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Stormraven-ing


Gorlak

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Afternoon all,

 

I have finally begun work on my first stormraven and would love to hear any input people may have. The various conversions/adaptations that are appearing are very much what I had in mind for this model and I have been feverishly looking around to see what I might want to use on my own version. Kudos to any and all on the forum(s) that have posted their work, it's been a true inspiration, especially Pig Of Sparta and Inache.

 

Below is the first iteration, partially glued with detailing and magnetising still to be done. In my over eager ways however, I just went ahead and built this and now I am questioning is it TOO long have stretched it out to improve proportions and silhouette. The only really notable change beyond the obvious is the moving back of the turret mount. Here it is so far -

 

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An alternative is something more akin to a shuttlecraft type look, as seen in the early photoshopped image edits and broadly based on the 'MajorTom' pattern design that is floating about <_< This is a much stubbier design than above and looses the tail altogether, possibly adding a spoiler style tail fin, something like the current landspeeder. It does look quite a lot like a bus though....

 

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What do you reckon?

I was planning to smooth off the nose by covering over the nose mounted weapons, but I have decided against this for now on balance. I would like to magnetise the tail in some fashion too, still thinking about how to do this and ensure its a strong connection.

Any and all suggestions/criticisms are more than welcome!

 

Cheers,

H

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The turret looks like it could use a targeting sensor if you have a spare. IMHO, I think the tail is unessesary. I'm not qualified to make that judgement by any means, but if you have repulsors on both sides of the nose and wing tips is the tail needed?
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Thanks for the speedy reply - I had the same thought about a targeter, I was planning to use the one that comes on the hunter-killer missile on the vehcile accessory sprue set between the two weapons. A bit small perhaps, but I'm reasoning more of the actual targeting compu....'logic engine' is housed in the hull itself ;)

The tail is most likely not 'needed' as such to aid flight - I dont really think the thing would fly at all to be honest - but it does help visually stretch the model out. Its more there for the proportions/silhouette really, but I'm just a bit concerned it makes it overly long - its now just short of twice as long as a land raider... If its kept, which I'm leaning towards, I will build the detailing up on the roof of the extension to make it look like an integral 'spine' that runs down to the tail.

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I'm inclined to agree as it stands Natanael, it was always my original intent to be honest. I'm considering options for how to securely magnetise the tail for ease of transport. It does seem to be all about 'the look' with this model at the mo...
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I Liked aspects of GW's Stormraven, but I wasn't impressed with it on a whole. It just didn't seem to add up.

But, you have found exactly what is missing. And I am really liking your modifications here.

You have placed me in a dilema though, lol. Donno if I want to continue with what I was doing, or follow your route.

Either way, looking forward to seeing some paint on yours :D

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I think you've done well with the plasticard extension. It really looks a lot better than the original which to me loos like "Tweety Bird" .... wanting to make "I tawt i taw a puddy tat" as you swing it around!! :P

In the image without the wings it now looks so much like the outline of a CH53 super jolly green giant helicopetr .... I think the tail must remain... just the lengthened fuselage and the reduced height of the top turret by way of the weapon mount...actually gives it a better streamlined look.

 

I dont really think the thing would fly at all to be honest

Well GW fluff does state in many places that the Thunderhawk is not aerodynamic and without its computers it would completely fail... recently described in "Battle for Kadillus" novel... Similar to the F117.. an inherently unstable airframe which remians aloft on power and a massive dose of computing power... or the machine spirit in 40K. :D

 

i really like what you've done with the Storm Tweety ...er...Storm raven... it's literallky and metaphorically filled in what was missing! ;)

 

SG

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Thanks for the feedback all!

 

CTK - your 'hunter-killer' stormravens look excellent! I wouldn't abandon them, but perhaps have them as varients, allowing you to have both! :) what I have done here is really quite simple to be honest - I was waiting on templates from others, but to be honest, the way the back of the hull goes together makes them unnecessary, its very straight forward.

 

zxyogi - I do know what you mean about the short 'sawn-off' version, it looked more brutal somehow! :tu: in practice though, it just didn't quite work the way I wanted so I stuck with the tail.

 

I should also mention the amazing work of leechambers and his Black Library blog - he's been making all manner of Dawn of War models, as well as his own miniatures, and his Stormraven really caught my eye. Hence the desire to do all this really! A quick look at his 'Raven, and you can see why I 'went long' with this model -

http://catwellslibrary.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/baraven.jpg

 

Managed to get some more work last night, mainly focused on the magnetising and tidying up of joints etc. Fairly happy with the turret now, although I will probably lower it a bit but cutting down the weapon mount slightly, maybe 2-3mm, to make it sit that bit tighter to the body. I have the 'tail fins' for want of a better term cut from the engines test fitted to the back - what do you reckon? The tail is glued now and the wings magnatised as there was an obvious and secure way of doing this. They aren't going anywhere! ;) I am very tempted to shorten it by about 12-15mm so the back of the mid-point of the 'tail fins' is in line with the back of the engines. A shame to break apart what's been don't, but it may bug me otherwise...!

More detailing to be done, especially under the wings, rivets to add and a base to sort out/counter weight - but I'm itching to paint this thing! ;)

 

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I'm just not all that excited by the basic GW one - other than the potential in it. I am thinking I'm going to need to shorten it slightly - probably going to try and remove 12-15mm from the extension, it is going to bug me otherwise I think!
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  • 2 weeks later...

Some speedy updates having finished the painting of the interior. There is actually quite a bit more external detail on there now as well, but no pics of that yet though. Further inspired by Hits_the_spot's project, I will be adding a bit to the exterior details.

 

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Hope you like - I will try and get some better macro close ups of those internal panels when I get home tonight.

 

Cheers,

H

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Looks great to me. I think you might wanna do something on the part behind the turret, because it's kinda plain, which is what makes you docus on it. Even just a couple of wires going from the turret to the tail area would make it look more realistic and defined.
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  • 1 month later...
have to say thanks for these pictures and this idea...you took just the right angles for me to be able to mimic most of the modifications on my own raven with .75mm and 1.5mm thick card for the extensions.
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