X-29ish Thing

[silverwindblade]

So, hot off the heels of my F-111, I'm rolling straight on with another build (actually, three builds, I'll have threads up for the other two shortly).
I got given a pre-built but somewhat damaged F-5 by a friend, as he didn't want it any more. It's languished for a bit, but now I'm eager to get to it and make it into something.

As such, it's going to be transformed into another aircraft from my novel; a heavily modified X-29 used by the commander of the protagonists in the story, for the few times she does take to the air.

So, after having a look at a few dozen pics of the X-29 and trying to get a few ideas from other X-29's around on the forum, I've made a start - though I've got to say, I'm very surprised there aren't more attempts at converting one out of an F-5...


So, I had an old Academy Mirage III kit which had been hacked up a couple of times and used for different things, but hasn't ever been built. I also found an exhaust in my stash that looked pretty good. After doing a bit of bracing and scaffolding with plasticard, I attached it and removed the existing wings.

There's going to be a lot needed to blend in the rear end with the front, and a million hours of PSR are in my future. However, hopefully it'll be worth it.


Now, I've got wings from a Tornado I was planning to use, and some fins for the canards, as well as a suitable tail, so it's all plain (excuse the pun) sailing... aside from working out what to do with this 'wasp waist' here. I'm not sure if I should putty it out - which I'm reluctant to do because of MORE of the dreaded PSR, whether I should shape the bottom of the aircraft into this shape, or whether I should attempt to build up a leading edge root. Any opinions or advice?

[Captain Canada]

PSR can't be that dreaded if you keep finding excuses to do it 

Gonna look awesome. Nice mash up of parts too.

[kerick]

Are the intakes enlarged also?

[silverwindblade]

I think I must be a glutton for punishment or something. That's the only explanation I can come up with.

The intakes aren't enlarged, they're just the standard ones that were on the F-5. I didn't really think about enlarging them, though I realise that the F-20 has larger intakes.

[McColm]

Interesting idea.