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Hi i was wondering exactly whats the kit like? 6 pieces, does it modify
the chimera chassis in any way? or is it just a built platform thrown on a normal chimera?

thanks :"D

Eh. Ok here's the deal:

List of pieces:
1x Turret (big SOLID chunk of Resin)
4x Auto Guns
1x Back Piece
1x Top/Extension (Flat piece that turret fits into)
and I believe an old Leman Russ Hatch.

It doesn't modify the Chimera chasis really. You build the Chimera like you would a Basilisk. Instead of the Earthshaker you put the resin top piece over the top(which extends out to about where the troop compartment would normally end). You then put the back piece, or "butt" of the vehicle on the end, and it extends out a bit. Pretty simple, in theory. Mine has a space between the butt piece and the floor, so I think something was missing, but it's the underside so hard to see/care about.

The issue: The top piece and butt piece are about 2mm thinner than the space alloted in the Chimera Chasis. Since they fit flush, this SUCKS. I've heard a number of accounts where this was the case, so I think it's just a standard measurement discrepency. You basically have to sand/cut 1 mm off the side hull pieces of the Chimera (floor and driver's compartment). Dry fitting is essential, but once you got that little burr out of the way assembly couldn't be easier.

Barring any casting mistakes, the guns glue on fine, the turret fits right in the hole, but not snugly. Back piece and top piece fit with the groves already in the track assembly (once the hull is thin enough...).

I highly recomend the kit, myself. As far as FW goes, easy to build, looks cool on the table, pretty solid.


Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to mention, just as an FYI, the Manticore turret and Hydra turret are interchangeable. So if you buy an upgrade kit and don't glue the turret you've got yourself a quick-swap option.

K thanks, so in other words i would still need a new chimera kit for it instead of the ones i already built?

darn i was hoping i could just use the old chimeras i never use , but guess not ><

Welp...

It definitely won't fit where the Chimera Turret was.

However! If you get a nice big drill (I think the turret peg is roughly half an inch thick) you could MAKE it fit.

Otherwise I think it'd look really stupid, personally.

Or saw the peg off, glue it to the firepoint hatch or where the old turret was supposed to go. But it's got a very large skirt that makes the footprint pretty big. When it's flush with a flat surface (the kit as intended), it's hardly noticeable. But if you look at the FW pictures you can see it at the bottom of the turret. It might not hang over the edge... Not sure.

With enough chopping, yeah, you can probably make it work.

Im not good at chopping or drilling, i dont have any tools for those type of things D":

however, i was thinking... would elevating the existing chimera ( the firing point parts ) with plastic card to build a new smooth platform work?

You could just pull apart the old ones assuming you used super glue in thier construction?

I dont use superglue to glue plastics, i use plastic cement.

They are as good as 1 solid piece lol.

LunaHound wrote:Im not good at chopping or drilling, i dont have any tools for those type of things D":

however, i was thinking... would elevating the existing chimera ( the firing point parts ) with plastic card to build a new smooth platform work?

Probably! The Hydra kit really does just turn the Chimera into a box with a tread assembly.

That might look really cool too, actually. A nice elevated firing platform to allow better firing angles at incoming aircraft. Especially cool in dense terrain, like city fight...

Oh... hey... Now there's an idea...

Luna: The raised platform, if you could do it with a minimal profile, would look snazzy. I think it's a great idea.

Sorry , what does minimal profile mean?


Hmm im also looking at another possible option ,

attaching 2 sides drednaught twin link auto cannons onto
some sort of firing platform.

I haven't built any Hyrdas, but the Manticore is essentially the same kit - just four rockets rather than ACs.

As someone has mentioned already, the issues aren't with the turret itself, but with the rest of the kit. The back piece has very few places to glue on (try thin bit of resin meets thin bit of plastic at an angle that has the resin leaning away from the angle it needs to dry in) and the top place is too small for the open space on the Chimera.

We solved the top-plate issue by taking the spare bit of plastic you get with each chimera kit (it gets used on the Basilisk and old Griffon, but that's it), cutting it in half and gluing it inside the chimera, creating an extra ledge. We then glued the top plate to that. The back piece was more difficult, essentially just a lot of holding and patience, but even some of them wobble now.

As they're old FW kits they're not designed well in the slightest. Everything I've stated above assumes that everything came out correctly form the mould, your top plate isn't bend (that's bad) and the you don't spent a month bending the autocannons back into shape. Friend of mine has two Hydras he hasn't built yet, but I've seen them in pieces and wow are those guns off at weird angles.

If you get one you'll have some work to do.

Hot water and a cup of Ice water solves the bending issue. or if you really know what yer doing, Hot salt.

Razor Saw fixes the dhimera issue too, just make sure you know where to cut. AS for the hydra Kit, built one for a friend, did'nt cause too much trouble, but sizing issues are bound to occur from time to time with FW (I have a set of templar rhino doors that are 1mm too big in every direction, Grr)