Stormbird

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**siegemaster**

Ok so this is a blatant copy of BulldogUK's work on his own Stormbird. I admit it, he is better at this than I am but it is a great idea and mine is a bit different. So when a friend approached me and asked me if I would build him 2 Stormbirds in exchange for the Dragonfly to make my own I said yes, what can I say I am a sucker. My buddy had the Aurora dropship but only one so In an attempt to make these 3 all look like the same ship I decided to build the troop compartment form scratch. I have alot of 1/8" material from making my titans so I have lots of cheap supplies.

This is the beginning. What do you think?

**tough n' orky**

its pretty good i like it

**siegemaster**

So I had to get some comparison pics at this point.
Sorry photobucket is being difficult I'll be back.

**rowan341**

Looking good so far

**siegemaster**

So here are the scale pictures.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
And some more progress.

In the Horus Heresy books they refer to the stormbird having some sort of rotary cannon. I am figuring it will be a Vulcan Mega Bolter the white tubes will be the base of the gun.

in this last picture you can see where I covered the handle on the toy, it was pretty tricky but I think it turned out well.

**TyraelVladinhurst**

so i take it it is an ultramar pattern instead of the type described in horus rising?

**siegemaster**

TyraelVladinhurst wrote:so i take it it is an ultramar pattern instead of the type described in horus rising?

I am not sure what you mean by that.

**Heliodore**

Is this what you are building?
http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/106089-.html

Cool stuff, love old rogue trader drawings and fluff. Looks good so far, Dragonflys are hard to get these days, I'd consider making a Stormbird like the pic above if I could get my hands on one for a good price. Also, I believe that the Stormbird as described in the HH novels is meant to be indicative of the Nubian Royal Starship from Star Wars Phantom Menace, whose designe was loosly based off the real world SR-71 Blackbird.

**carabine**

Nice work, not to my liking but definitly good work

**siegemaster**

So I did some work on the nose and the engines.

The pictures are a little dark I need to find a better background.

**vodo40k**

Very nice work so far, but will it be able to carry 100 marines?

**rowan341**

Wow, that's coming along really well. Looking forward to see more of your projects.

**siegemaster**

vodo40k wrote:Very nice work so far, but will it be able to carry 100 marines?

Well the Rhino carries 9 marines in a space that in real measurements is about 2" by 3" (I don't have a Rhino in front of me so correct me if I am wrong.) and the deck of my stormbird is 6" by 6". I am thinking that the inside would be modular so that it can be set up to carry Rhinos and dreadnoughts but that in a purely Troop transport capacity it would have 2 decks. 6" by 6" is equivalent to 6 rhinos or 54 marines and 2 decks of that would be 108 marines. I am also playing with the idea that the second "deck" is a set of suspended harnesses and the second 54 Marines are lowered after the first 54 have disembarked. I am not really sure this fits fluff wise though.

**vodo40k**

Ah well the fluff for the stormbird is quite vague, and all 40k vehicles are about 30% smaller than accurate anyway.

**siegemaster**

So I made a little progress with the turbines. wrapping the plasticard around them was easier than I thought it would be but I still need to add some layers to them for detail and to stiffen them up.

I also added the rear fins. the glue I am using actually bonds to the plastic of the model so that has been a great help. I just cut the fins to a 40 degree angle and glued them in place it worked like a charm.

THis is the next area I need to work on. The rear is a little flat and I need to get some detail in here but I am still not sure what exactly I am going to add. I am not doing the jets like on BulldogUK's model first because They don't seem to fit well in my mind and because I don't have the parts to do it.

This was a little experiment to see how small I could cut something out on the router I am using. The answer is pretty damn small. The holes are the size of the bit that the router uses, it is about 3/32" or so. I might use this for the chin gun though I am in favor of the twin linked heavy bolter like BulldogUK used or maybe a Las Cannon. I have a bigger set of these to use for the Mega Bolter but the holes are not 1/4" like I thought and I need to run out and get the right sized tube.

vodo40k I agree about GW vehicles seeming a bit small. I was really building this thing based off the existing Dragonfly model not on the transport capacity. I don't have 100 marines myself but maybe mine can be used to drop all my Dreadnoughts behind enemy lines.

**siegemaster**

SO I thought I was done making vulcan mega bolters after the last 8 I build, but it was my idea to make more for this project so it is really all my fault.

And because I cannot make just one my forge is taking delivery on the other 2 dragonhawk drive units today. I hope to have production line photos for you soon.

**rowan341**

Looking amazing so far

**TyraelVladinhurst**

you should cast this up after you're done with it. one so you can easily make more for yourself and two to be able to offer it to the prehersy gaming community specifically those on the Great Crusade forum

**siegemaster**

TyraelVladinhurst wrote:you should cast this up after you're done with it. one so you can easily make more for yourself and two to be able to offer it to the prehersy gaming community specifically those on the Great Crusade forum

This thing is huge I dont think it could be cast very easily and it would probably end up prohibitively expensive.

**rowan341**

Also any holes in it of hooked areas would be nigh on impossible to cast without massive problems.

**siegemaster**

Mass production

**Alpharius**

Mass awesome, more like!

Very cool!

Though, admittedly, I'm a sucker for anything pre-, during or slightly post Heresy!

**TyraelVladinhurst**

Alpharius wrote:Mass awesome, more like!

Very cool!

Though, admittedly, I'm a sucker for anything pre-, during or slightly post Heresy!

you are not the only one like this, ergo why the Great Crusade forum exists

**rowan341**

if there were pre heresy ships like that. Why are they not still around.

**MajorTom11**

rowan341 wrote:if there were pre heresy ships like that. Why are they not still around.

Technology lost or some such. They are cannon, they are all over the heresy books. There is also a pic of one in the RT rulebook from way back when.

Looking good so far dude, I know what you are basing your design off, you have a lot to live up to! Will there be an accompanying warlord lol?

**rowan341**

So basically games workshop played their 'a wizard did it' card then

**siegemaster**

rowan341 wrote:if there were pre heresy ships like that. Why are they not still around.

Well aside form the lost tech argument which I think is silly. Space Marine Chapters individually are a fraction of the size of Heresy Era Legions and there would be little use for a lander the size of a storm bird, carrying 100 marines, in current combat doctrine.

**siegemaster**

Some people have been asking what kind of glue I use. Well this is it.

I have spent some time adding detail plates to the stormbirds what do you all think?

**rowan341**

Looking good

keep up the good work

**siegemaster**

Well the forge is nearing completion on the stormbirds. Two will go to serve the Space Wolves chapter and the third will serve the Crimson Fists. I need to finish up the weapon systems, the landing gear and doors and they are ready to fly.