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PracticalBlood Angels Army Project (pic carpet bombing ftw!)

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  • DCBDCB331 Posts: 0Member
    That's one ugly crate. Still, it looks better than the original kit.
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Aye, indeed. That original model gives me the cramps like there's no tomorrow... My original plan was just to move the cockpit section forward to create the overhand, but not up. But that would have resulted in a nose that's too sharp, this gives me the opportunity to create a more interesting shape.

    Oh, and those side doors are exactly the same size as Rhino doors, and the top turret hole is made to accept the Razorback/predator turrets. those two are probably the best size refs on the model.
  • BinkermanBinkerman0 Posts: 0Member
    Meph,

    Another rough concept, ... Will be interested to see what you end up with ! ...

    Jas

    mephcustom1.th.jpg Link To Full Size Pic
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    lol, dude, I was actually just holding those spare thruster pieces against the nose not a few minutes ago! :D
    That's actually a cool concept you concocted there. I'll give those thrusters a dry-fit to see how it looks. Oh, and I've got a good design for the chin turret. If all goes well, I should be able to traverse it left and right, and have the guns+sensor boom to pitch up and down. Some pics on that today or tomorrow.
  • ArmondikovArmondikov0 Posts: 0Member
    Wow... looking forward to seeing how this one ends up. You nutter...
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Hehehe sometimes I do wonder what i got myself into with that thing... :D

    Anyways, back from the mad professor shed:
    Ze gun turret. First design is meant to have the entire gun assembly swivel up and down on the strut. The whole thing is held together by the gun magnets in combination with the central strut, which also has a little magnet in it. Mechanically it works but the whole thing can't stay perfectly straight. the interaction of the gun magnets with the strut magnet results in the strut wanting to rest just a tiny bit crooked.

    The last two pictures is to show what direction I'll go for I think. It's a more solid design which will be better to handle. the up-down motion would be just for the guns then, with the central assembly being rigid. the whole will be mounted to a, well, mount, that will go under the chin and takes care of the left-right rotation. (This would also have been the case with the first design) I'll have to cut up another defiler leg to geth the exact piece I want for the vertical strut, but hey, that's why I bought 'm off of Ebay for.

    Whaddayathink?

    IMG_3793.JPG
  • ArmondikovArmondikov0 Posts: 0Member
    Can't go wrong with twin-linked assault cannons, really.
  • DCBDCB331 Posts: 0Member
    Needs some sort of servitor head sensor array at the front between the guns methinks.

    Why the magnets btw? You want to be able to swap them out other weapon types?
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Yup, the weapon loadout can be swapped with either Lascannons or Plasma Cannons. Lots of weapon options for this flying pig... :D

    And in the mean time I have added some sensors to that boom as well. Pics today as the boom is still clamped atm. :D
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Tadaaa.
    Well, obviously I need to chop down the support struts and maybe make the center strut shorter as well. Right now the turret looks good but it's way too big and I need to place it completely forward in order to have clearance for the front ramp.
    'Winging it' bit me in the bum this time...

    IMG_3800.JPG
  • ArmondikovArmondikov0 Posts: 0Member
    Looks like anyone coming out of the front door will just bang their head, so yeah, definitely a little tweaking required!
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    On the other hand, if a hostile force boards it, you can just swing those bad boys around and blow them to smithereens. :devil:
  • DCBDCB331 Posts: 0Member
    I guess you can't have any decent traversal if you moved it up higher, but as it is it completely gets in the way. This kind of negates all your work, but what if instead you mounted one gun on either side of the fuselage in the bare triangular spaces in line with the cockpit?
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Well, let's say I'm keeping an alternate weapons layout as a backup. But I think I'm getting somewhere. Disembarking will still involve a bit of bobbing & weaving but there should be enough clearance. :D

    Some more progress. Added some extra thrusters, changed the turret, and tried out the canards. I temporarily set the turret on those two magnets so it sits at the correct height. This gives me a reasonable idea how to build the chin down and around the thrusters.

    C&c welcome.

    IMG_3811.JPG
    IMG_3816.JPG
  • DCBDCB331 Posts: 0Member
    Meph wrote: »
    Disembarking will still involve a bit of bobbing & weaving but there should be enough clearance.
    Judging by the side-on shot, only if they are Squats. You definitely aren't getting any vehicles or cargo in/out that way at least, which is the primary purpose of a fore/aft door through-hull loading system. I think you'd be better off just nixing that door and extending the hull as far forward as you can up to the turret and adding in two troop-sized doors, one on each side, in the extended part.
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Hmmm, but it does have a rather big door on the back as well. The thing is only meant to carry infantry internally as there is a dreadnought clamp on the back (not installed yet.). I'd like to about extending the hull forward, it will make it even more brick-like.
  • DCBDCB331 Posts: 0Member
    You could taper it up to the turret a bit, to lessen its brick-ness. Something like this:

    http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/8349/mephstormravenmockup.jpg
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    That wouldn't be a bad look actually. I could even make more aerodynamic.

