BLADE RUNNER OFFWORLD AIRSHIP/BLIMP PROJECT
Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 11:28PM Webpage for the BLADE RUNNER AIRSHIP/BLIMP project! This project is AVAILABLE NOW as a DIGITAL STL file set (for 3d printing on your own). Email me now if you're interested in a physical model of the blimp coming summer 2023.
Email impervium@hotmail.com for more information. IF YOU'RE A BLADE RUNNER FAN, CHECK OUT MY OTHER REPLICAS FROM OVER THE YEARS!
Check back for updates. This model was being brought to you by the EXACT team that created magnificent studio scale BIRD OF PREY!
you can also more build blog material here: www.facebook.com/letsmakethestuff and www.instagram.com/chaucer44
The blimp is modeled more than half studio scale, which features a hull that's 30" long (add another 4 inches or so with the antenna). It is scaled to use with an inexpensive 10" digital photo frame for video playback as an option. You can also upscale it or downscale it as you please.
The blimp STL file set is $49.00 STL (no physical media) Includes all STL parts and PDF (3 pages!) for the graphics. Attaching rods for the gondolas are not STL models. You'll need to assemble rods for those structures. You'll need to manually attach components to the hull blank, braze metal rods for support structures, drill holes for antennae, etc... NOT INTENDED FOR A BEGINNING MODELER!
There will be a PHYSICAL KIT (with enough backers) available summer 2023. (prices yet to be determined).
CHECK OUT THE INNERSPACE KRAKEN KICKSTARTER: $29 STIL FILES
The blimp digital model is comprised of these parts (STL files):
- the main body (split at the equator and shelled to allow easy printing and interior access for electronics)
- 8 shadow boxes
- 3 page PDF artwork (all scaled to default size) to print on paper and decoupage onto the lower hull
- 6 4k resolution artwork placement maps
- 24 antenna (some are repeated)
- 4 buttom hull spotlights with cages
- 2 flat screens (stl file)
- 2 front dual headlights with cages
- rear gondola
- front gondola (2 to choose from!)
- front gondola antenna
- 2 engines with mounts (2 styles to choose from!)
- Spreadsheet and PDF maps for all the decals (each numbered with translations)
**The support rods are not 3D modeled. You will need to purchase metal rods and braze them together to create your supports. You will need styrene panels. This is a model for the ADVANCED SKILLED BUILDER. I recommend a large FDM printer for the body shells, and a resin printer for the rest.
Demonstration of indivual components:
Printed at default scale the blimp is a touch over 30" long. This can be downsized or UPSCALED to studio scale if you wished (48" long). Here's default scale dimensions.
Graphics provided with the model in PDF format. Print on copy paper and adhere to your model with decoupage adhesive.
This is the most complete ID and mapping ever done on the bladerunner blimp. Special thanks to Rod France and Kikutake Yuji for their invaluable help IDing and helping create the artwork. Each individual artwork has been carefully scaled to default scale and numbered to correspond with the PDF maps (this is insane!). Here is the complete map of 159 decals and markings:
Super high resolution (4k) images are provided for each of these maps.
Finished rear gondola (version 2)
Look at these smashing details! (renders without the antenna)
With a CR10SR (400mm) FMD printer, each hull half can be made in 2 parts like so:
Have a smaller 3D printer? I have you covered!! There is a hull version that I carefully segmented to fit the buildplates for machines as small as the Ender 3 (FMD) or the Elegoo Saturn (resin). Each hull half is separted into 8 parts. The flat monitor screen can print in one piece on the ender. Simply add the cable detailing with wire. Print away!
HOW IT WAS MADE:
The base forms were modeled in Zbrush and 3D studio max. This is not an easy shape to accomplish! To get the right look, we went through 9 versions of these hulls, trimming where necessary and inflating as needed.
Next came some antennae work.
I started modeling some surface details (you'll notice that I modeled both the pre-production engine and the final engine used on film).
Before we proceed it's time to figure out how large this model will be. It made the most sense to scale the hull to a modern flat screen display since that would be a key feature for a fully animated model. Android makes inexpensive tablets that seem to fit the correct scale. Scaled to a 10" display (android tablet), the hull will be 767.54mm long tip to tip (without antenna). This is how this tablet holds up against a hull to that scale. Tablet dims roughly: 9.5"x7" Perfect:
If you are 3D printing this blimp on your own, you are free to scale it downwards to fit any size tablet you want. Here's an example scaled down:
Sculpting the rear gondola and the bottom hull spotlights.
Finished rear gondola:
Cable detail development on the hull sides.
The front gondola development process:
Finished gondola with your first look at the forward gondola antenna.
After much work, the Blimp hull sculpting comes to a conclusion:
For the physical kit we'll be printing the hull without any side cables, but the rest of the cables will be molded with the surfaces. For the 3D print version, all cables will be intact on the surface as an option.
Work continues on the antennae.
Everything virtually assembled except the antennae and engines. I'll be rescaling a few parts and adjusting some details after this point.
Look at that detail!!
Rainy days are good days to 3D model. I decided to make the alternate gondola:
The rear engines in place:
A LOOK AT THE FULLY ASSEMBLED 3D MODEL.
Next we need to test print the parts:
The hull carefully split in half and shelled to make 3D printing MUCH faster:
Testing the hull models on a mini FDM version:
Testing the screen cover at FULL SCALE. The hull paper template is 767.54mmm and the the tablet sample is a 10" tablet. If you are printing at home I would suggest measuring your screen and adjusting the STL model to fit the edges of your bezel.
Ad graphics completed. These are provided as PDF files (3 pages).
Team Bladerunner blimp: Cristofer Adrian, Jerris Hof, John Bullock, Sean Homer, Rod France, Kikutake Yuji, Randy Neubert
Check back for more updates!
Thank you!