Storm...thing

Let's go for a different project. This is an ongoing commission for a friend. In this current edition of WH40K it looks like it's mandatory (among other things) having flying vehicles (not really sure as I haven't even read 6th Ed rules, but that's the way it looks like from the outside). For Space Marines armies that means Stormravens, Stormtalons and Stormwhateverthenamesare. I must say I'm not quite fond of them, I believe that GW models look too much like a toy. I mean, I don't mind the 'flying brick' concept, as all Space Marines vehicles have always been basically armoured bricks, but these ones particularly seem clumsy to me; I think they need a more stylised shape and different fixes here and there to make them look as sci-fi aircrafts frow GW and not from Fisher-Price.

This friend, fortunately, didn't want just the very model, but something slightly different. He begun to work on it by himself, but he recently moved abroad and had to drop off all his projects. So I inherited this Stormwhatever and had the mission to finish it. My job was easy as he had already done almost everything. He had combined a Stormraven kit and a Rhino one, and had the main hull and the beginning of a turret.

So I took it from that point and gave the general shape to it, with the upper body and the tail. I used some putty to fill the gaps and set a big cannon (using a pen).

 

Technical specifications have been totally approved

 

I tried to make it look like a small Thundehawk, the Space Marines iconic flying transport. It stills look chubby and a flying brick, but I rather prefer this one than the official models.

 

From this point, the rest is just a matter of adding details

 

I used pieces from here and there, from old models and so. Could be difficult to track some of them to their origins...

 

 

Hi-tech thrusters. Both Boeing and Airbus would kill for those

I also changed my mind about the gunner. I was not setting him exposed and I found it more logical having a full closed canopy.

 

Besides (and more important), it's easier to paint!

 

Some details (and grey priming) later, this is how it looks like:

 

Almost like it's brand new

 

Now I have to paint it! But that will be in some time, as I still have lots of pending work before. I'm switching a little from GW and moving into... Well, I'll let you discover next day ;)

To the brushes!