[DMC]

I built my version of the FANG II in 1:72 scale. I have a thread in the works in progress section about how it was built. I am going to put it in a display with a couple other aircraft, so a pilot will be made eventually.

[tt8l]

I think some 89-90 (Fang 2, Hurricane, Hammerhead, Piranha, Condor etc.) late era vehicle designs were really incredible right before they started adding spring loaded crap or gimmicks in 91+. It's almost like they had a resurgence of cool creative - but not stupidly outlandish - vehicle ideas for a couple of years before going all in on gimmicks and weak phoned in designs.

You did a great job with this one.

[DMC]

I agree with you about that design year. I have always thought the condor in particular had a cool design. I have been mulling over how to go about making theat one in 1:72 scale for a while now. I am also building a hurricane. I?m getting closer to having it be done, and I?ll post it here when it?s complete.

[Clockwise]

Hasbro took something that could have been closer to a mini-Osprey. As it is now, the propellers are so close to the pilot that he'd chop his hands off if he opened his arms to the side.

You perfectly captured the design of the original, warts and all. Continually amazed with your projects.

When you do a build like this, is it hard for you to not fix things that Hasbro got wrong straight out of the gate, or do you just embrace the flaws as part of the process?

[DMC]

It?s an interesting question. Overall, I have tried to stick to the original design so far. I was tempted on this build to make a modified version, more like a mini-osprey, as you said, with multiple seats and a larger body. I ended up trying to stick with the original more fanciful version. There are some things I just can?t bring myself to do though, like painting the nose gun red. Similarly, on the Night Raven, I won?t be painting the engine intakes and exhausts bright orange. I know this sounds silly, since we?re talking about a toy line of fictional military vehicles, but I am trying to keep some semblance of realism in my versions of the aircraft. You could paint a propellor red if you wanted to, but no jet engine exhaust would be painted at all, let alone bright orange.

On the Hurricane, I have elected to give it regular landing gear. The original toy has these tiny wheels on the engine nacelles it rests on, and that just doesn?t seem right to me. The other two projects I have in the back of my head that are going to have to be modified somewhat are the Condor and the Mamba. The condor comes apart into two sections. The rear is basically a flying wing design, but the front section is just a cylinder with a cockpit. There are no wings for lift. I?m just going to build it as one whole plane. The Mamba has those two side pods that come off and fly around on their own. It?s a fun play feature, but they?re so far from being viable aircraft I can?t bring myself to do that. I think I?m just going to make it as one big helicopter, and have those side pods be extra gunner?s stations or something like that.

That?s a long answer for a simple question, but those are my thoughts on it.

[Clockwise]

A long answer is a great answer.

Dropping the silly colors is a perfect style choice for what you're doing. It makes these designs as "real" as they can be while still honoring most of the source material.

It also makes me appreciate your "how would this really function" perspective, too.

Now I realize how much better the Mamba's flight pods would have been with some sort of fold-down/pull-out winglets for after the flight pods left the housings.

[Ponygt50]

Awesome!