I have a 1/72 commache model and i want to add the laser seeker to the nose of the missile how would i duplicate that. any ideas?
You could try & fashion something from spare transparent sprue, You would want to start with something slightly larger in diameter than you require - the final parts of sprue which lead to the canopy or whatever are usually thinner & may be more suitable.
Get a short length of the sprue & clear away any flash or edges on it & then stick it into the chuck of a power drill / craft tool. Rotate the tool at low > medium speed & use some fine paper to create the profile you require. When you get something looking like what you want, switch over to a fine abrasive powder / liquid (even toothpaste) & finish it off to give & smoothness / shininess that suit you. Then cut the tip off (rolling it under a very sharp blade - like stripping the outer sheath of a cable) & voilà.
If you really want to go to town, before you cut the tip off, make the cut to give you a slightly longer piece & use a fine drill to drill a recess into the back of the part (going towards the front), then do you final cut & you will be left with a recess which you can fill with chrome paint / foil. this will give a more realistic look & still leave you with a surface suitable for gluing. whatever you do I would use PVA / wood glue (Elmer’s?) to join the part’s - it won’t leave such visible mess.
A different method would be to try & form the seeker from fine drops of PVA.
Having said all that, the part may be available on the aftermarket, or someone may chime in with a far easier way to do it!
I would do it the same way and add one more step: after finishing the part, dip it in the old stand-by, Future floor wax for that extra clear effect.
In 1/72 that tip is small. I would just cut the tip off so it is flat. Paint the tip silver, then dip the tip in clear, two-part epoxy resin. Hang the rocket from its motor end with the tip down so it dries into a point. That should do it for something that small.
Go to you local Hobby Shop and see if they can get you the following item: MV Lens, they are perfect f/this and come in a mulitude of sizes. Railroaders use them for lights.
I just got to wondering. I know some visible and IR guided missiles have protective caps over the dome to protect the dome from the environment. They are blown away during either the launch or arm sequencing. Did the Hellfire have such a dome cover or was the dome open during normal operation?