Air Mobile - Fighter Support

Hi all! Sorry it has been such a long time since last post - Work and Life just has a crazy way of taking over and not giving much time for the good things - like painting and posting. The Air Mobile effort continues, with all the Valk / Vendetta / Vulture stand-ins nearing completion (more on these to follow), but I've taken a small detour - in the form of a Praetorian Fighter (perhaps a Lightning Stand-In, although the weapon fit-outs are slightly different).

The inspiration for this is the WW1 British DH-2, which effectively ended the "Fokker scourge" of the early part of the war. It is a pusher-type bi-plane (prop in the rear) as it was before the Brits had developed an Interrupter Gear, to sequence a forward firing machine gun with the propeller. Here is a top-view of the Praetorian DH-2, along with the insipration.

The Praetorian DH-2 mounts a pair of linked Heavy-Bolters on either side of the cock-pit (for which I used a Sentinel cock-pit). Furthermore, the wings provide 2 hard-points for mounting of a varity of weapon configuations - Rocket pods, Las Cannons or H/K Missiles. The Wing mounts and weapons are all magnetized (similar to what I've done for the Praetorian Valk/Vendettas), to allow for quick weapon swapping.

The mighty Tank-Hunting DH-2 with twin-linked Las-Cannons configuation. The plane-holder is an inverted plastic champagne glass. There is a built-in insert on the underside of the plane to allow the insertion of the holder.

Hunter/Killer Missile version. The piolet has been retro-fitted with a spare Praetorian head and a white scarf made from green-stuff.

A view from the rear. The propeller is a GW flying-base that I turned in a drill and scuffed using a little bit of sandpaper to give it the appearence of a spinning prop.






I need to finish it up with some details, such as the Red-White and Blue circle and perhaps some squadron identification markings / numbering. I am thinking of doing up a second fighter to create a small fighter squadron. If any are interested, I can do a step-by-step complete with templates, etc. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Air Mobile - Vulture Stand-In

Here are some photos of the Work-in-Progress of the HMAS Galliant, which is a Bromhead-Class Anti-Grav Attack ship (a Vulture Equivalent). This design has the same look and feel of the Valkyrie / Vendetta equal - similar deck (except with no "door-gunner" stations), same engine/tail section. The main difference is the "hull", which is considerable smaller, due to the fact that there is no troop-carring capacity. In addition, there is a nose-mounted Heavy Bolter. The Galliant will have side "wings", which will have magnetized hard-points for the mounting of either the Punisher cannons, or other weapon fit-outs (such as H/K Missiles, Rocket Pods, Las Cannons, etc.)

Side View of the HMAS Galliant, showing the smaller Hull and nose-mounted Heavy Bolter.

Top view Comparrision between the Valk/Vendetta (left) and the Vulture (Right).

Bottom view comparison between the Valk/Vendetta (left) and Vulture (right).

Back-view of the HMAS Galliant, showing the reduced hull, the rear door and the nose-mounted heavy bolter.

Detail of the Nose-Mounted Bolter. This too is magnetized.

Air Mobile - Building an Air-Assault Platoon

O.K., so I've been busy. Although I lack the funds for ship's weapondry, ship's fittings and/or crew, let alone the air-assault platoon that these will be lifting, I've decided to proceed with the scratch-building portion of creating a Praetorian Air-Assault Platoon. In addition to the fully built, armed and crewed HMAS Dauntless, I have the basic deck/hulls for the platoon's other air assest.
This consists of (2) Additional Valkyries / Vendettas: The HMAS Endeavour and the HMAS Fortitude, and (1) Vulture: The HMAS Galliant.

The two Valkyries side-by-side. The HMAS Fortitude has part of it's railing installed, but both are lacking the armoured wheel-house. My current plan for the arming of the transports is to have enough magnetized weapons to equip either (3) Vendettas -0r- (2) Vendetta + (1) Valkyrie (with all the various Valk configurations, so: Deck gun will be either a Las Cannon or a Multi-Las, Wing Weapons either:Rocket Pods, Hunter/Killers -or- Las Cannons).

Side View of The HMAS Endeavour.

Rear View showing the Anti-Grav panel shutters and the rear door for troop deployment (regretably it is not a nice trop down door like the actual Valk).

