So here it is, the redux.

Expect pics later this evenin' my fellow geeks!

-scrubout

Alright, so I ranted and raved enough about this thing earlier, and I finally got one. A GI JOE SIGMA 6 DRAGONHAWK from Ross (clearance store in US) for $23.

I've managed to clear out all the inner gadgetry, namely some crappy leds and on second thought I should have checked to see if the sounds are cool, but I've still got that saved (but I doubt this project will get involved with any electronics). Basically, the beauty is gutted and ready to begin conversion madness.


Oh yeah, the wings tilt! Very valkyrie or vulture like, no?


A scale shot next to my Leman Russ "Hatred", Sir Heironymous von Stompinator, and a few Vostroyan XXIII soldiers manning a heavy weapon.


Up next is my junior officer. I'm quite happy with how he turned out, now I've gotta do the same for my other officers...



He'll be painted soon enough!

-scrubout

Yay! Sir H made it across in all his purple glory! :lol:

But of course! I plan to do touch-up painting on him too...he's actually got a lot of work left to do, just not happy enough with him (but don't tell him I said that).

I also posted my update here first, as it will be from now on due to... <_< ...feelings.

Cheers Catferret, good to see ya,

-scrubout

That Dragonhawk's so cool!!

But I don't remember selling you that!?!?!? :D

What in christs name is that thing, where the hell can i get one, and why havent i got one yet!

looking good scrubout :)

SC

ebay is always your friend in such times of confusion.

It is really big, but I plan to make it into something for Apocalypse, perhaps a tank/troop/supply carrier.

Thanks for the comments everyone.

That is one sweet flying monster you have there Scrubout. Time to cover its high tech look with Imperial aquilas!

lol i just noticed you have the link i put in my log to the bush blair gay bar soong, it's great:p

SC

That song is the best! Theres also this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nupdcGwIG-g

Scrubout, that thing is sweet, the coolest thing is the wing things:P It looks right ready for some Imperialy madness:)

cheers

So I've been grokking my Dragonhawk after a thorough Halo pwning.



I need advice from you all, my trusted advisers.


Explanation of my diagrams (with more pictures) over the instruction manual:
1) The entire bottom including the legs is gone, just an empty gut now. I'd like to take plasticard to it and apply some sort of 'claw' mechanisms similar to the thunderhawk transport to carry two leman russ or chimera chassis (it may be 'physically impossible' with the final model, but I need the believable mechanism look at least). Another armament idea presents itself here (thanks Catferret!), there is just enough room to possibly squeeze in some hunter killer missile thingies.






2) I am not attaching the tail, but I will be cutting of the fins and reattaching them to shorten this thing, it's large enough as it is without it's butt hanging out.

3) This area is a 'cleverly disguised' handle for kids to play with this. As nice as that is, I still want to take plasticard to it and fill it in to beef out the middle section and make it look like this thing can carry a squad or two (or dare I say three?) storm troopers with an access door behind the wing that believable suggests grav chute departure or rappelling.


4) I would like to have an AA-mount twin-linked heavy bolter ball turret here or perhaps a nasty AA-mount quad-linked lascannon. I'll probably try and knick Barbossa's (warseer) clever examples as shown here:



5) In the style of a Valkyrie, I will be mimicking it's appearance in this respect, there will be a twin-linked lascannon (one on either side) with a sensor array bolted to both sides of the cockpit area.

6) This is perhaps one of the hardest points for me at the moment. There is a large and awkward looking bit of plastic at the nose that I'm not too keen on trying to hack off. I refuse to use the crappy minigun they supplied me with (miscast anyway), and have come to two conclusions: A nose mounted twin-linked heavy bolter...or dare I try a nose mounted Vulcan Mega Bolter? I suppose it just matters if I can pull it off. I'd like to emulate the short and stubby version of this, which would have a similar function to the A-10 Warthog (which makes me want a Vulcan Mega Bolter even more...).




Cheers,

-scrubout

Quite a project you have ahead of you.

Nose: Autocannon/Twin Autocannon. Big beefy gun. Vulcan would be too crazy IMO.

As for the ball turret, go for the twin Heavy Bolters. Handy for defending against fliers trying to take you down.

I think a rack of Hunter/Killers would be good somewhere. I can see the thing flying in and blowing bunkers with the rockets and strafing infantry with Autocannons/Heavy Bolters. Once the area is clear it lands and deploys Russes and Stormtroopers to hold the objective.

