Marvel's Hydra coupe 1/12 scale full scratch build

[François]

Hi all, 

I finaly started my next project.  As mentionned in my Pocher Rolls Royce restoration wip, I wanted to transform the Rolls into the Hydra Coupe.  But the Rolls being a 1/8 scale model,  the would make the Hydra at over 36 inches long. A bit much. So I decided to leave the Rolls and it's restoration for later and will be making the Hydra in a more reasonable 1/12 scale. A scale that I know and like very much. It will still be a huge model at a little over 24 inches long and 8 inches wide. But it should be more manageable. Another plus is that I can use some parts from my bentley project as references since it's also 1/12.

This model will be 100% scratch built or rather 3d printed. Some aluminium and brass will be used here and there along with leather for the seats but otherwise, it will be made of printable resin. 

Like on the Bentley,  I would like to have a working engine and drive train.  The difficulty will be to find the info since this car doesn't really exist other then as a movie prop. All I have are a few pictures. I also know that the rear drive train is based on the 1940 (or about) Mercedes G4. I did find some info on that. But otherwise,  I'll be using some major 'modelers leeway ' to create most parts. I don't intent to do as much details as I did on the Bentley but, then again,  I might get carried away. 

So the first step is to design the 3d model before printing anything.  So far, I've got the tires and wheels done plus I started the rear drive. Being a 6 wheeler, it has 2 differentiels and 2 drive shafts. Plus a pretty funky suspension system.

For those of you that have no idea what the Hydra coupe is and as a reminder for the others, here's what I'm aiming for 

Here's the G4 drive train 

and here's what been done so far 

boy, do l have a long ways to go!

[Ace-Garageguy]

It's a beautiful thing, even though it really is monstrously huge. Cool project.

Only thing I wonder is who decided to call it a "coupe".

[François]

Ace, this is what the web says:

"It is technically a roadster, despite being referred to as a coupé. This is because the vehicle started out as a coupé, and Schmidt did not want to rename it after it was converted into a roadster."

kind of a strange explanation considering that Schmidt is a movie charactor... oh well, the car is still nice...

[TNT]

Dang i would like to drive that around.

Looks like you have your work cut out for you. Good luck.

[NOBLNG]

Your Bentley is absolutely fascinating to look at Francois. I think watching this one develop will be just as fascinating. Good luck investigating the details.?

[François]

I did a bit more work on the drive train and aside from a few bolts, fittings and brackets, it's pretty much done. I should be able to drive all 4 wheels from the drive shaft. I inserted a top and side view of the complete car so I can better see if the parts I'll draw up have the right shape and proportions.  Like I said yesterday, this car is a movie prop, it doesn't really exist so no dimensions to be found. All I have are 2 printed artist drawings that I can mesure off. Last thing I did today was to insert the Bentley in the Hydra assembly just to better see how big this model will be. Both car are the same scale !!

[François]

I started work on the frame.  At close to 24 inches long, it will need to  be printed in at least 3 sections. Printing will definatly be a challenge unless I get a bigger printer. I also modeled the blower and front bumper.  And started the rear suspension. The rear end is based on the 1930's Mercedes G4.  It's a complicated suspension system to reproduce when all you have are 2 pictures.

Frame

 

Blower and bumper 

 

Real blower and bumper 

 

rear suspension embryo

 

G4 rear suspension 

 

[lordairgtar]

All I can say is WOW

[François]

Made a little more progress on the rear suspension today.  Started the central pivot assy on which the rear bogie is attached. I have to say that I'm really enjoying this. I have very little info to base my design on so I'm basically winging it as a go along. I was a machine designer for over 35 years so designing stuff from the ground up was pretty much my way of life. But what's so refreshing with model making and this projet in particular is that contrary to the machines a used to design,  this doesn't have to make sense or work. It just needs to look good. And the best thing of all, it just needs to please me (and you). So nice...

Edited August 2, 2024 by François

[BK9300]

Your 3D modeling makes a complex suspension so much easier to visualize.  You’ve likely mentioned it in other posts but what program do you use?  Followed your Bentley build - many photos of the model difficult to distinguish from real car - incredible work

[François]

Thank you all! BK9300, I use Inventor.

[Bugatti Fan]

This is going to be a fascinating build to follow. I can see why you opted for 1/12th instead of 1/8th looking at the Bentley model placed on the top and side elevation drawings.

This vehicle has hints of the huge Mercedes 6 wheeler that Adolf Hitler used as a staff car. I wonder if that is where the film maker got the idea for this car from?

in your last post you mentioned that you use Inventor for your 3D Cad work. Referring back to your Bentley build you appeared to have been using Fusion that is also an Autodesk product.  Are they both the same thing but renamed?