    Another option offered by someone over at CMON is to move the front section even more forward and down so the back is straight. If I move it 2-3 cm forward and a small half centimeter down I could make it more flush with the hull and create more clearance for the door. The 'chin' will be shallower but it might be doable.
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    A direction has been taken. I've layered the chin up to exactly the height of the round base. Thankfully, three layers of plasticard is exactly the right thickness.
    Never mind the rough, stepped edges you see. I gave them a little bit of leeway so I can easily sand them down to a flush angle. The bit behind the turret i'll box up as normal and slope back up to the top of the forward ramp.

    IMG_3819.JPG
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Alrighty, after a long vacation, it's time to pick things up again. i haven't gotten round to painting anything yet but I have been practicing my plasticard-fu.
    The chin section is complete and I've figured out how to mount it. The whole assembly neatly slips into place and sits relatively solid during dry-fitting, so when glued it will be a firm joining. Maybe I'll add some extra internal strengthening if needed.

    As a whole, I finally have the feeling that I'm getting somewhere. The sides will be easily closed using some plasticard paneling but any suggestings for details or greebles there are welcome. Same goes from the empty back section. On the sides, I'm even thinking about a plasticard wing cutout on the sides but I'm not sure if I can cut that accurately enough.

    What say you?

    IMG_4273.JPG
    IMG_4279.JPG
    IMG_4285.JPG
  • ArmondikovArmondikov0 Posts: 0Member
    So you've basically built a Thunderhawk :p
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    lol, a juvenile Thunderhawk at most. It's probably 2/3 of the length and a lot slimmer.

    Better than a flying shoebox though :D
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Alrighty, got the top section sorted out. It's not glued on at the moments as I still need the access for the wing magnets, but it sits almost perfectly flush with the rest of the hull.
    The sides have been closed up as well. First I thought to do some more elaborate paneling or a large BA wing cutout, but for the first I felt too lazy and for the second there was not enough room. The area is a bit too low and long for a large icon cutout.
    I have some white a transparent decal laserjet paper lying about I intend to use for this. The little top plate is perfect for a decal with the name of the ship, and the large bottom plate seems like a good place to put some artwork. I'm thinking to use some GW art, post-prod something together in Photoshop and print out a full colour decal with some epic imagery. It will allow for much greater detail than a feehand and it will keep the visual style nice and tight.

    The end is starting to get in sight for this build, yay. :)


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    IMG_4293.JPG
  • evil_genius_180evil_genius_1804256 Posts: 11,034Member
    That's freakin' sweet, bro. I can't wait to see what it looks like after you do the paint and decals. :)
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Cheer mate! :D
    All that's left really is attach the canards, and decide to magnetize the wings or not. Also, another point of pondering is the landing gear... up or down?

    I hope I'll be able to slap some paint on it sooner rather than later as I'm being peer-pressured to finish some other projects as well...
  • DCBDCB331 Posts: 0Member
    I'd leave the gear up and put it on a 12" high clear plastic stand personally (which you appear to have done already in a couple of those pics). As long as that is detachable, you could also make a base with the gear permanently attached to that and just sit the beast on top when it is in the landing phase. Just use a short clear plastic stand to locate and secure it.
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Myeah, good idea. The flying stand that came with it is pretty decent and the stormraven sits nice and snug on it without glue. And with the hull being so long it's still sits ok when you just put it down as-is. Retracted it is then, looks sleeker anyway. ^^
  • ArmondikovArmondikov0 Posts: 0Member
    So, still looking pretty badass. Now get the bloody thing painted before it drives you mad!
  • FreakFreak1088 Posts: 4,361Member
    Looking Good Mate.

    Those other project would not be CG?
    Been awhile since we seen you do anything on that front!
  • MephMeph331 Posts: 0Member
    Hehehe, too late! Too late! Two more changes crept into the production pipeline! :argh:
    I need to create some shoulders/mounts for the canards as currently the ailerons can't move down as they're lying on the thruster housing.
    And I'm thinking I'll add a piece to the main wing's leading edges to create the same forward swept angle as the canards and tail.

    ?:D
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