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Falcon Takeoff v2 - Pack 4 Build


bkbrowning
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First post on the MEPD, so hoping the pics and all work well. Beginning an overall build of the alley takeoff private carring the MG-15. First on the workbench is the backpack itself. Going for a screen accurate pack #4 build. Have been collecting parts and I'm hoping to have time to build out in the coming weeks.

I'm starting with build out of an accurate frame. From the research, it looks like the most likley candidate for an accurate shape on the "lower U" is from the older Karrimor backpack frames. I've managed to acquire one of those and I'm now looking to modify it to fit the needed shape.

Here's the full backpack I picked up:

546363c7-602d-4d1f-9c1c-e765e341a56a_zps

...and with the pack itself removed, we get the frame:

20150919_143028_zpsertxcbp9.jpg

...which has the following ID tag on the top horizontal bar...

20150919_143041_zpsfyb5tv5d.jpg

Obvious mods to this frame are removing the horizontal bars and repositioning/replacing with the necessary structural bars to hold the two seed trays. Looking over some reference images (some borrowed, some captured from my BluRays), it looks like the pack frame in the movies resembles the Kerrimor frame at the bottom, but the top portion seems way more rounded than the actual frame itself. For instance, look at the top of the frame in the following images...

Back%20detail%20-%20close%20up_zpszl5blp

..and again in this reference, which I know is not the alley takeoff but seems to be the same pack with a bit more wear and tear on it (at some point, we should try and piece together EXACTLY what order all these scenes were filmed in and try to produce a time-series view of the packs...but I bet someone on the MEPD has already beat me to it!)...check out the top left corner of the pack. You can clearly see what looks like a rounded frame and not a vertical bar capped off with a horizontal bar bolted to it.

pack_04a_zps5r3ucjri.jpg

So, this leads to my first question that I'm looking for your opinion on. I'm thinking about removing the top horizontal bar from my Kerrimor pack and then using a tubing bender to bend the two side veritcal bars toward each other. Will create some nice rounded corners. I can then cut out the overlap on the tubing and insert an interior piece to help hold them together structurally. If it's still not tight, I'll have it hit a bit with the TIG welder.

So, should I start bending on my Karrimor frame or just leave it straight? I'm not looking for easy, I'm looking for most accurate. :D Let me know your thoughts and I will get to bending this weekend.

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how much longer is the K frame than the seed trays up top? If its significant i could see bending the frame to round off the corners. It looks to me that the frame in the shots is rounded right at the top of the trays and it doesn't stick up above that line.. is that what you see? To me the K frame looks a bit taller than this.. more than 20 inches or so, but i can't be sure with the pics as i have seen of it so far. I could see rounding the frame to fit the seed trays. it looks like that is what was done, at least on this pack. I am not sure it was done on all the packs for the production. I could swear i have seen shots where the frame top was left capped and straight but it could be that a shorter frame was used for that as well. They could have had a couple different frames or even a couple different models of K frames they used.. if they just used what was available.

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Erik is correct here.

From our research it has been evident that "almost" all of the packs are based on the Karrimor pack frame however this is not one of them, and this is indeed based on an Alice type frame or "boyscout" frame that we are used to seeing over the years. This is the only frame like this though.

Nick

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Thanks for the feedback. The Karrimor frame is significantly taller than the PVC frame that I've built from Crashmann's kit. Probably 10+" taller or more at least. I'll get a better measurement when I get back home tomorrow.

I agree that it looks like an Alice-type frame at the top.

Looking at the Alice type frames, most of those seem to have a different structure near the "waist" than what appears in the images...but I still can't call it definitive. If you look closely at the frame below the lower seed tray, it appears to me that there is some type of "shelf" that extends out from the back of the frame. Something that is like the Karrimor...but maybe not as pronounced. See the attached photos for details...

Pack%20left%20side%20and%20rear-arrow_zp

...and...

Pack%20left%20side-arrow_zps3s7zodoz.png

Any other pack 4 builders out there with any other information? If not, then I'm either going to bend my Karrimor to match the top or look into sourcing and modifying an Alice type frame. Seems like I need an Alice-like top and a Karrimor-like bottom to get it accurate.

Thanks for the help!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Continuing in my quest to build the Pack #4 frame. Trying to ensure that the final frame exhibits the following distinguishing characteristics:

  • the presence of a lower “shelf” that extends from the bottom of the frame under the lower seed tray
  • the curved frame that extends across the upper shoulder area and where the upper straps can attach
  • the lack of any support structure in the lower lumbar region of the frame (the type of “extra” stuff that we typically see on the bottom of the Alice-style army packs
  • the mid-back bend in the vertical tubes that allows for the seed tray angles seen in a side view
  • obvious attachment points for the various backpack parts including the mortar tube, lab pipe, etc.

To try and get to this, I’ve collected a number of frames. Unfortunately, as you can see, none of them quite fit the bill.

20151004_144130_zpsqgwdbvo9.jpg

From the left, that's a Karrimor, a boy scout pack that dates to the mid 70's, an Alice Army frame from the past decade, a boy scout pack from the late 70's, and a boy scout pack from the mid-80s. The dates are approximate based on best knowledge from the sources. Note the bends in the bottom of the frames.

There are also differences in the tops of these frames as you can see when shot from above...

20151004_144156_zpsz9oucu80.jpg

20151004_144141_zpsecynyotw.jpg

So...I really need the top style of the Alice frame with the height, width, and lower frame of one of the other packs. Time to begin hacking it up and see what we can build.

