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Post by treadiculous on Nov 24, 2011 7:22:51 GMT -5
My plan was to recreate the stormraven as something that looked err... better. I figured the main issues I had with the kit were ... well, everything... but I thought I'd try and fix it. (IMO) The normal kit is too short, and the down-angled wings looked horrible. I also felt it wouldn't be able to carry a dread as it just looked too small, with too little down-thrust (since the wings aren't aero-dynamic it's all provided by the jets) and wouldn't have any range due to small quantity of fuel storage (in the wings normally). I bought the tru-scale kit from chapterhouse, it's made of layers of resin which are glued together, I'd rate it 90% as not all the angles are perfect, but the shape fits well and it really helps the 'raven look better... but it wasn't satisfied yet... enough talk.. here it is at the moment: I have been considering adding front wings above the front thrusters, I tried this but haven't been very satisfied with the results (I wanted to replicate the chayenne drop ship from aliens, as it has missile racks hanging off its small front wings). here's a couple of pics of the interior details on the chapterhouse kit. I also added 2 cross beams to the kit, the front one stops the assault ramp from folding back into crew area (which is annoying because it happens every time you close it), the other was to strengthen it while I tinker with the wings and paint it. I've got a plan to re-do the turret as wing mounted guns, or even as an underslung turret attached to the underneath of the raven somewhere... I'm also going to try and make the pilot viewscreen look better, dunno how yet!.. maybe add some struts to replicate the thunderhawk style of lots of small panels. any thoughts welcomed!
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Post by Gerner on Nov 24, 2011 8:30:45 GMT -5
It looks much better than the original one, and I can't understand why GW made it so small and ugly. Your badboy looks more like it could actual fly and transport something. The wing looks slightly out of level, that is the only thing I can see.
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 24, 2011 9:29:59 GMT -5
yeah I noticed that too when I uploaded the photo... I still need to sort out the pins and fill all the gaps with green stuff - the wings are really heavy and with glue alone they kept breaking off... plus it was really hard cutting a smooth edge at an angle... maybe a file or fine sandpaper would help.. thankfully the pins are quite forgiving and I can bend them a little to change the angle.
I've still a long way to go... I'm glad you like it! - the 'it could actual fly and transport something' comment is great to hear!
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Post by 3ff3ct on Nov 24, 2011 10:24:58 GMT -5
I was preparing to laugh when I saw the title thread. "Stormraven? Good looking? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" That is a brilliant job though! If they came like that then I'd probably buy one for the fun of it! The question is, can your painting do it justice?
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 24, 2011 10:33:58 GMT -5
If its anything like my normal painting, no.... I'm rubbish...
I have got some Templar rhino doors to fit it, though they'll be white templars (though mine still look bright grey)... check my 'spray pain white marines' thread if you want... I reckon a bit of battle damage needs to put on the 'raven too in order to fit with the rest of the bashed, chipped and shot up look the rest of the army has.
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Post by Trooper One-Nine-Seven-Four on Nov 24, 2011 10:47:49 GMT -5
That's a pretty sweet looking conversion, Tread! I've actually been contemplating getting a Storm Raven since discovering the Chapterhouse upgrade kit. This thread serves to tempt me more...
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Post by emptyhat on Nov 24, 2011 13:29:54 GMT -5
Is it just the small wings and the two support beams that you've added to the Chapterhouse kit?
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Post by 3ff3ct on Nov 24, 2011 15:36:51 GMT -5
I... check my 'spray paint white marines' thread if you want... I remember that thread
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 24, 2011 17:59:55 GMT -5
- Emptyhat : The construction so far has only used an extra set of wings and an extra set of engines. At an earlier point (as can be seen in a couple of the photo's) I had attached an extra tail-fin to the front of the 'raven, though they've been removed as it didn't look right. (this was an attempt to recreate the chayenne dropship from aliens).
- Trooper : The cost of the 'raven, the chapterhouse extension and the extra bits I have ordered comes close to one third the cost of a warhound titan (with guns included)... just in case you were thinking cosmically...
ps.. sorry if 'good lookin' is a bit lacking in modesty, I've been planning this build since may - to have the thing look as good as my scrappy drawings is great! (there's a hint of maurauder bomber to it which wasn't planned but I really like!).
Thanks for your comments!... I'll post up more pics soon when I've added more to it...
