded these up last night. I will be casting from the molds to make the final pieces which will be finalized in detail and permanently attached to the plane fuselage
Best,
William
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=503731
Nice model! Offtopic: I don’t know why the plane was designed this way by the filmmakers. For a plane that can supposedly fly at Mach7, it sure didn’t look like it could! I read the novel first before I saw the movie back in the 80s, and I always imagined it look something like the SR-71.
Clint Eastwood liked the design and since he was directing the movie, this is what he wanted. He who has the gold, makes the rules
William
These are the master patterns for the exhaust nozzel surrounds that the cast nozzels will drop into. These will glue right to the back of the master pattern and be molded in on the final tooling…last pics show the styrene strips attached and the shrouds set in place where they will become one with the fuselage
Enjoy da pics!
William
Howdy All,
First , let me apoligize for being away so long. I had a dream come true project come my way that I couldn’t say no to. I got to be part of a team that restored the “original” 1954 filming miniature of the Nautilus used in Walt Disney’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. This monster[:D] is 11 ft long and almost entirely made of Brass. the end result made her look as she did in 1955 through 1966 , when she was displayed as part of the 20,000 Leagues Set walkthough at Disneyland in California. here a pic to show how she looks now
Anway, This is my favorite piece in the entire world, so to help restore her was a dream come true.
Ok. back to the Firefox, next post will start things off
Sincerely,
William
I see all the links mo longer work so this will be a few posts to “catch up”
ok here we go,
I guess I better start at the beginning, so I will show the master pattern builds from rough to as it is now to catch everyone that was or is watching this thread up to date.
Howdy gang,
I just noticed that FSM recognized my old Id here as Sci Fi Replicator and not Sci Fi Propmaker…gets confusing for me but when i gave FSM my email address this is what they recognized, I’m sorry for the confusion, both names are mine.
these next photos show me changing the nose of the master as I wasn’t satisfied with the faceting sharpness, getting this right totally changed the look of the plane…Looks right now, at least according to the filming miniature I based this entire project from.
Enjoy the pics!
William
these next pics show some refinements of the wing tips making sure they have the correct angle to the filming miniature.( They match)
Here are som photos while I was making the rear engine exhaust shrouds. The last photos will show the look of them once grafted to the main fuselage
Here’s and update with more pics!
Enjoy…
William
here’s the Mitchell Gant (Eastwood) pilot figures for the replica sculpted by my friend, Masao. He really captured the likenes to Clint on these, espeically considering how small they are. The standing Clint actually looks just like the old movie poster, face and all.
Here’s the Defense pod master pattern before chaffe…sp? “rocket launcher” barrels were added. there are several of these on the plane. two on the vertical stabilizers, two on the trailing edges of the trailing edge of the wings, and two on either side of the engine nozzel shrouds.
And here the barrels are installed…looks like the filming miniature now! this master was molded to save time of having to make 6.
This photo shows the overall rear of the plane, main fuselage. Here i’ve redone the drag/drone chute, the wing tip fences, the vertical stabilizer master, and the rear engine nozzel shrouds have at this point, been detailed and faired in as well. I will still need to add the two defense pods here.
I been able to get certain details photoetched as per my patterns for the cockpit and various details of the plane… here you see a belly detail, the F.O.D. collectors, air brakes , wing brakes, and details for the cockpit, namely the glare protection shroud for the instrument panel as per the film miniature/full scale mockup. From left to right: main air brakes, FOD collectors top and bottom for the “air splitters"not sure what they are called”,above them are the side plates to the glare shroud,to the right of those, the wing brakes. To the right of those is the belly detail, then below that the top of the glare shroud. to the right of that are the cockpit sill details and below that the main shroud master that gets bent to shape as you’ll see in the next pic. there are some other details that aren’t mine. The gentleman wanted to use all space, so he did.
here are the flat pattern developed turkey feather nozzels masters before folding to proper shape. I’ve decided to make this a resin detail so there’s no fowling up the specific bends to get the nozzels faceting correct.
I’m also utilizing several details from a Tamiya F4 C/D Phantom as this is the kind of aircraft they stripped for the Firefox gear and certain details, including the stripped MK 7 Martin Baker Ejection seat.
here’s a close up of the patterns, can also see above the interior wall panels for the missle bays, and finished glare shroud for instrument panels, and the instrument panel accurate to film version.
This photo shows the Gant pilot in seat with various details. To this right of this is a close up of the details on the leading edge of wing for the plane. The part on top is the vertical stabilizer with defense pod attached.
ok this post should catch everyone up to where I am currently with this build.
Again hope everyone enjoys the progress pics…it is a fun project and I really hate it when I have to set it aside.
Best,
William
this photo shows the fairing in of the main wing and fuselage interface. I wanted a seamless joint here. I used Evercoat Glazing putty here for the joint. It’s a very fine filler that I actually can sand to a glass smooth finish if necessary.
Here’s an overall view with the new wing tip fences in place. You can also see I’ve faired in the recesses for the vertical stabilizers to fit
These next few photos will show the fuselage as it is today. The white and drak tan details you see on the leading edges of the wings are the “cooling” details, they have recessed detail as well. this pattern I cut in adhesive-backed viynl. The yellow viynl pieces are masks for recessed areas.
and finally more photoetched details, this time the instrument panel both unassembled and assembled…hope you like it!
WOW She’s looking GOOD !
Bud
Impresive work and a magnificent model!!! PLEASE keep us posted in the progress of this project.
Will,
Nice job on Firefox — and very nice screensaver.
Richard
beautiful model of a beautiful plane!
Thanks gang,
I hope to get this pattern done and molded by Wonderfest, totally missed last round for show and tell :)…
Will
kinda late getting this up but I finally had a chance to mold up my engine nozzel and inner burner can masters…you can see the mold underneath the first test castings of each, Overall, I’m very pleased with the final results on this particular detail of the plane. Enjoy Will
Oh yeah this is lookin’ Saweeeeeet!!! YOu got the touch & this has been one of my all time favorite planes.
Truely amazing!! [bow]