I honestly have no idea about the rest of it. Rictus and Jase will be your best source of input regarding realistic claw mechanisms and adding crew areas.

I think a quad ball turret with trasparent glass would look cool (like the shape of a Tie Fight ball cockpit, but with guns likes the Millenium Falcon Quad lasers. Even shortening the barrels to make it look a little more compact (using the VDR right, they've got the point adjustment for that sort of thing).

For the nose gun, I think twin miniguns would look cool, with ammo feeds into the bottom of the cockpit (interior would have crawl space for reloads, or even only reload once landed).

For your handle, just making it flush with the body (bit of decoration ti spice it up) and throwing sliding heavy doors would suffice for a opening for drop troops or even an entry (assuming the walking ramp's retracted while in flight).

And lastly, gust mimicing the shape of the clamps that hold the Rhino's would probably do it, unless you actually want them to hold a Russ, then that's over my head :)



I managed cockpit and ball in one post without meaning too, now that's innuendo!! :D

Another idea strikes me. Replace Heavy Bolters and Autocannons with Multilasers. They form a great mid-ground between the 2 other weapons. They will be effective against both fliers and infantry and reduce the need for huge amounts of heavy ammuntion which will take up space and add weight (not that 2 Russes won't add weight :rolleyes:).

Multilasers are so underused in 40k. Guard really should make more use of them on vehicles and in infantry squads.

For AA I would go with Heavy Bolters, peferably quad or two twin linked ones. Though Assault Cannon like on the Marauder would be a very nice option. Go for shots over penetrative power as a high number of shots would be a better advantage when hitting the target is so hard, the enemy aircraft wouldn't need to be hit with something as strong as a Lascannon to take it down.

For ground clearance I would go with either Twin Heavy Bolters or Twin Multi Lasers, with wing hardpoints for hunter killers or Hellstrikes to take out any enemy tanks and ground defensive. Nose gun should be able clearing the infantry out of the way and making them keep their heads down. A nose Vulcan Mega Bolter would be a bit too much I think, the shear amount of ammo the aircraft would need to carry would be astronomical and in what is basically a transport craft I think taking up that much room and weight with a single weapon would be too much, unless you made it a one shot weapon perhaps? Or use a smaller varient (just the one set of barrels, cutting down the number of shots?).

And bombs. I like bombs. If you can fit them on take them. Bombs. Nice.

Having the two tanks/chimeras underneath look great.

As for the clamping mechanism would Defiler legs be an option? Four legs each side giving four legs per vehicle. Replace the claw tips with 'magnetic clamping plates'?

That any help?

I don't usually like adding so many photos to another persons log, but I took these last weekend (its the Westland Apache Longbow), and I think it gives you ideas. Very similar to the Valkeryie.

Are you VDR-ing this with tank carrying capacity?

wow, that things a beast, I didn't realize it was that huge!

I'm thinking that Rictus likes Bombs. Tell us how you really feel.

It wouldn't be TOO hard to place magnets into the sides of your Russes, and then use the above suggestion of Defiler Legs (with magnetic plates) to both secure the Russes AND have them be removeable.

Alternatively...

You have the makings of a classic drop ship. Some Plasticard work, and a ramp under the nose, and you could drop a single Chimera, easily. Or a bunch of those cyclops mobile explosions. Heck, build multiple mission pods, with magnets in the roof to connect to the magnets under your 'hawk, and you could swap out easily. One pod could just be a BIG POD OF BOMBS. Etc.

Think "Thunderbird 2", and you'll get the idea. ;)

F-A-B,

--Brian

Thank you all for the thoughtful comments, it gives me more pause to grok.

Magnets have crossed my mind, and I may begin down that slippery path of corruption on this project.

I have come to the conclusion, that while this creature will have lasers I don't want to give it *only* multi-lasers and such, as I feel it would be redundant and tacky (either lascannons or multi-lasers, not both).

Magnetized bombs, rockets, and fragmentation rockets for ease of alteration for the required mission sounds more than likely, along with an always standard loadout of the following: tail mounted [arse] cannons (just like the marauder destroyer), twin-linked lascannons next to cockpit, and quad-mounted autocannons at the forefront (nose). Should be a sufficient amount of dakka dakka without going ott.

I've also come to the conclusion (once I get some plasticard ordered) that it will be easy to apply the standard Imperial bulky extra armor plates (have a look at a Valk) along the front of the Dragonhawk.

Question for you crazy scratchbuilders!: What thickness plasticard do you recommend for fine detail work, for rivets, and for bulkier stuff like the above mentioned extra armor plates. Cookie to whoever gives me useful answers/and/or/links to the above queries.