Air Mobile - Praetorian Style

Not the the Valkyrie / Vendetta models are not utterly fantanstic (because they are), and in no way is offense intended towards other Praetorian Armies (such as those of the honorable Col. Gravis or Crazy Red Praetorian) that field the Valks, but to me the Valkyrie does not quite have that "Praetorian" feel to it. Just too high-tech, IMHO.

But what is a Praetorian Officer to do? (Especially one such as I that has limited funds). Well, I pondered and pondered this very question, with little success in nearling an answer, until one day I was cleaning out my shed. Going through some of my old gaming stuff, I happened across some books for the Space 1899 RPG. And there in my dusty and disorganized shed, I had an epiphany, in the form of the Aphid-Class anti-Grav gunboat.

I put my over-ambitious imagination to work, and tested my meager scratch-building talents to their fullest. Before you is the result: The HMAS Dauntless, a Chard-Class Anti-Grav Assault Airship. (Sorry for the Rourke's Drift reference - I couldn't resist).


The Dauntless is currently equipped as a Vendetta-Equivalent, although throught the use of magnets, I will be able to do weapon swaps to configure it as either a Vendetta or a Valkyrie, once I purchase the right bitz.

As Equipped, it matches a standard Vendetta: (3) Twin-Linked Las Cannons, (2) Heavy Bolters (aka Door-Gunners) and a 12-Man Squad carrying capacity.

The crew of the Dauntless is N+1 over the standard Vendetta: Helm, Gunner and (2) door-gunners, with the additional crew member being the Captain (in his spiffy trench coat).

So, what ya think?

Work-in-Progress: Armoured Staff Car

Hello. It has been a long time between updated, and for that I am sorry. Work and family have been keeping me from blogging as consistantly as I would hope. But I still have been making time to paint and convert. This is one on my recent WIP's; a scratch-built Armoured Staff Car, to serve as the command vehicle for my Armoured detachment.

The Design was inspired by and based upon (very loosly) the 1920 Rolls-Royce Armoured Car imployed by the British Army during the latter parts of WWI, thru the interem years and into the early years of WWII.

I quickly formulated a plan (the proverbial sketch on a napkin), developed a template using AutoCAD to form a card-stock base. Heavier cardboard was cut and added for doors, armour plating, etc, with some 40K bits added for effect. The (6) wheels are SM Bike wheels. The turrent was created using a couple of washer, a wine bottle cork and a spare plastic heavy bolter.

I will post again once this is painted up. Thanks for looking!

Pioneer (Scouts and Engineers) Platoon

This is the 22nd Praetorian Scout and Engineers (Assault Pioneer) Platoon. This platoon is comprised of a HQ Section, (9) 2-Man Scout Teams, (1) Combat Engineer Squad, (1) Combat Engineer Heavy Flamer Squad and (1) Assualt Cyclops Squadron.

The HQ Section is a 4-Man Unit; Platoon Lieutenant, Vox-Caster and a 2-Man Sniper Team.

The Scout Element of the platoon contains (9) 2-Man Teams; (4) Sniper teams, (4) Hunter/Killer Rocket Teams and (1) Heavy-Bolter Team. An Assault Cyclops squadron of (4) StormBolter-armed remote-controlled Cyclops and a controller, round out the scouts.

The Engineer Element of the platoon contains a 5-Man Combat Engineer Squad and a 5-Man Heavy Flamer Squad. These model are from the ForgeWorld DKoK Line.

22nd Praetorian Armoured Cavalry Squadron

This is the 22nd Armoured Cavalry Squadron, which consists of (3) Sentinel Troops, (1) Badger Scout Troop, and a single Badger Rocket Support Vehicle.

The (3) Sentinel Troops each consist of (3) Sentinels. Troop A (Command) is lead by a Sergaent with a LasCannon and H/K. A Sentinel with Multi-Las and Heavy Flamer and a Sentinel with Multi-Las and Chain-sword complete the Troop. Troop B (Tactical) consists of (3) Sentinels armed with Multi-Las and Heavy Flamers. Troop C (Heavy Suppot) consist of (3) Centurion-Pattern Sentinels, each armed with Twin-Linked Heavy Bolters.

The Badger is a tracked scout vehicle, armed with Twin-Linked Heavy Stubbers. The Rocket Heavy-Suppot variant has a towed Rocket Launcher with (4) Rockets and Improved Comm.