ID4 Alien Attacker 12ft Flying Model - Real Deal!

[Prop-Builder]

Here's something never done before in the model/prop making community... a real huge 12 foot functional flying model of an Alien Attacker as seen in the Independence Day movie!

Using the 2ft Icon's model as general reference, I will be building a scale model measuring approx 12ft in diameter and 12ft long that will house engines to enable it to fly high into the atmosphere. I will be putting cameras onboard and tracking equipment as well which will allow me to see where it is during its flight.

In this thread, I will discuss the process of building this model and post pictures as I work. To start, I will be testing the aerodynamics of this design and decide on the best type of engine to use. I thought about creating a foam mock-up model of the Icon's 2ft Attacker to see how it performs and making any necessary changes to improve flight performance and stability. After this, I will knock up a 4ft version and refine it further.



Please stay tuned as I work on this project. Believe me... you won't be dissappointed by the results!

[moviecreature]

This is awesome, but hard to believe at the same time. I would love to see the progress on this one! Couldn't you make a very very thin skinned Attacker so it's lightweight, then just fill it with Helium? You would get it levitating nicely like this, then you'd just need to find a way to get forward thrust. Maybe you could assemble some kind of horizontal launch rig and kinda catapult it off a long rod?

[Prop-Builder]

I don't think they'd be enough volume/space inside for the required gas to get it to float. Also, if I was to put an engine on to get the forward thrust, it would have to be so small and lighweight so the model stayed in the air and probably wouldn't generate enough thrust.

I decided to make it from foam and put some kind of jet turbine or electric ducted-fan unit inside it.

[moviecreature]

Ducted fan units need an entry and exit way somewhere in the model, where would you place this?

[Prop-Builder]

I was thinking of cutting slots inbetween the engine veins at the rear, and for the front end, maybe cutting smaller slots where the 'power windows' are supposed to come out. Maybe more slotting can be done behind the grill and underneath the craft.

If only the technolgy for anti-gravity was available! That's really what a craft like this deserves! Maybe I can 'upgrade' it later if scientists were to ever announce a breakthrough of something special within my lifetime. ;D

[Fraggleman]

"Maybe I can 'upgrade' it later if scientists were to ever announce a breakthrough of something special within my lifetime." ;D

Why not buy one of those levitron toys and adapt that to make it levitate on the floor? You could have a section inside a display base containing the magnets and place this under your ship. I don't know how high it will float, but maybe something worth looking into?

I've seen may variations of these levitron toys, including world globes floating above a base. This is what I thought about when I read this thread. ;D