I'm tired.

-scrubout

that quadlascannon looks great!

:D

scrubby's log :D

yay!

it continues here! i can't wait to see that dropship done. it looks great so far.

Alright, so I managed to do a little work on the armament of the Dragonhawk today.

Here is a mock-up of the 2x twin-linked autocannons on the nose (the green putty is my trademark "Mother's Sculpey"). Does this look decent enough for a nose mounted weapon? Or should I try something a bit more robust? I think I could be content with this:







Halloween is getting near, and while my girlfriend is content with being a non-slutty looking pirate (so am I, can't stand the stares she gets!) I've always wanted to wear my German flectarn jacket and shamble around as a zombie....so I got this:



The green part appears to be a real filter, which cements my theory this is a bona fide surplus gas mask...but there is this black stopper on the bottom...jasevx, do you have any experience with these things on your tour? I feel like I'm wearing a plastic bag (can't breathe through it), if I tear off this black stopper will it be actually use-able in the case of a gas attack? :wub:


Cheers,

-scrubout

liking the autocannons
loving the mask
love all your stuff

HAHAHA, scrubbys got a gimp mask!

There should be a valve to allow airflow, the stopper could be to stop dirty entering it while packed away, just remove it and see.

Oh the quad atocannons rock!

quad AC is cool.

whered you get the gas mask? any chance that you could hook it up DK style? if you can, my nerdness may force me to get one (and a trenchcoat) so i can be all death korps!

Oooh trench coats, I wear them all the time, just for the strange looks I get.

But that gas mask is cool, can we see what the jacket is like?


cheers

I forgot to take pics of my jacket this morning, maybe this afternoon...after my girlfriend and I get done playing Halo 3 until our eyes bleed or she has to go to class/work (not allowed to play it by myself...).

My gas mask works beautiful though. Got it from a halloween costume store, one of those ones they set up just for the season, the appeared to have a couple military surplus items and quite a few of these sweat gasmasks. Gonna keep it as is cause it actually works, filter and all!

Here's updated pics on the quad autocannon, not much, but it's something:



In a bit of bind because I realize I need lots of plasticard for this project I don't have the money for it right now, which means I may revert to actually painting my imperial guard or warmachine.

-scrubout

The quad autocannon is looking suitably impressive.

As for styrene for detail work I tend to use .5 or .25 depending what the detail is I want to use. Any thicker I use for body work to make up the hull etc.

Rivits are 1mm (or sometimes .75) diameter. Things like aerials .25 rod or .5 depening on length (though i also use fuse wire).

Hope that is helpful.

I bring this log back from the depths of... I'm not exactly sure where because...

Scrubby! Its your birthday! Happy Birthday! Hope you're having a fantastic day today.

The average age of the combat soldier in Vietnam, nnnn nineteen.

Scrubby it's you're birthday, happy birthday Scrubby....

no longer protected by megans law...

SC

Happy Birthday Scrubby!

yay! one year closer to . . . whatever you are anxious to do!

Scrubout this thing looks alot like the pictures of the thunderhawks daddy the stormbird.

Happy birthday Scrubout, have a nice day :) (as it's still day over there).

The airplane's coming along great, the quad-autocannons are awesome. Dakkadakkadak! B)

Wow, I am loved! *sniff* I got more well wishing here then in "real life"...whatever that is...

Thanks everyone, and to those who pm'd me too of course!

Esinhorn, you got any pics of this "Stormbird"? Sounds ridiculously cool.


As I said earlier, the Dragonhawk is stalled due to lack of funds. But the terrain comp has subdued my interest and awaken my competitive desire...so whoever has joined it, watch out, I'm out for blood! ;)

Pics of WIP:












Cheers everyone, was a little confused at first why my log wasn't on the last page. :rolleyes:

-scrubout

Cannot wait to see more stuff on your flyer, I am off to get some toys from my little boys toybox......a belated happy birthday too

HAHA When I shop for the kids I'm always on the lookout for future projects :D

You go shopping for kids? Do they allow that in Australia? And what future 'projects' are they involved in?

Hey ya guys, no child-trade talk in my log...that's what the suggested links thread is for. ;)

More progress on my terrain comp piece, and I'm slowly piecing together what I'm gonna enter in the scrapheap challenge thread (which I will solely post progress of in here)...but no pics of that tank yet.




Comments are always lovingly used to boost my fractured ego.

-scrubout