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I decided to take two of the frames that have the same tube diameter (which is 0.70" in case you are interested) and remove the lower section of the frame. My intention is to use this to fabricate a new curved top of the correct style. First, I measured and cut the bottom frame to make a new "top".

20151004_150037_zps6bxq9irl.jpg

Standard pipe/tube style cutter works really well here. Just remember to de-burr that a bit for the next step. Next, I sized up the old top of the frame so that I could mark the cutoff spots needed to reduce the overall height of the frame to what I needed to make the pack items fit. I wanted a vertical height of 20.75" to give the best look and fit.

20151004_151022_zpseccdyo5t.jpg

With the parts cut, I de-burred and sanded down some 1/2" copper pipe to act as inserts into the frame. These would provide strength to the joints and give some good surfaces for JB-Weld and some rivets to hold it all together.

20151004_192903_zpsfxgwapnq.jpg

The fully "welded" frame...

20151005_103638_zpstxnfg6yr.jpg

Now we just need to get the characteristic mid-back bend. I used the reference pics to measure out the deflection (which I think was about 18 degrees...but I forgot to write it down and I'm typing this after the fact. I'll try to measure it for sure and update later if anyone is interested). My handheld pipe bender worked just fine as long as you go slow and don't try to bend too much (if you need a sharper bend, fill the tube with sand and it will GREATLY reduce the odds of it collapsing...I know this from personal experience on a few practice tries on different pieces of aluminum).

20151005_104425_zps11g20ojh.jpg

After some sanding and painting, it's ready for the cross-strap attachments and on to assembly! More on that in the next post.

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With the cross straps attached, it's ready for some test placements. I used some hex head bolts and lock nuts to hold those to the frame. I already had some of the upper items attached to the top lid of the upper seed tray. The rest are just resting to get some test fit and alignment.

20151006_161919_zps08t1e6rf.jpg

20151006_161928_zpsl5ibrj1l.jpg

Attaching the lab pipe and mortar tube as well as the backs of the seed trays. I like to add some metal supports for the rivets through those seed trays.

20151007_160503_zpsdrlxnxyo.jpg

20151007_160449_zps6aerwu7e.jpg

I used the zip tie method to secure the tray tops to the frame. One item to note, the cistern tube needed a wedge that was contoured to the seed tray lid and the angle/position I was looking to mimic. If you look in the reference pictures for this pack, it's hanging out a good bit...which may be because it needs to clear the lower bar of the backpack. In my case, that's exactly what it's doing.

20151006_162107_zpsthbymiqu.jpg

So far, it's coming together pretty well. With all of the pack items attached, I'm ready to work on the straps.

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For the straps, I found some 1" wide nylon tie down straps that came with some nice metal buckle/clasps. Just need to figure out a way to securely attach them to the pack frame. To do so, I decided to wrap the straps around the pipe twice and then secure it to the bar with a large rivet. This would allow the majority of the weight to stay on the strap and not on the rivet as it will tend to pull itself tightly to the frame.

First, needed to drill the holes for the rivet. I've got some good metal to work with here so it's a nice clean hole that should make a strong rivet mount.

20151012_131234_zpsa1dlyyth.jpg

With the strap wrapped around twice, you can kind of feel for the hole through the strap. With that as a guide, I used a hot soldering iron to melt a hole through the strap that would match up nicely with the hole below...

20151012_131401_zpsc4hs4f5b.jpg

And then a nice long, thick rivet that will swell up behind that metal frame and secure it nice and tight...

20151012_131610_zpsmvcdudty.jpg

Things are looking really good at this point. Just need to take some "final" shots before weathering...which I will do soon and post.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Was finally able to put some weathering on my backpack and get a set of near final pictures. Have done the best I could do with the backpack parts that I had (mostly based on a Crashmann kit) to get the spacing right. Here's a side view shot to show the veritcal spacing:

SidebySide_zpsgwumevam.jpg

And from the top...

20151108_145940_zps6syjqxql.jpg

From left side...

20151108_144828_zps0wn29b09.jpg

And some close ups on the back and strapping...

20151108_145644_zpswwmmapnc.jpg

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A few of the key details that I was trying to achieve on this Falcon fly away pack...

...the correct frame bends at the top

...what looks like the typical frame bends at the bottom

...the missing top cap on the mortar tube

...the shorter (shortest!) detenator plate

...the white backed radar dish

...the high position on the upside down radio

...the likely wrapping on the outside of the radio

...the mysterious strap across the radio

...genuine tuppercraft box

...the correct number of shotgun shells

On that last one, some scenes for this pack seem to show only 4 shells while it looks like 6 are visible in the takeoff scene. To accomodate for that, I 3D printed a mounting plate and inserted some magnet for the top two shells. That way I can attach or detach them as needed. Closeup photo of that here:

20151108_145224_zpslot6kspz.jpg

...and with the shells magnetically attached...

20151108_145211_zpsx5a3dmgc.jpg

Other features are inside the radio as I put a speaker system in there to play the radio chatter loop. One of the slider switches controls the on/off and one of the knobs is attached to a rheostat to control the volume. Sounds really well (thanks to those that took the time to make the sound loop!)

At this point, I think I'm nearly done with this pack. Let me know if you have comments, questions, or things that you think would make it better!

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As the MEPD moves forward, it's great to see how far we've all come as a detachment in regards to armor builds, weapons detailing and pack construction.

Excellent work, Brent! Outstanding job on this project! :td: :thumbsup:

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