Edited August 4, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[François]

Hi Bugatti fan,  glad to see you're on board for this one also. 

Effectively,  the Hydra car designer, a guy named Daniel Simon,  found inspiration for his design in Hitler's car (the Mercedes G4) among others. He also found inspiration in the Bentley for the blower. Unfortunately,  everything stopper at the inspiration stage. The car does have 6 wheels and a blower but under the body work, it's an ordinary truck frame with a v8 and the blower is just for show. Let's not forget this was a movie prop. In one of the pictures I found, you can even see some piping held in place with C-clamps. But that's what makes this project so interesting to me, I want to make what's under the bodywork as close to what it could have been if this had been a real car. And since it does not exist, that's where my designed skills come into action. Fun times ahead!!

As for the cad software I use, it has always been Inventor.  I did download fusion but never used it. I'm just too used to Inventor. I do want to try out Rhino, I was told it's a great tool for designing free forms like car's bodywork. 

[Big John]

Hi François, are you still planing on using some of the Rolls parts in this one or will it be a total one off, not that there is anything wrong with that.  Great stat, wonderful reference material!  A friend has Rhino and swears by it.  My ACAD 16 has limitations but not sure i want to do the switch.

Edited August 6, 2024 by Big John

[Dave Van]

COOL project!!! Wish I had just a bit of your 3D talent!! 

[François]

Big John,  I decided to go with a full scratch built on this one and keep the rolls for my intended restoration project. I'm doing the Hydra at 1/12 and it will still be a huge model, over 24 inches long. The 1/8 scale of the rolls was just too big.

[François]

Thanks Dave, it is a cool project! At least it is on the screen...

[François]

A bit more done on the rear end. I added what I think are torq arms,  all the ubolts for the leafsprings are there as are the 4 hanger posts with the hanger brackets.  I believe that the 4 hanger brackets should be made out of a flexible material or maybe even a strap so that the complete bogie assembly can pivot by it's center. I'll figure something out.

Torq arms

Hangers 

With tires and wheels 

[François]

I printed a first batch of parts for one of the differentiel. I'm pretty happy with the result.  Still need to tweak a few parts in order to have proper mating surfaces but all in all, it's a good print. 

[BK9300]

Apart from your cad work, it’s amazing to think that this project, which will likely be another fantastic build, has its beginning in these few parts!

[Bugatti Fan]

I hear what you said about film props being an illusion and not what they purport to be. I can imagine a truck chassis and innards being used and clad to look like something totally different like your model will portray. Ages ago I got to see the film prop spacecraft from Flight of the Navigator and the bikes from the Stallone Judge Dredd movies. I was surprised at how crudely finished they were but they looked good on screen.

I like the way that you are running with this as though the vehicle was a real car built with all its relevant running gear on your model. Really makes the concept more beleivable.

Took another look at Autodesk. Is Inventor a free to use program now as it has been around for some time  and appears to have been replaced with Fusion?

 

Edited August 8, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[François]

Thank you everyone for the nice words. 

Bugatti fan,  Inventor is a professionnel 3000$ plus/year 3d cad software. A far cry from free.  And even at that price, it's still a mid level tool.  It used to be a lot more affordable but as it evolved, so did the price. I guess the same will eventualy happen with Fusion. I still have a license for it thru the company I used to work for. I'm very lucky to be able to use it althougt not sure how long that will last. The day I'm cut off, I'll have to fall back on the free version of fusion or some other free software.  Inventor is not perfect for this type of designing, but I've been using it for so long that I can work around it and make it do pretty much what I want. 

 

[Big John]

Yes Autodesk has outrageous leasing prices, which is why Ive kept my earlier versions on an old EXP PC that is never connected to the internet.  There are other options such as Rhino that a co worker swears by and has reasonable pricing options, I think Solid Works has similar options too.  I am jus not sure if I want to learn a new program.

Yes, compared to the Bentley the Hydra is Massive, but totally befitting a Super Villain's ego!

[Bugatti Fan]

I guess the prices for using those packages reflects the many hours of development costs for each.

I have heard of a 3D program named Freecad but have no idea if it is any good or not for developing stuff for 3D printing.

There was a package named ProDesktop that schools all over the world used running on XP up to about 2009 promoted by the software company who developed Pro Engineer.

They suddenly decided to stop supporting it and tried to push Pro Engineer Wildfire for schools. I think it was quite a complex program for kids  to master and seems to have fallen by the wayside.

[François]

I assembled the differentiel I printed and so far so good. I had to tweak a few things like adding a compression spring to maintain a proper contact between the crown gear and pinion and modifying a few parts for better printing but aside from that,  everything went together as planned and the diff works well. I also decided to design proper universal joints for the drive shafts. 

You can see the compression spring on the left side of the crown gear 

 And the u-joints