An old metal Thunderhawk

[lobster-overlord]

Hi all,

In one of the Storm Raven conversion threads, it came out that I've been sitting on one of these for about 10 years.

It's a daunting project, and here's what it looks like in the box. It's been started twice, and taken apart. I got it after start one, and took it apart to clean it up. A friend and I started it the second time, but I had to move, so I took it apart and cleaned it again.

It is missing part T11 (very small for the top, so I'm not even worried about it), as well as the smaller nose eagle, but I was going to put my custom chapter crest for my Angels Omega (my BA chapter name, uses the Ultramarine U, inverted with the BA crest super-imposed on it)

http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/.Pictures/ssm/thawk1.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/.Pictures/ssm/thawk2.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/.Pictures/ssm/thawk3.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/.Pictures/ssm/thawk4.jpg

[lobster-overlord]

http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/ssm/thawk5.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/ssm/thawk6.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/ssm/thawk7.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/ssm/thawk8.jpg

[lobster-overlord]

http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/ssm/thawk9.jpg
http://homepage.mac.com/jwmissal/ssm/thawk10.jpg

[Aenir]

And HOW many Hernias have you gotten from lugging that around?

[lobster-overlord]

None. I keep packing it in boxes marked "her stuff"

I've actually moved 6 times with it in 9 years.

[Aenir]

ahh, and how many slipped disks for her then? :D

[lobster-overlord]

I've actually had it longer than I've had the wife. I usually pack it in a large blanket and hand carry it to the truck/van. It's a beast of a kit weight wise. I've actually toyed with the idea of casting some of the larger parts in resin so I could lighten the weight of it (there are about 4 parts that are duplicated many times, so I could feasably cut the weight significantly with just those 4 parts being cast down). Also, lots of popsicle sticks were slated for the inside to use as braces for some of the interior of the walls that weren't supported by the skeleton.

[wittdooley]

We've gotta see one of these in a plastic kit sometime. Right? Right? I mean, they'd sell a bajillion of them.

[Force21]

:eek:


Dang!

That is awesome.



btw how much does that thing weigh?

[Aenir]

I've actually had it longer than I've had the wife. I usually pack it in a large blanket and hand carry it to the truck/van. It's a beast of a kit weight wise. I've actually toyed with the idea of casting some of the larger parts in resin so I could lighten the weight of it (there are about 4 parts that are duplicated many times, so I could feasably cut the weight significantly with just those 4 parts being cast down). Also, lots of popsicle sticks were slated for the inside to use as braces for some of the interior of the walls that weren't supported by the skeleton.

I heard it falls apart under its own weight, so support struts dont sound so bad, and the cast in resin sounds good :D


EDIT: how much for it?
I can take the back breaker off your hands :D

[patzgcrux]

That is a beautiful set. I was privileged enough to build one for one of my friends. I tell you it is a b**ch to build. Many a time I cursed for taking on that project. You will definitely need pinning, filing, a lot of green stuff work. Heavy and cumbersome, I am happy to see that set again. Thank you for sharing.

[fuzzbuket]

wow

[Antenor]

I heard it falls apart under its own weight, so support struts dont sound so bad, and the cast in resin sounds good :D

Had a friend of mine that built three of these metal ones, he swears blind that everything needs to be pinned, plus it needs support of a large brass rod through the middle of the three sections just so it won't fall apart under its own weight.

[person person]

Wow, looks really cool, yet an aircraft made of pewter is just asking to, like Aenir said, "fall apart under its own weight" hope you got the skills!

[johnnyfoodmaster]

That's a pretty massive undertaking (or so it looks like it). I am obsessed with Thunderhawks and I think this metal thing would be a pretty awesome notch on the ole modeling belt.

I say build it and post pictures! :)

[mrphatman]

one word comes to mind when you see this "DAMN" i didn't enen know something like this existed:eek:! good luck man your going to need it!

[Force21]

hmmm....


How big is it?


is it like the Forge World size or is it smaller?


because if it is smaller then if you played Blood Angels then you can use it as a Storm Raven...

I am pretty sure no one would mind. lol.

[codiddy]

:eek:


Dang!

That is awesome.



btw how much does that thing weigh?
I want to know how much it weighs also.

[lobster-overlord]

Gotta bust out the scale to get the weight. As for the size, it is about 2/3 the size of the current one from FW.

John M.

[sketchesofpayne]

Dear lord, you could club a seal with that thing!

[Stubber]

I heard of one guy who tried welding this thing together after it fell apart 12 times under it's own weight.

Needless to say he failed.

[lobster-overlord]

You could club a baby seal with just one of the engine assemblies.

As to full weight, it's best to build it standing and use some sort of prop in the middle to help assist. I had planned to use a tube to act as the "base" support. But as I've never gotten beyond building the entry secition and the engine nacelles, havn't needed it yet.

JohN m.

[RocketRollRebel]

Mother of god that is awful and awesome all at once!

[rbryce]

this may be a british thing, but i want the box more than the contents! that could be soooo useful.

