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Blackadder's Scratchbuilt Thunderhawk


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When I worked in the aviation industry there were many aircraft that had oversized and stretch versions. The UH1 helicopter had at least dozens of variations on the standard model being the B but the D model had about twice the cargo area and the Huey Cobra was a variant of the UH1 but a narrow body attack chopper.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_AH-1_SuperCobra

 

Likewise the B727 had the standard 100 series  but had the 200 series which was half again as long with much more passenger capacity. Again the Boeing 757 and 767 series was virtually the same aircraft wing, engines and length wise but the 767 was a wide body seating 8 - 9 across and two aisles in tourist where as the 757 had one aisle and seated only 6 across.

 

I think we can accept a larger version of Thunderhawk.

Fluff alert: if it can carry a Rhino, it's obviously too big to be a Thunderhawk. Re-title this thread as "scratchbuilt Sokar pattern Stormbird", and we're good to go.

The thunderhawk gunship is not allowed to transport a rhino. The thunderhawk transporter can carry two. I do not remember any rule or fluff saying that the rhino does not physically fit into the gunship.

When I worked in the aviation industry there were many aircraft that had oversized and stretch versions. The UH1 helicopter had at least dozens of variations on the standard model being the B but the D model had about twice the cargo area and the Huey Cobra was a variant of the UH1 but a narrow body attack chopper.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_AH-1_SuperCobra

 

Likewise the B727 had the standard 100 series  but had the 200 series which was half again as long with much more passenger capacity. Again the Boeing 757 and 767 series was virtually the same aircraft wing, engines and length wise but the 767 was a wide body seating 8 - 9 across and two aisles in tourist where as the 757 had one aisle and seated only 6 across.

 

I think we can accept a larger version of Thunderhawk.

Fair enough. What name will you give this Thunderhawk pattern? It needs a distinctive name to distinguish it from those unable to carry Rhinos, the way Contemptor and Leviathan distinguish more powerful Dreadnought patterns.

Mark 2, Stretch, "B" designation, Plus Size; whatever.

 

If played as a game piece I've no problem with the restrictions placed on the/my T'hawk (I don't even play the game;) It doesn't HAVE to carry a Rhino. I just build models and I call it as I see it. FW by necessity has to play by the rules. I do not; I can build any capability into my models that suit my fancy and I from the get-go thought, "Rhino" :D. Hell I don't even like the Rhino as a vehicle, I think it an ill conceived compromise; impossibly small for the duty it has to perform and unworthy of FW's subsequent efforts. Those who follow my threads know I do this for the fun of it; trying to make sense of the FW 40K universe and mainly in doing so try to give some building techniques I've come up with to make scratch building more fun. I don't mean to insinuate my work on the restrictions of the game format. 

 

I appreciate the replies and the input and consider you a valued contributor, i.e. you make me think. Ha! ;) 

Inside Out:

 

Or how not to build an interior.

 

My ambition has exceeded my good sense as when I started this project I gave little thought to so extravagant an interior. Now  I am reaping the benefit of my lack of forethought.

 

 


http://i.imgur.com/YmvRf7bl.jpg

 

Fortunately I have ample panels to access the interior for modification and upgrade

 

BTW the image above shows the basic nascent Space Marine harness device to safe transport to the planet to be modularly installed into the upper gallery rectangular receptacles shown in the background. This would in fact be the whole length of the upper gallery but for my purposes just the front hanger will be seen.

 

See, I'm not completely crazy................

  • 2 weeks later...
There Is No Joy In Mudville:

 

No, I've tried quite a few different pigments and airbrush combinations on various scrap and even on the T'hawk itself 'Horrors! ' and I have found nothing I like better than powdered Aluminum and powdered Graphite hand rubbed into Flat Black Primer so after much soul searching I'm committing to Gray Knights colour scheme and an all metal finish to my Hawk.

 

after about fifteen minutes of of application I feel I made the correct decision, nothing brings out the detail of this model like hand rubbed Aluminium. Note the flat black front and tail still yet to have the aluminum applied.........

 


http://i.imgur.com/zHWLfsRl.jpg

 

Of course there will be Gray Knights red accents and lots more colours 

 


http://i.imgur.com/278Y6Hzl.jpg

 

But this is the look I am going for so the next time you see this it will be completely pewter hued.

