Holy Crap! Am I glad you reposted your build here! I was following it on Frugals and was super bummed when that site went down! Superb planning, design and execution. Really looking forward to seeing how you finished it up!

POST EVERYTHING!

Thanks Redhornet, you are too kind!

I'll try to get it all up as fast as I can. There are some really nice projects going on over here, The Apache project looks very nice.

I used a larger sized timber edge to allow for a bigger radius similar to something that may have bee a steel construction in real life.

This was easily shaped with a hand plane and sander.






The edges where the mdf joined along the tops were also rounded a little but you have less material here to work with so cant go too shallow on the radius.



Be very careful planing mdf surface (edges are ok) as you destroy the smooth finish and it needs a lot of sanding and possible filling.

In my case I was going to add a little wear and tear later so any defects could be disguised as dents etc.

Ok onto the ejection seat. This was modelled on the ACES seat and a little of the F14 and some of a British design I think.

I wanted it to be adjustable for my kids to get in so it moves forward and back and up and down. I found a great seat mechanism for $20 at a wreckers. The base design is built around the mechanism.




I made up a balsa model to check for look and size when I originally scale built it.




The original design was to have the missile pods on either side with the left side opening as a door. I simplified as the build time was getting too long.

I'd highly recommend using balsa to scale build anything that might be large and complex to give you an idea of what will work and its quick to assemble.




The design is based on this model from the Mechwarrior series, Vulture or Maddog




Marked up the sides with a pretty good guess on the shape using a flexible edge.





The side needs to be shaped to the finished product so you can then attach it to the other side and use the trimmer bit to create an identical side.





Using the straight edge to finish the edges for the base side..



The finished side for the base based on the balsa model.


I wanted to give the base a cast aluminium look so I added another identical side and marked up a web pattern before drilling holes at the radius of each shape.




Roughly cut to a few mm of the line.

Again using a temporary straight edge nailed to the piece to get a clean finish.






Finished side piece.



Clamped to base to check fit and angle.


Sides of the seat back with the centre supports. These are also curved inward to give a contoured back.



Seat base of solid timber to be lined with a ply sheet.


I used a better looking screw head on the base even though it will have a cushion sometime.



Seat back clamped to check fit and look.



The top head rest piece is just a simple box.


Mini oxygen cylinder from a mouse bottle and other bling.





The hydraulic lines are inserted into a standard hex bolt with the end filed smooth and the correct hole drilled in the centre.
Its just pushed into the correct sized hole in the block. Sorry about the poor focus.

Using the right type of screw helps to make it look more real.




Finished product after undercoat and satin black spray. The far side has no detail as it cant be seen once installed in the sim.

I made up stickers to give it a more authentic look. Military stuff has labels all over everything.

My god, that is a masterpiece. Seriously. That is effing awesome. And this is just the chair!

Choowy, that is stunning! The creative use of commonly available materials to simulate other things just makes it all that more impressive. I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest of the project!

I may just have to revisit MechWarrior: Living Legends ...

That seat is a work of art! I'd love to get drawings of it. CNC! *laughs*

g.

Wow! The seat itself is a masterpiece!

Damn man that's impressive stuff! Reminds me of Wasp's life size mech pit! Keep it up totally a work of art!

Not worthy...so not worthy...

thanks for the replies. I know about working with it but didn't realize you were using it as that for the finish. I assumed....yeah I know with the way the finished product looked that you have worked out some type of epoxy or veneer type material on it.