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I have been thinking about making a superheavy air transport for my IG army, and have sketched out a few ideas. I am going to make it a VTOL aircraft like a Valk, but on a larger scale and with rotatable engines at the end of each wing. Sorta like an Osprey on roids without the props. I want it to still seem like it could fit into the Warhammer universe, so a lot of the design is from the Valk model. It would make sense for the IG to have something like this, especially in a Jungle Warfare army. I am thinking of it having a transport capacity of around 50 models, and not too much weaponry other than some door mounted autocannons and a few rockets or missiles. It's primary purpose being air lift, not combat but with enough firepower to clear a LZ. I am planning on making the body out of foam core and plasticard to cover up the seams and make panels on the body, and then using PVC and plasticard for the engines. I've started making a paper mock-up of it, but it is pretty rough right now. Do any of you have any thoughts or ideas on this concept? I am not too worried about the actual feasibility of using it in a game, probably just use it for an Apoc. game or as a piece of scenery in a standard one.

Excellent.

Have a look at Stuff of legends (http://www.solegends.com/citcat9x3/c92416epicsquatwarmachine-02.htm) and check out the old squat gyrocopters for epic. Design isn't my favourite but is a VTOL and has the cool fans. I'm considering destroying a perfectly good valk for just this reason (although yours seems bigger - said the vicar to the nun! ). Although the temptation to make an overlord armoured airship is immense.

You could use it a lander so it strafes and clears an area, lands and sets up perimeter defences before debarking troops and acting like a bastion.

Like the idea and will follow your WIP.

Thanks for the input. The scan of the sketch came out bad, I had the size on it. It will be about 18" long and the wingspan around 14" with the engines. I am a little concerned about it being too boxy, but the Valk is basically a box with wings itself so I would imagine a larger transport to be similar. I am thinking about a variant with the hull cut out to carry a vehicle, and another one with a battle cannon and a lot of other guns sticking out the side doors like a AC-130 gunship. I was thinking it would be fun to have a veteran squad with demolitions land in a Valk, disembark and blast down a jungle terrain piece to clear a LZ for the transport, and then have it land with an entire 50 man platoon. That is if you could ever get anyone to play on a really densely forested game board. I will get some pics up when I start the construction.

check out the big airship / flyer / gunship from Avatar - it might be a little too Tau'ish - but maybe something like that only a bit boxier could work.

Or - a thunderhawk styled ship - think a cross btwn a thunderhawk and a mobile fortress.

I built up a prototype out of cardboard. I am liking the body of it. The only thing I am still trying to figure out is the engines. I scrapped the engines on the tail wings, now I am thinking of just 2 large ones on the main wings that have pipes connecting to the air intakes on top. The tubes on the wings are just there to give an idea of where they will be at. I am planning on using different sizes of PVC pipe to make them. Let me know what you think so far.

The jets are a little to small for my liking maybe biger
but it looks great keep it up

Yeah I think they look too small too. I just put them on really quick to show at least where they would be. They will probably end up being about twice the size as they are now. This weekend I will go out and get some decent materials and start to put together the real thing.

Kinda looks like a pelican.

I like the design so far. Reminds a lot of the Pelican as others have said but it also reminds me of the Valkyrie and Dragon Assault ships from AVATAR. Look here for some pics of those if you're interested.

http://james-camerons-avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Weapons

Keep it up! I look forward to seeing your progress!

Kinda looks too high tech for ig, or maby im just crazy. looks good though.

I got that for a heavy IG transport

I see the whole pelican similarity now, I didn't even think of it at the time. The ship from Avater sorta gave me the idea to make it, especially since I am putting together a jungle themed army. I think it's a little too rounded looking for the empire. I would think that the large engines on the wings I am planning on are a little lower tech than vectored thrust engines that are on the wingtips of the Valk.

Theod, I like that transport design, but to me it seems a little more made for space travel. I am thinking of atmospheric flight mainly, with possibly limited vaccum capabilities if it is refitted.

I'll watch this with interest as you've made a good start. I would question the idea to make a 50-man capacity transport however. The Banebade variant can only carry 20 men, the Ork battlewagon can only carry 20. there is no transport no matter the size that can carry that many troops in-game. a 20-man capacity Valk would be huge(er)

Being able to insert that many troops, even IG meatshields, into any spot on the field is pretty much game-breaking. Compare the Valk floorspace to your vehicle & I bet it's not 5x the area.

ummm wat about the gorgon from seige of vraks that can carry 50 men thunder hawks 30 skull hammers 30

It also looks a rather like an ISSCV from SPace Above and Beyond. Keep it up

looks like the shuttle from avatar

My CAD of a 20 man skimmer/transport vehicle:

hunter killer wrote:ummm wat about the gorgon from seige of vraks that can carry 50 men thunder hawks 30 skull hammers 30

I'd completely forgotten about that - that's the one that comes with the 'at-ease' troopers yes?