[Lord Azaghul]

Mother of god that is awful and awesome all at once!

That was my first reaction.

The second one was:

THEY MADE THE STUPID THING OUT OF METAL!!!!!

how, why...ahhh

Wow. I had no freaking idea. I'm seriously dumbstruck here...

I wouldn't even want to try and assemble that beast.... I do wonder what an ebay aution would fetch...enough to buy a newer FW one perhaps?

[patzgcrux]

That was my first reaction.

The second one was:

THEY MADE THE STUPID THING OUT OF METAL!!!!!

how, why...ahhh

Wow. I had no freaking idea. I'm seriously dumbstruck here...

I wouldn't even want to try and assemble that beast.... I do wonder what an ebay aution would fetch...enough to buy a newer FW one perhaps?

Well young one, back in late 90's about 9 in 10 of the models made were made of metal/pewter. It is only the past 5 years that Citadel/Games workshop was able to place as much detail to plastic products.

I am looking at the December 1998 issue of White Dwarf #227, and at the very back page is one of the last Ads for the Thunderhawk Gunship for $649, in today's dollar value after inflation it would cost $863.

I've seen them sell for over $1000 before the current market slow down. It should still fetch about $1000

[Lord Azaghul]

Well brief bio on me then: Im 29,but I've only been playing table top games/model collecting for about 4 or 5 years!

One thing I've learned in that brief time: I hate metal models! The first think I assemlbed was a dwarf stone thrower, followed by a gyrocopter, then a goblin hewer (worst ever) - that thunderhawk terrifies me! I passed up a ven dread on clearance the other day because it was made of metal. I'm now of the option: if it's made of metal I ain't buying it!

[patzgcrux]

Well brief bio on me then: Im 29,but I've only been playing table top games/model collecting for about 4 or 5 years!

One thing I've learned in that brief time: I hate metal models! The first think I assemlbed was a dwarf stone thrower, followed by a gyrocopter, then a goblin hewer (worst ever) - that thunderhawk terrifies me! I passed up a ven dread on clearance the other day because it was made of metal. I'm now of the option: if it's made of metal I ain't buying it!

Well as do I, metal/pewter models were the best at one point, now plastics are king. Plus plastics are easier to kit bash for converting. Old folks like me have nostalgia when it comes to the old Metal hawk, I rather wait for a plastic thunder hawk also.

[lobster-overlord]

I bought this at the height of the price on them, but since it was partially built, I got it for less than original MSRP. The box is awesome, and as you can see in the pic of the box open, it has a skeleton key that I keep on my key ring. Only one person has ever correctly identified the key for what it is.

I'm not sure on the numbers, but I have heard as few as 100 were made and as many as 1000 were made. The story as I know it was that they made them for employees to build for displays and due to a limited but strong interest, they made them available for sale to the public for a short time.

John m >

[Proximus]

Maybe lying unassembled in the box is the best this thing can do. This way, it has a magical and mysterios air...

Is it just me imaginig the scene where it was was found? I mean, imagine finding such a beauty somewhere in the corner of your attic... you blow the dust off it... slowly turn the key and open the box... a holy light shines, you hear a chorus af angels sing praises to the emperor...

[Sanguinary Dan]

I "won" the chance to buy one at Glen Burnie and it sat collecting dust for 7-8 years before I sold it for twice the price I paid for it.

So, yes, I didn't have the balls to even try to put it together. I'd heard too many horror stories about the amount of time and brass rod required to make the damned thing strong enough for display, let alone gaming. :p

I wonder if the guy I sold it to ever built it?

[Ugly74]

This is one of those things that will probably never be built but will for ever be brought out occasionally and dreamed about before being put back into storage again. Thank you for sharing the pics

[lobster-overlord]

I've actually had it on a display shelf for the past three years, staring me in the face. Storage isn't an option just cause the box is just so damn sexy. And i keep the key on my key chain, so I see it every day.

So yes, I dream about it every day that it may one day be started (let alone finished).

John M>

[Brass Scorpion]

A friend of mine has one of these metal Thunderhawks still new in box completely untouched and he is looking to sell it. He is the original owner and has had it since the year it was sold by GW. He has given up on the idea of ever attempting to assemble it.

[Skulltaker]

how much does that thing weigh ? :eek:

[lobster-overlord]

OK , since enough people have asked, I've gone ahead and weighed it. With the wood box mind you, it is approx 20 lbs.

[Lord Azaghul]

I'm pretty sure that my 4 armies combined don't weigh 20lbs! That's down right insane!

[person person]

:0 Damn thats friggin' heavy! I thought a Space Hulk Box was heavy, that thing must be like a lead weight!

Wait, isn't that model old enough that the pewter contains lead instead of antimony?

[lobster-overlord]

It was produced in the mid 90's, so it could go either way on the content. But the box is pine, or something light, so it's mostly the weight of the metal.

And to Lord Azaghul, it's a beast, and it weighs more than my newer armies, but I have so many old army pieces that are all metal, so this is actually one of the easier pieces to truck around.