I'm writing a story as I go, developing attributes as to what this vehicle is and where it operates.
The difference to me is that Blender has improved greatly, and I have now a computer that can do the work I concieve- a Mac Mini. Before now I was using very basic Windows laptops that just lacked the power and RAM to get renders that didn't take forever or make the system crash.
the wings are rigged and ready for animation, my big next step. But I'm still playing with the environment (the outer layers of a gas giant planet).
Sending Thanks to Jonathan Williamson for his excellent tutorials.