Are you using the harness in the dropods as the basis for your harnesses?

As it would stand to reason they would be similar STC.

Massive fan of both you work and your dedication please don't stop inspiring.

yeah I'll probably fabricate pod harnesses after I done applying the exteral finish.

Pewter Thunderhawk: (Grey Knights colours still to come.)

 

Oh Gawd, finally for the first time completely together after six years in the making, my very own scratchbuilt version of the Thunderhawk. At 26 inches long and fully articulated; weapons, wings, and landing gear; it's most gratifying to be able to present this effort.

 


 

There are a few production glitches:

 


 

All three gears need to be lock indexed to keep from swiveling.

 


 

The rear shock struts need to be spring loaded to take the weight without collapsing.

 


 

The rear floor of the forward cargo bay needs to be locked down. 

 


 

The interior is too sparsely furnished and needs to be finished, the rough poster board edges will never do. 

 


 

The ball turrets need mount brackets.

 


 

and of course the interior lighting.

 

The loading ramp needs an extension to make the disembark angle less extreme...........

 

but all told a most gratifying moment to see this for the first time assembled in her full glory.

 

Martini time; Skoal!

Beautiful work .

In regards to the steep ramp, as a "real world" solution would they not slightly retract the front landing after the intial landing to lessen the angle, much like a red bus does to allow wheel chair access ?

I know it's very easy to make a comment like this at the back end, but one thing I love about you're work is that you add that sense to you're work that this thing would actually work, especially your Titans.

As said beautiful work.

Six years......that's a level of patience I will never achieve. Could you measure it's wingspan and nose to tail, I'm curious just how much bigger than FW's THawk yours is.

 

Cheers,

Jono

 

If all I worked on was the Thunderhawk that would be much more than I have patience for as well but in that time I also built the Warlord, Land Kreuzer, a couple of modified tanks, finished up ''Lucie'' the Warhound and designed a Lucius Reaver conversion armour to fit over a standard FW Reaver plus painted a Tyranid army including a Harridan and Hierophant, plus two Chaos Warhounds, refurbished and painted a Cadian army and a couple of Space Marine squads &etc; in short ample diversity to keep me from getting tired of working on the T'hawk. Whew! :D

 

Overall length nose to center engine exhaust; 28.5 inches (72.39 CM) vs I believe 19 inches for the FW model.

 

Wing span is 25.5 inches (64.77 CM) I don't have proper spec's for the FW model; funny I was under the impression that my T'hawk was 26 inches long all this time but as I said I've not had it all together until just yesterday

 

 

Beautiful work .

In regards to the steep ramp, as a "real world" solution would they not slightly retract the front landing after the intial landing to lessen the angle, much like a red bus does to allow wheel chair access ?

I know it's very easy to make a comment like this at the back end, but one thing I love about you're work is that you add that sense to you're work that this thing would actually work, especially your Titans.

As said beautiful work.

 

That's a good idea and much simpler than redesigning the main gear struts; thanks for the suggestion.

 

I always try to engineer my scratch builts as if they had to function in the real world, that's why I am so disenchanted with the main landing gear. Basing my gear on the FW original there is no way that the FW gear could swing forward and still fit into the gear well and the way I ultimately decided the gear had to function consumes too much of the rear superstructure interior. I'm still working on that one. :D

incredible work, you should be very proud!

 

fyi the FW model is 19 inches long by 18 inches wide.

 

I suspect the size on yours is similar to the FW storm bird that has been shown a lot lately - possibly your hawk is even larger than their bird.

Your work is really outstanding !

Seeing "Lucie" is actually one of the things that gave me the desire to paint again and to improve so that one day I could try to do something as good as you (honestly even half as good and I'll be happy :D)

Anyway, please continue to do such inspiring work ! happy.png

  • 3 weeks later...
Lipstick On A Pig:

 

Ugly as a Warthog most definitely and I finally found my antique can of Krylon 'Rust' Primer this past week; now I can begin painting the detail. 

 


http://i.imgur.com/ieicdiWl.jpg

 

So with the masking tape removed it's a bit of a letdown 

 


http://i.imgur.com/PbRwGBhl.jpg

 

I plan to activate my airbrush later this weekend and see what I can do to perk these images up.

 


http://i.imgur.com/24VkScjl.jpg

 

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