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So 40k is a 28mm scale which is what in fractions? 1/18, 1/32 or other. Dosent have to be perfect.

I thinking about a kit bash counts as thunder hawk as who really has $600+ lying around.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_figure_%28gaming%29

It's hard to say since GW's heroic proportions makes it hard to determine especially when it comes to vehicles (you usually have to go on a bigger scale than realistically-proportioned models). I always go by "whatever looks good".

It's described as being about 1/60th or 1/56th, a lot of so-called 28mm figures are not 28mm but larger. 1/48th kits are good for kit bashing the 'heroic scale' of GW, but there are companies making true 28mm scale military vehicles.

So 28mm Heroic means they are 28mm but with accentuated features? like shoulder pads and knee pads etc?

Theres some instructions for a kitbashed thunderhawk,

http://warllama40k.blogspot.de/2012/05/how-to-build-kit-bashed-thunderhawk.html

Its made of 2 storm ravens and a vindicator with a leman russ cannon (i think). The guide as it happens was written by the old manager of my local gdub, the thing in the flesh (plastic) was quite the sight, maybe 95-99% the size of the real deal, its marginally out, the tail is a bit slim... but this thing isn't solid lead and can actually sit on a flight stand

Less about the shoulder pads - you can sculpt a realistically proportioned figure wearing realistically scaled representations of ridiculously large shoulder pads. It's more about having massive hands, bobble heads, limbs shortened to make room for barrel chests, etc. Heroic scale sacrifices consistent scaling for visual impact, which is why vehicle kits are hard to match - if you pick an APC model to match the footprint of a Rhino, a Space Marine would scarcely be able to fit one leg through a hatch.

1/35 accessories are probably the best aesthetic match commonly available, but a 1/35 vehicle isn't. Aircraft are even harder, as real ones need to fly. Wings are much wider, fuselages are much longer and skinnier, etc. You can match the footprint and it will be too skinny or you can match the "weight" and it will be huge - good matches are very hard to come by.

I would measure the vehicle you want to kitbash, and build something to the same dimensions rather than worry about scale. 40k vehicles are not to the same scale as modern (2k) vehicles, especially things like tanks and troop transports. Take a look if a photo of a guy standing beside an M1A1 and you'll see what I mean. The helicopter transports are even more badly out of scale -- look how small a human is compared to a Chinook. If you look at trees, hills, houses, and urban buildings you go off the reservation (since an office building in an urban map would take the whole 6x4 table, and then some, for 1 out of 40-100+ stories).

These are reasonable compromises to make fully paintable infantry miniatures, and vehicles playable on the same map. Basically, the bigger something is, the more it's been reduced.

Talys wrote:
I would measure the vehicle you want to kitbash, and build something to the same dimensions rather than worry about scale. 40k vehicles are not to the same scale as modern (2k) vehicles, especially things like tanks and troop transports. Take a look if a photo of a guy standing beside an M1A1 and you'll see what I mean. The helicopter transports are even more badly out of scale -- look how small a human is compared to a Chinook. If you look at trees, hills, houses, and urban buildings you go off the reservation (since an office building in an urban map would take the whole 6x4 table, and then some, for 1 out of 40-100+ stories).

These are reasonable compromises to make fully paintable infantry miniatures, and vehicles playable on the same map. Basically, the bigger something is, the more it's been reduced.

The scale of 40k is certainly an oddity but it kinda works. I always find it helps to remember that an entire game of 40k doesnt represent very long, and really takes much longer to play than it wouldve to be happening;

-if the duration of a turn is long enough for a guy to take a few steps, or aim and fire his gun, or to swing in melee, but not all of the above (in most cases) and a game is what 6 turns?
The duration of the battle is something like 10minutes of actual combat - realistically less... maybe not even 5.
So at full sprint moving 6, and running 6 more, a guy on foot can go 72inches (table length) in a 6 turn battle, how far can you get running for 10minutes ish? Does a run move convey a full on sprint? I would think that the 6inch move is sort of getting a jog on - but not so hard you couldnt be pointing a gun half well at the same time where a full sprint, aiming is out of the window.

Scale has been well enough addressed - though, for kitbashing most 40K things using real world models, it can get a bit difficult unless you want to leave the aesthetic behind (which isn't a bad idea anyway...).

To keep with a design that could only make a 1980s Volvo designer happy and have the flying brick...you may want to look at any of the number of paper model templates that are available (several nice ones for Thunderhawks). For increased durability, you can adjust them to be made use styrene sheet materials, then detail with bits and bobs as needed.

I have done a few that way over the years - and they usually run about $40-50 in materials (and of course much more than that in terms of time spent).

For an image comparison to show the difference between heroic 28mm (GW Cadians, left) and realistic 28mm (Infinity models, right).

With vehicle scale, it's always a wonder for me how 10 SMs can fit inside a Rhino. Or a Drop Pod.

 heartserenade wrote:
With vehicle scale, it's always a wonder for me how 10 SMs can fit inside a Rhino. Or a Drop Pod.

40k transports actually create far advanced pocket planes in their "interiors". It explains how 10 marines fits in a Rhino, how 12 orks in a open toped trukk dont have a chance to take shoots, and why units inside transports cannot be affect by any type of pscyhic powers (even allied buffs coming from INSIDE the same transport).

So Rhinos are basically TARDISes?