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Miniatures Adventure => The Conflicts that came in from the Cold => Topic started by: agentbalzac on May 15, 2017, 12:30:51 PM

Title: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: agentbalzac on May 15, 2017, 12:30:51 PM
Hi folks,

This is a recent project: my take on the Disney Planes: Fire & Rescue Cabbie Cargo Hauler for 28mm gaming.  I'd seen a few of the conversions around the web, and even bought one of the toys for my nephew a few years back.  I picked this one up off Gumtree Oz for $10 Pacific pesos.  It had one broken prop.

With this conversion I was trying to create the impression of a battered crate, which saw a long career in the US Air Force, has passed through the hands of Air America, at least one Fuerza Aerea…, and a series of increasingly disreputable bush air cargo services in Africa and Central America.   Each owner has been cutting more corners on maintenance and safety, doing just enough to keep it flying rubber dog-shite, livestock, drugs and weapons out of God-knows-where.

The creaking panels, slightly bent spars and battered and incomplete logbooks tell only part of a convoluted back story populated by a colourful and shady carnival of characters: one doorway looks like it once served as a gun-port, the altitude gauge is iffy, there are bullet-hole sized patches and piece of some obscure south-east Asian forest wedged hard in the wingtip…

The conversion was a simple case of peeling off the stickers, fabricating the missing prop blade and spraying silver enamel over a black primer.  Apart from a bit of painting here and there, I left the markings off - not sure where to go with them, though there is a faded orange paint on the fins hinting at previous service in the Arctic, and wing panels suggest hastily obscured registration.

I can thoroughly recommend this as a gaming piece - sure, it's not an exact model but close enough and a sturdy and practical gaming piece.  This one will serve in Black Ops games, lurking on the edge of a shady cartel airstrip deep in the jungle or perhaps ferry Picaros in yet another San Theodoras coup d'etat.

On with the pics...

As it arrived, from a short career in a toybox:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48634051057_68426028e1.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h6CdZF)

Into the paint shop:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48633908981_c88729fdd9.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h6BuL6)


...and back into service:

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48634051287_45c11eb341_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h6Ce4D)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48633551583_831fd1f560_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h6zEw4)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48634051232_6c7e17801b_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h6Ce3G)

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48634051167_e0566bc91d_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2h6Ce2z)
Happy gaming.
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: Etranger on May 15, 2017, 12:41:25 PM
Great piece of work. I've got one stashed away for similar purposes.  I hope I can do something half as good as yours.  :)
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on May 15, 2017, 02:01:23 PM
That is a nice conversion and an excellent paint job.
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: Redmao on May 15, 2017, 02:41:20 PM
Looks great!
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: v_lazy_dragon on May 15, 2017, 04:55:34 PM
Really good!
Definitely copying this idea :)
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: clanmac on May 15, 2017, 08:40:50 PM
Oooohh darn it! I have been avoiding buying one of these even though I was tempted, but now I've seen a great conversion.....
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: Marine0846 on May 16, 2017, 04:50:49 PM
Excellent, love the painting.
Guess I better start looking for one myself. lol
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: Ultravanillasmurf on May 16, 2017, 05:07:25 PM
Quote from: Marine0846 on May 16, 2017, 04:50:49 PM
Guess I better start looking for yone myself. lol
This is going to rival the Tracey Island shortage all those years ago...
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: Duke Donald on May 16, 2017, 05:13:15 PM
Very nice plane, and am evocative backstory.
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: Westbury on February 01, 2019, 04:53:54 PM
Just seen this, looks really good, paint job works well. Amazing what you can achieve with 'toys' we should all do more of this.
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: GDonk on February 01, 2019, 06:54:47 PM
Very nice job - now I'm looking at mine (in grey primer) and thinking I should really get one with it - and the dozens of other "w.i.p"s of course!
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: juergen c. olk on February 01, 2019, 11:15:23 PM
very well done.
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: carlos marighela on February 01, 2019, 11:41:59 PM
Nicely done but looks more like something Oliver North and the NSA would be using to shift drugs for guns to the Contras.
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: agentbalzac on February 02, 2019, 02:44:34 AM
Quote from: carlos marighela on February 01, 2019, 11:41:59 PM
Nicely done but looks more like something Oliver North and the NSA would be using to shift drugs for guns to the Contras.

Yep that could be part of the story.  Who knows?
Title: Re: 28mm Cabbie Aircraft - Another Clapped-out Cartel Cargo Hauler
Post by: Poiter50 on February 02, 2019, 02:47:26 AM
Was thinking mine would have a Dark Green top surface to carry the DEA or ATF Swat teams.