Hilarity has already ensued.
I couldn't find specifics regarding how big the completed kit would be online, but knew that since it was a 1/72 scale kit, it'd be, well, 1/72nd the size of a real one. Looking up the measurements of an actual Mk A Whippet, I did some rough calculations and came out with some numbers suggesting the assembled kit would be between 4 and 5 inches long.
I miscalculated.
The assembled kit will be closer to three inches long.
Here's some shots of the sprues (one of the big chassis pieces broke off the sprue in transit), including a shot with a nickel for scale.
So now I need to recalculate a little regarding converting this into a "Land Ironclad" for Steampunk/VSF wargaming. It's still getting converted (into a one- or two-man Ironclad), don't get me wrong, but I need to do some rethinking about how I go about it.
I think I'm going to assemble the chassis, minus things like the Hotchkiss machine guns and the exhaust pipes, and use that as a frame-work to build a Land Ironclad over; a couple pieces of plasticard cut to the appropriate size and shape glued over the Mk A will create a bulkier vehicle, and then I can put a turret on top - Brigade Games has a couple nice ones, and if I fatten this bad boy up a little I can put the 1" turret on top of where the fixed turret of the Mk A is. Speaking of, I think I want to turn the tank around; on the Mk A, the turret is above the back end of the tank, with the engines encased in the lower area in front. If I turn it around it'll resemble a more "modern" tank in general outline and I can put a boiler and smoke stack on the "back" behind the turret. Then I'll just glue the Mk A tank treads back on over the plasticard body. Prime, paint, seal, get it on the table.
Now, this is not a priority project for me by any means; Cthulhu needs to be done first (I'll be doing some good work on him this weekend), and by the time that's done I should have all the figures I ordered from Wargames Factory in hand and can plan my next project.
Speaking of, I noticed that they've got a Persian Infantry sprue bundle deal, where you get just the figure sprues from the Persian Infantry boxed set minus some accessories, for $2.49 per set of six. That's $2.49 for twelve figures, six each of archers and spearmen. I ordered ten bundles, which brings the total number of Persian Infantry I've got coming in the mail to 144 infantrymen.
2015 might be the Year of the Achaemenids.
On the topic of mistaken scale estimations, I think I can say we've all been there at one time or another - my commiserations!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't let it get you down though - buy three more Whippets and they can form the running gear for a truly massive land ironclad!
; )
Evan - thanks for reading! I'm not down about the mistake - just the opposite, in fact, as it encourages me to take this project in even more creative directions.
DeleteAs for getting three more and building a giant Land Ironclad, I'm not sure the two people I share this smallish apartment with would be as appreciative of that project, which just means to file it away for down the line!
I can't wait to see what you come up with!
ReplyDeleteIt's been many a year since I built models. Lol, I used to buy a bunch of cheap ones, build them, and then blow them up with M-80s. Then I'd take the pieces and build some road warrior type vehicles, using the sprues to make spikes and brush guards and such.
I definitely come to the miniatures/wargaming hobby through model kits - my dad built model tanks and planes from the time he was a kid until I was maybe 10 years old or so, and he introduced me to the hobby around 1993 when the Jurassic Park model kits came out to tie in to the film.
DeleteHis big thing as a kid was to build jet models with an M-80 inside them, light the fuse and throw them into the air to represent them getting hit with anti-aircraft fire.
I definitely come to the miniatures/wargaming hobby through model kits - my dad built model tanks and planes from the time he was a kid until I was maybe 10 years old or so, and he introduced me to the hobby around 1993 when the Jurassic Park model kits came out to tie in to the film.
DeleteHis big thing as a kid was to build jet models with an M-80 inside them, light the fuse and throw them into the air to represent them getting hit with anti-aircraft fire.