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.

WH40K - Ork Fighta - WIP 2 - Rivets

Added rivets to upper and lower wings, and a couple of patches to the 'fuselage'. This took a long time... I cut tiny bits of polystyrene rod. Then I dabbed glue on the plates with a toothpick and picked up the bits by just touching a blade to them, before gluing them on.

Getting the pilot inside is going to be tricky. He will need a block under his seat to raise him to cockpit height. I may paint the interior and mask/fill it before painting the exterior. I am considering constructing the canopy from strips and girders (with more rivets of course) and only partially glazing it. Still considering whether to add Grot door gunners, and to put weapons in the holes under the 'cheeks' of the nose area.

WH40K - Ork Fighta - WIP

Ork Fighta. I scrapped the idea of converting the Grumman Skyrocket.
Instead I used a Tau Hammerhead that had suffered the results of a poorly masked spray paint job. This was turned upside down and backwards to make the fuselage/tail.

- tail fin is from the crashed shuttle in the Battle for Macragge boxed set.
- engines are Star Wars model bits around copper plumbing fittings.
- wings are from a 1/48 scale MV-22 Osprey, with plastic card added to bulk them out - some rivets needed here.
- nose is from toy parts, some of which came from the 'Cart Racer' that made up the bridge of the Battle Barge.
- tail wheel is from a warbike. Front wheels still to come. I might cut a tyre in half and glue the halves on to look like retracted undercarriage.
- the pilot is a plastic boy on old IG jetbike rider legs, with a Burna boy head, holding a trimmed axe as a joystick, and sitting in a 1/24 racing car seat.

Lots more rivets and a few repair patches will 'orkify' it. Then maroon spray job, like the other items in WAAAGH GRABBA and away we go. I haven't decided what to do with the hatches yet. Perhaps Grot door gunners?

I recommend 'Deff Skwadron' as the consummate reference to Fighta Bommas and the like.

(Link to post in Work In Progress)

WH40K - Fighta Bomma project

I plan to convert a 1/48 model of a Grumman Skyrocket into an Ork Fighta Bomma. I wanted an unusual looking plane, not too expensive ($29.95 at the local Toyworld). I liked the twin engines (to be replaced with jets) and the twin tail. The plan is to scrap some old armour kits and raid the bits box to add armour plating, guns, bombs, teeth etc to the original model. It will have to have a heavily converted ork pilot - with flying helmet, goggles and fluttering scarf of course. I think one of the new Kommandos gasmask heads would be appropriate. Also, this is an opportunity to use a failed Wartrukk rebuild as the 'launch trolley'.

Reviews of the Minicraft kit here and here.

Mekboy concept sketch of partially finished Fighta Bomba. (Warboss Grabba only ever expects it to be partially finished. Since his 'axe-y-dent' Mekboss Stingy has the attention span of a rabid squig.)