Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I thought I'd share some pictures of my Storm Raven project. I wish I had some pics from earlier in the build but most of it just kind of came to me in a mad frenzy. I don't want to seem like I'm putting down any other converters but it seems like the standard formula has become a Valkyrie parked on top of a Land Raider - and those are some really good models- I just don't like to do things the same as everyone else.
A Land Raider also didn't seem right as the base for a AV12 vehicle so I built my hull from a Rhino and a Chimera. Valk wings and engines of course, the cockpit section is a Predator front plate from Chapterhouse Studios and I threw in a little p-51 Mustang for the tail section because I wanted a single tailboom for the Thunderhawk look.
I know the horizontal tail fin is crooked but I'm going to pull it off and reglue it with a little reinforcing. \
Basically now I need to fab the cockpit section roof from plasticard, fab the lift arms and clamp to hold the dread out in back, and add my weapons. I used the Razorback deck plate so I can just add any old space marine gun turret but I'm going to build a TL multimelta turret with the meltas laid down on their sides for a lower profile. I'd like to have a chin turret for TL A-cannons but my forward landing gear is in the way. I may just put two A-cannons on the forward hull sides but I don't want my opponents bellyaching about fire arcs.

Here is an update on my Dark Enforcers Storm Raven in progress. Thought I'd snap a few pics while the last round of putty dries.
I traced out on paper what each facet of the upper fuselage should look like (with ruler and pencil) then taped them together into one template which I traced onto some light weight plasticard and bent it into shape as one piece. The P-51 tail section came out just a little taller than my fuselage roofline.. but a marine shoulder pad was the perfect shape tp smooth the transition.
You can see the small scale angle bracing on the top of the tail section. This will support the horizontal stabilizer when I put it back on and give it more of a gluing surface.
My melta turret is scratch built using plasticard, the Demolisher sponson guns, and part of the lid from a motel shampoo bottle.
My brother calls this the fighta-bomma due to it's resemblance and I kind of like that. The idea after all is for a fast insertion vehicle and not a lumbering transport.
Comments? Ideas?
I'm thinking of slinging Hurricane Bolters under the wings instead of cramming sponsons on the sides. I could mount the AT missiles on the sides of that upper cabin fuselage.
Oh yeah, the Dread will be carried out back on a pair of grapple arms yet to be built, but they will come back off the hull sides.

NICE!

Thats looking good. It has a similar ambience to the Valk/Raider versions without obviously being the unholy offspring of the two kits

I would just be careful when placing the hurricane bolters. If they are under the wings you need to make sure that they are not likely to tear of your forward stabilizers.

Flinty wrote:Thats looking good. It has a similar ambience to the Valk/Raider versions without obviously being the unholy offspring of the two kits

I would just be careful when placing the hurricane bolters. If they are under the wings you need to make sure that they are not likely to tear of your forward stabilizers.

Thanks, that's what I was looking for. Nobody can call it another flying land raider. Since the only hurricane bolters I currently have are the first metal version I'm thinking of building a custom set from bolt guns and HB ammo feeds that might not look like the sponson version. Maybe three twin bolters in a triangular patern slung like a rocket pod