I must read up on my superheavies.

As far as the transport capacity, I was thinking around 50 because of the Gorgon. The body on this thing is probably about the size of that, maybe a little shorter but wider. The interior I am imagining would have a row of benches along each wall, and a central row down the middle with a bench on each side sorta like a C-130. I will have to see what the interior space looks like when I start to do the actual build and make the call from there. If it looks too small, 30 or so would still work. If it didn't have a high capacity, then there wouldn't be much purpose in using it they would just use 2 or 3 valks instead. I am thinking of making it cost around 400-500 points, depending on what the final weapon load out is. I am not too concerned about it being too good in game terms. It will probably only get used in Apoc games with friends who agree on letting me use it. Plus a mob of 50 guys getting out one turn makes a very tempting target for a 10" pie plate. You guys have all given me a lot of things to think about. I am trying to make a fairly detailed pattern as I go so if anyone is interested when I am done I will post it on here in some sort of printable format.

Make it so as the thing has a evil field of fire clear the landing zone and escort it with Valkyries or Thunderbolts for its approach.

I like what you're making! Reminds me a lot of the Pelicans from Halo but also the lifters from Aliens (Alien II).

the C-130 interior is a good idea, if you want benchs. My question is are you looking at something that would theoretically transport troops from space or from another place on ground, because if it was a rapid reaction space insertion transport I would suggest something like the starship troopers drop ships interior that carry troops in about platoon strength (50 guys). It is similar in that it has rows of dudes lined up, but each seat on the bench is an individual shock frame type thing designed for low orbit entry so that the troops won't get jostled about during reentry.

This looks like a great project, will be watching! I think the styles great - fits in well with IG. I can't help thinking that maybe a square tail like the valks may be more suitable for a drop ship though. Your tail definatly fits in with the fight and bomber craft style but I just think that with stcs and all that dropships would continue the patern of the smaller troop transports. Thunderbirds had a large flying transport aircraft with a square tail and rear opening cargo door. can't remember the episode and haven't managed to find it in a google search sorry. Either way I think this will look great! Keep up the good work

Is the Avatar toy range going to have the heavy lifter??

What weapons are you looing at giving it? The gorgon is all well and good but it has a one - shot mortar and a few heavy stubbers. This transport would probably be too expensive if you gave it many weapons so you could give it none and just accompany it with valks or vultures.

my $0.02

But for point weapons a nose slung punisher would work a couple of missile pods under the wings even auto launchers so it could pop smoke on touchdown or frag the area to s**t before the guardsmen pile out.

Yeah, that would be good but in my experience, it is better to underdo scratchbuilds with new rules and then, after testing, to widen them out. The gorgon in IAA is 430pts and that is with 2 tl stubbers and 1 mortar.

As for weapons, I am thinking 2 hardpoints under each wing for a rocket pod or missile, and door mounted autocannons or punisher cannons (they would be harder to get a hold of though). I am even thinking about making a removable top piece so you can see the interior, and having a second one that has a sandbagged position manned by guardsmen with hvy stubbers and hvy bolters like the big transport ship on avatar, or for setting up devensive positions if it is grounded.

Covenant84, do you mean making the tail fins more square shaped? I have tried finding images of something on this scale from the 40k universe for the empire and haven't had much luck. I have been thinking about doing a few different things with them. I might fiddle with the cardboard one and get some more pictures up for some input.

I was thinking this thing would be more for atmospheric operations, possibly being able to seal the cockpit for vaccum travel but the cargo/troop bay more open. I have been thinking about making the sides of the thing fairly open, with doors similar to the valk but 3 times as long and a ramp in the back for access points. Maybe I can make two versions. I like the idea of a more open airframe for my army since I am trying to go for the Vietnam hang your legs off the side of the chopper thing. I think in the Valk fluff they say it was originally made for vacum but modified for atmospheric flight and thats why they have it use skimmer rules instead of flyer.

BOSS_PIMPALOTZ wrote:Make it so as the thing has a evil field of fire clear the landing zone and escort it with Valkyries or Thunderbolts for its approach.

For clearing the ground the tau flechette launchers are the closest weapon I can think of. How about 2 Multilaser turrets, one under the tail, 1 over the cockpit for minimal defence in the air & on the ground.

Ok, I have some work done on the actual pattern now. Probably should change this over to the painting and modeling blogs now, but I'll put up another picture of what I have so far. I am making a pattern for the body to be cut out of one piece of tagboard and then have foamcore bulkheads on the interior it attatches to for a little more strength. I need to do a little more work on some of the angles but it's almost there. I changed the tail shape to have two smaller tails instead of the one larger in the center, let me know what you guys think looks better. I also sat a Valk next to it for a size comparison.