WIP: (V)SF/pulp untapped source for airships... Finished (UPDATE)

[Argonor]

I've actually often thought about the possibility of building pulp spacecraft out of water pistols/super soakers...  but they're obviuosly better for VSF...

[NECROSTONE]

I think it would be indeed a wondiferous idea to start some sort of annual ( at least) meet up with a theme for a big game. I appreciate it may be necessary to have a Uk meet and several for other parts of the world. However for now I propose

1ST ANNUAL TRADITIONAL UNITED KINGDOM LEAD ADVENTURE TEA PARTY   by order of Her Majesty Queen Victoria
all stand....for the Anthem
I think the first one is decided in terms of a skirmish aeronef with intership skirmish game!!!

 
Who else is in? then we need venue , dates and....tea of course!

Yours

Mr Necrotius Stone, 1st Duke of the North,

[Westfalia Chris]

Her Majesty Queen Victoria

Gawd bless Žer!

[Pappa Midnight]

Looking forward to seeing the finished product..........so i can see what I'm up against...!!!!

Excellent find, it amazes me how some people can see projects in the strangest of places.
A second look at your WIP shot got me thinking about a twin hulled carrier type vehicle with a small landing deck in the middle.

Regards
PM

[Chairface]

That is just genius. I will be having a look at the soakers next time I'm in the toy aisle....

[Geudens]

I've actually often thought about the possibility of building pulp spacecraft out of water pistols/super soakers...  but they're obviuosly better for VSF...

Not quite...  I'm in the painting phase now and it really depends on the colour scheme used (more about that later...).

Rudi

[Geudens]

Excellent find, it amazes me how some people can see projects in the strangest of places.
A second look at your WIP shot got me thinking about a twin hulled carrier type vehicle with a small landing deck in the middle.
Regards
PM

Actually, this is what got me out of a tight spot a few weeks ago...  I was taking a walk with my ladyfriend when we met this gourgeous creature that must have been a relative of the Madonna by von Klomp  .

My ladyfriend spotted my gaze and (as women are women...) wanted an explanation.  I simply said I ALWAYS look at "shapes" that will inspire my modeling projects.  Close call, though...

Rudi 

[Geudens]

So here we go...

Since Pappa Midnight's steam coach was reduced to smoking debris, he has kept a low profile, but HM's Intelligence Office has learned that he is currently working on yet another fiendish device: an Ether Spaceship!!!  After his narrow escape, he now plans to attack the British colony on Mars, reduce it to ashes and make good his escape with the Martian Gold in the vault...

HM's services do not yet know where the evil genius is building his Ether Spaceship (nor how far construction has advanced...), but has urgently recalled some space destroyers to patrol Earth.  Meanwhile, a French crewed destroyer is already on the lookout for PM.  We'll blow him to hell for good this time!!!! 

The above picture shows the airship with retracted tail section and the one below with extended tail section.  These destroyers may not look to be the fastest thing around, but as a matter of fact they are speedy devils: powered by a turbine steam engine, they navigate by means of their retractable tail.  Furthermore, the tailblades can rotate around their axle making the destroyer as manoeuvrable as a Fokker DRI...

The big cylinder normally contains gasbags to make the ship float in the air, whereas the tail section can also serve as a set of sails, thus saving coal/oil for making high speed when required (in its VSF form).  When travelling around the galaxy, the gasbags are empty and the cylinder serves as a cargo hold (in the SF version, this is a cargo hold, period).  These destroyers can travel to Mars in less than a week!  How this is done is one of the Earth Confederation's best kept secrets (I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you, which is not simple over the internet...  ).

Top view:

 

The bridge:

3/4 front view:

3/4 back view:

I wanted the ship to be multi-purpose ( (V)SF & pulp), so the smokestack & front (GW) guns are removable (kept in place by magnets).  Furthermore, two (gatling) guns can be mounted at the back of the bridge and the wheel can be easily replaced by a command console.

As for the colour scheme: I tested a few camo schemes, but this "light gray over dark gray/GW wash/light gray drybrush" combined with gunmetal and bronze resulted in the best "general" look for the periods I was aiming for.

Your comments are welcome...

Rudi

[Malamute]

Great stuff. 

[Operator5]

Very Impressive. What's her crew complement?

[Overlord]

Excellent stuff!   

What fiendish form will PM's response take in this VSF arms race?   

[Geudens]

Very Impressive. What's her crew complement?

Thx, guys!  Crew complement: (visible): helmsman, officer (captain) and sailor on the bridge - (inside): chief engineer, 2-3 stokers/engineers, 2 gunners in the front section.  The hull (without filled gasbags) can hold several squads of infantry (there's an access hatch in the bottom of the hull).

When operating in space, the bridge crew is inside...  There is a second command center inside the hull below the main front gun (you can see the portholes in the pics).

[chicklewis]

Unbelieveably cool, Rudi ! 

Someday I MUST play in one of your games.

Chick

[Chairface]

 

It even looks better painted up. VERY impressed sir!

[dodge]

Very very good,

excellent mind agility for finding a new use.

dodge