WH40K - Ork Flying Gun Thing

You don't have to buy an entire GW model kit to get the good bits. There are lots of bits sellers on the net, who will sell you separate parts from those kits. Obviously interesting parts like weapons and wheels sell more quickly (and are more expensive) because people who build conversions and dioramas want more of those bits. Random pieces of vehicle hull might languish on a retailer's shelf and be a bit cheaper. That's good if you want to build some WH40K terrain to represent a 'burned out' vehicle hull.

I had a few bits left over from the Ork Bommer kit, and a "Super Gatler" from the Ork Stompa, bought from a Bits seller for inclusion in some conversion or other. (Possibly the as-yet-unbuilt STOMP-E which remains in pieces in the bits box.) I also had a couple of Tau Devilfish engines, from the kit which eventually became my first Ork Fighta.

All this has been combined with a Tau Piranha model to produce an Ork Flying Gun Thing. I'll come up with a name for it, or take any suggestions...

(As I was building it I realised I could avoid using all the wings, engines and weapons from the Piranha. These in turn could be added to a Battlesuit to make a super-flying Battlesuit! It's the Mekboy DNA in me, I swear...)

The brass bits are from a packet of brass... bits... which I bought at a hobby store. I can think of lots of uses for those. 

Although in real life this model is completely glued together, in the game I like to think that the engines swivel for a very crude VTOL effect. The 'feet' underneath it become landing gear, of a sort. More skilled modellers than I could actually make that work. Check out Work In Progress for some amazing conversions.

The 'face' on the nose is made from a Warhammer Fantasy Black Orc shield, and the 'anchor' part of the dragging chain mechanism from the original Dakkajet.

VRROOOMMMMM! FREEAAAAOOOOWWWWWMMMMM!
Dakka dakka dakka dakka dakka dakka!

WH40K: Even More Dakka on the Dakkajet!

The rest of this kit has been built straight from the box. However, I used a lot of the optional pieces, to maximise the number of guns and bombs this contraption will carry. It's not in accordance with the rules for the model in the game, but it is the way my Orks would go!

The vertical stabilisers on the tail are from old Ork War Trukk kits, and the lower stabilisers on the wings are from the Tau Skyray variant of the Devilfish/Hammerhead kit. I also assembled the ork pilot and Grot gunner, a gun turret, and assorted missiles and bombs, but I will paint those separately. The tan coloured rocket pods are from an old robot model kit that a friend threw into my bits box. I also changed the 'anchor' at the back of the plane for a double chain axe head. The pilot thinks it is funny when that digs into the runway or whatever is on the ground during one of his flybys.

Planned paint scheme will be metallic grey or silver all over, for that classic 1950s look, with dark red highlights on areas like the stabilisers to match the rest of my Ork forces. If I can be bothered, I will add suitable nose art. Any suggestions?

WH40K: Ork Dakkajet Needs More Dakka!

I bought the new Ork Bommer kit, and decided to build to my fancy, rather than a specific choice from the game rules. It will pretty much be a 'Dakkajet' but with lots of extra weapons and 'gubbins'. It's a great kit, by the way, and I recommend it to anyone who plays Orks or wants a clanky looking, steampunk sort of fighterplane model kit. Put simply, it needed more dakka!

Gatling Good! These photos are from www.hlj.com and show model kits for sale there.
You should buy some!

I also wanted to make use of the Gatling Gun, made by Kotobukiya for Gundam and similar Mecha type models. It's a brilliant bit of model making, about 14cm long when completed, and it's clockwork, so the barrels rotate! It could be used on a 'giant killer robot' or futuristic tank model, or a science fiction themed 1:6 figure could also carry it. I found the Gatling Gun on Hobbylink Japan's website. (Good value and excellent range of kits, from science fiction and real world themes.)

It took a bit of sawing and fiddling about, but I jammed it into the fuselage of the Ork plane. I also put some aluminium tube over the windup bit of the clockwork, extending through the body of the plane and out the exhaust, with a cog and some more metal bits on the other end. That was so I could wind up the gun and make Dakka! Dakka! Dakka! Dakka! noises during a game. Unfortunately bits of plastic dust and glue have gotten inside the mechanism and made it a bit unreliable. That's a lesson learned - clockwork, glue and fumble-fingers don't go together.