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Post by 3ff3ct on Nov 25, 2011 4:47:18 GMT -5
...(there's a hint of maurauder bomber to it which wasn't planned but I really like!).. Agreed! I knew something about it aroused me in a way plastic isn't suppose to. It's because it reminded me of resin... Looking forward to the pics alrerady!!!!! ;D
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 28, 2011 15:41:07 GMT -5
Okay.. so I'm struggling with what armament it should be loaded with... I was planning to ditch the Multi Melta (putting an air vent in its place) and go for typhoon launcher, hurricane bolters (which I'm trying to fit into the wings) and the assault cannons (on an under-slung turret possibly)... The typhoon costs a lot, its main bonus is that it has a defensive weapon role (S4 frag missiles) so can be fired (along with the bolters) if the raven moves 12"... add to that the Power of the....' assault cannon and its a lot of shots its putting out there. .. but I feel I'm kind of missing the point of 'Power of..' since it can shoot any strength at another target maybe I should go with TL S8 melta?... I'm planning on transporting a tactical squad with multi melta + melta + a dread with multi melta so that kind of covers the anti-tank but I can't shake this feeling that the TL-Multi is better on the raven and saving the points for elsewhere. Hopefully I'll have the hurricane bolters on tonight and a picture up tomorrow.. PS: For a cheaper version of a large aircraft I found this toy C17, its definitely the next project for my Orks - as supa-bommers - I don't know if that'll work for you in the states, but its a really cheap 18" of airplane! www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500002901&langId=-1&searchTerms=C17+CHAD
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Post by Rolling Thunder on Nov 28, 2011 15:57:30 GMT -5
Bloody good work!
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 29, 2011 11:46:26 GMT -5
As promised, here are some pictures of the latest developments... I decided I would stick with the Typhoon Launcher since I'd already bought the whirlwind bits specifically for this project, and I realised I'd forgotten about the 4 Strike Missiles the Raven comes with. Before you all point it out, I am planning on moving the hurricane bolters, as where they are doesn't work (the ammo would cook off, and there's no way to feed the ammo to them either), I will probably move them down the wings a little. I just wanted to get them on to have a look. Also, the assault cannon... I was considering doing loads of complicated pinning and moving joints so it could be laid flat along the undercarriage between its mounting and the flying stand, and then being able to move it into its current position... though that would have been really fiddly, and would have been very likely to break all the time, or to hang limp like a errrm.. limp hanging thing... at the moment there is one moving joint, so it angles flat when not on the flying stand. ...It seems I haven't got any decent pictures of the assault cannon from the side.... note - I would have liked to have placed the whirlwind launchers further back, but they would have got in the way of the aerlons (?) - the flappy upy downy wing things -
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Post by The Hawk! on Nov 29, 2011 11:50:57 GMT -5
That look pretty damn awsome :3 much better than the normal kit Dave
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 29, 2011 11:54:23 GMT -5
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Post by The Hawk! on Nov 29, 2011 12:24:30 GMT -5
That assualt cannon looks amazing O.O
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 30, 2011 9:54:22 GMT -5
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this next little bit.. I'm trying to redesign the front of the raven (where the TL multi melta normally goes)... here are the 3 options: 1) Normal set up with Heavy Bolters 2) Growling air intake 3) smiling air intake For the time being I am running with the smile, and filling the edges of the area with the heavy bolters: not set in stone, and I'd like to hear what you think looks best. (the raven wouldn't be able to fire the bolters as it puts too many guns on it for its wargear options), I just prefer the look with them in that position... If I were to use a TL gun in that position it would be the Multi Melta as it put the gun as close to the target as possible... If any one knows of a cool bit of detail that would suit going there please let me know!
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Post by Gerner on Nov 30, 2011 10:53:30 GMT -5
I would say go with the growling air intake and bolters in both sides.
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 30, 2011 12:00:11 GMT -5
You're right Gerner, - I'll post a picture tomorrow when the sun comes out, as the flash isn't working very well!.. it looks much better with the 'growl'... kinda reminds me of a warhound titan head...
Still not sure about the bolters though...
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Post by Gerner on Nov 30, 2011 12:18:19 GMT -5
Do you have another idea for placing of the bolters? The problem is that you are missing the whole optic aiming system.
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Post by treadiculous on Nov 30, 2011 14:04:44 GMT -5
The heavy bolters won't ever be fired, they just fill the hole nicely! (the whirlwind missile launchers are counts as typhoon missiles, so the forward gun slt is already allocated...) .. maybe your on to something here though.. a bunch of sensors might work instead of the bolters. In the meantime.. here's a bunch I managed to get with the canopy finished while there was decent light. This is the colour scheme I'll be going for - based on white templars and I found this interesting photo shop someone did: Next Up: Raven Surfing!
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Post by treadiculous on Dec 1, 2011 5:12:37 GMT -5
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Post by 3ff3ct on Dec 1, 2011 6:10:42 GMT -5
Just to get you in the mood Great job mate, it's really coming along now!
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Post by Gerner on Dec 1, 2011 11:20:03 GMT -5
Looking really good. But I think that I personally point the wings downwards so it looks more like the Thunderhawk.
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Post by treadiculous on Dec 1, 2011 13:06:38 GMT -5
- Gerner, as you can see only one of the Thunderhawks has down pointed wings, (which I prefer too), I couldn't work out how to make it work with what I was doing though.. I spent ages trying different wing positions and settled with them as they are (it would have been easier to do down pointed wings as that is the way they are in the original stormraven kit). What I am also considering is removing the Heavy Bolters and Growl grill, and smooth off the area so it has a pointed nose like the thunderhawks do... its a bit of a one way project, as it'll look rubbish if I try it, then try to repair it if it doesn't work!
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