Modelling: How to make a SM Attack Trike

[Brother Morgan]

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2797.jpg

 

This is what a completed earlier version of my trikes looks like.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2931.jpg

 

Here are all the parts needed for the conversion. Most come from an Attack Bike kit. Extras for the bike include a Pintle Mounted Storm Bolter and Imperial Eagle from the Land Raider Hatch Sprue, 2 steel washers, 2 small magnets, 2 short lengths of plastic tubing (to extend the front forks), 3 longer pieces of tubing (for the gun mount, back axle and attaching frame to rear mudguards), a headlamp from the Mk 1 Rhino, a sheet of plastic card (pre-scored to bend around the rear mudguard), the bike banner pole with the skull removed and lots of Milliput.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2940.jpg

 

Attach the two rear wheels together with a piece of 18mm length plastic tubing. Chop the bike frame as indicated, removing the excess exhaust pipes still attached to the frame. Put the front wheel in and glue bike frame together.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2941.jpg

 

Remove the remains of the seat from the rear mudguard and attach the rear axle to the exhausts. Stick the pre-scored plasticard around the rear wheels (I find a 30mm width of card works best. Length and width can be adjusted to suit). The front mudguard is removed from the front forks.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2942.jpg

 

A cut needs to be made to the underside of the front forks and the whole handlebar area pivoted backwards (milliput will be used later to fill this gap). Attach plastic tubing to front mudguard to extend the front forks. Steel washers are attached to the underside of the plasticard sheet (this will enable the gunner to stand by use of magnets).

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2943.jpg

 

Remove exhausts from the foot rest where they arc out. Keep these exhaust pipes as they will be used later. Attach foot rest to bike frame.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2945.jpg

 

Attach a piece of tubing into the bike frame (length of your choice) and attach to the rear mudguards. This is what your trike should now look like. Attach the exhaust pipes you just removed from the foot rest to the bottom exhaust muffler on the rear mudguard.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2960.jpg

 

A lot of milliput is now used to: blend the bike frame into the rear section, used underneath the front forks (to hide your earlier cut), smoothed into the scores in the plasticard covering your rear mudguards, a seat is made, the bottom of the gun mount is created, the exhaust pipes are sculpted and to make the plasticard flusher with the rest of the back section, milliput is used to bulk out the sides of the rear mudguards.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2968.jpg

 

More milliput is used underneath the rear section to cover the steel washers and to also bulk out the plasticard to make it look more blended in.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2947.jpg

 

The sides of the storm bolter need to be razor sawed off (apologies for quality of picture).

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2949.jpg

 

The stormbolter should now look like this. The bolters are stuck to the front mudguard (part of the front guard edging detail needs to be removed for a smoother finish).

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2950.jpg

 

The plastic hook of the weapon needs to be removed and a length of banner pole plastic is attached. This will be used to allow the weapon to swing and also allow the weapon to be changed e.g. to a heavy bolter.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2955.jpg

 

The gunner's soles are drilled out and mini magnets are inserted. This will allow the gunner to stay attached to the rear of the bike firing his weapon even when the weapon is moved.

 

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2958.jpg

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2957.jpg

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff118/philmorgan75/IMG_2956.jpg

 

Here is what the completed, pre undercoated model looks like. The driver has also now been built, wih finishing touches added, e.g the imperial eagle and front headlamp. The plastic tubing for the weapon mount is attached after carefully ensuring the gunners arms fit under the weapon and realistically look as if he is firing the weapon.

 

I think the extra work needed to make the trike is worthwhile when you see the completed model compared to a conventional attack bike. I now have five of these models (1 painted, 2 undercoated, 2 just built). My plan is to have 2 squadrons of trikes, 3 armed with heavy bolters and 3 with multi meltas which can be mix and matched as the role dictates.

 

Any comments on the tutorial or models would be appreciated. Thanks, Brother Morgan.

 

P.S. I want to make an army of "Chopper" style bikes. If anyone can point me in the right direction for lots of cheap pintle mounted storm bolters, I would be very grateful.

[darkmarauder]

A nice tutorial. Defiantly one to use. The bike its self looks great, and seems to fit well, but is there any other way of arranging that back turret? It just seems a little unnatural to me.

[Alluvium]

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=123022

 

thats what i did to my bike to make it an attack bike :teehee:

 

thought i had come up with an original idea too :lol:

 

great minds then.