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- Built up per instructions (mostly)
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- The inner mantlet mount was reversed to stick outward
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- Added walkways over magic track and the mantlet as a mount for the pilot’s chair
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- Another shot showing the inside and the future MG turret mount (made from road wheel)
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- Back of pilot’s chair, note the small computer screen made from the jack
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- Front of pilot’s chair
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- Included Panther mantlet turned into cockpit control hub
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- Chair and control hub in place
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- Front engine built from 2 drive housings, a road wheel, and various other bits
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- Front engine glued in place
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- Using my Fourmost Miter Sander to shape an idler for mounting the gun
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- After angling the idler, it acts as a fitting for the main gun
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- Gun mounted through the idler piece, reinforced by inner gun breech
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- The gun breech glued to the side-wall, made from kit gun breech
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- The MG turret mounted, also dry-fitting grate
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- Interior details include a bench and railing made from torsion bars
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- These strips I cut to create sides for the viewport, and I used a vent as the viewport itself
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- Viewport in place (the actual center piece fits snuggly without glue)
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- Frontal armor piece added
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- Using poster putty, I tried several variations for the lower front
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- I settled on this layout
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- I added the mud flaps I had removed earlier. The jagged torn look works well here
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- Backplates of the rear stowage bins have been turned into steering fins
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- I made propulsion vents from road wheels and air vent grates
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- Propulsion vents mounted to the back
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- Steering fins mounted to the drive housings (lower rear)
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- For the large thruster, I hollowed and smoothed a drive sprocket which would fit on top of a hollowed idler
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- To cut out the side hatch, I needed to create a rubbing of the kit hatch for dimensions
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- Taped to the hull
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- Using a Dremel Stylus at low speeds, I drilled tiny holes around the edges of the rubbing
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- Holes should be as close together as they can be
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- Once the mask was removed, the hull looked like this
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- After using sprue nippers to remove the center piece, the shape is very rough
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- I used sanding sticks and files to shape the sides in a nice square
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- After gluing the side mounts on, the hatch opens freely
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- I used sprue labels to create flat pieces that I sanded down and added to the openings (see pic 34)
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- On the back, I glued the engine vents in place
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- Thruster added
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- Interior wall was made from a second roof piece
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- I used the drive housing hull mounts and another drive sprocket to create an ammo container
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- Ammo container glued to the side of the gun breech
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- Roof piece with side sensor dome added
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- Front covers added to vent openings (roof fitted as well)
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- I glued the individual drive teeth (provided in the kit) to the sides of the tank
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- I created vent covers from cutting part of the PE grates out and gluing them to the idler pieces
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- The ammo belt created from tow cable ends and photo-etch sprue
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- I used 3 steel road wheels cut in half to create 2 shield generators housings on the side
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- Regular road wheels were glued to the underside to add detail
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- I used the miter sander to sand down the turbine pieces to a sharp angle
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- After sanding, the turbine pieces fit nicely on the slope of the front armor
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- I created a winch from the kit’s wire
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- I took part of a sprue, cut it, and sanded it slightly
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- Then I mounted it under the left side
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- I added copper wire to finish the interior
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- The clear styrene I used to create the cockpit window
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- I created the static discharge veins from torsion bars, using my miter sander to shape the joining edges
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- I test-fitted them at a slight angle
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- Everything removed, masked, and primed
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- I painted the interior a light grey, the engine compartment rust red, and the outside a green/grey
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- The light grey camo stripes were airbrushed free-hand
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- I created hard-edged stripes by reusing a simple tape mask
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- The stripes really stand out against the soft background camo
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- After spraying the rods with a dark grey and chipping fluid, I airbrushed a coat of the grey/green mix.
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- Everything else was hand-painted and the decals applied after
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- You can see the interior and other decals added
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- I added layers of Realistic Water and a decal to the computer screen
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- Chipping added. First layer: light grey with sponge. Second layer: dark brown/black with brush
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- I used AK-Interactive’s DAK wash for a filter and then a pin wash.
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- I mounted the tank to a custom wooden base I stained earlier
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- Pigments, rust, streaks, dust, and other effects added
Just got that issue about a week ago and saw this build! I’ve always loved the idea of hovertanks. And, I love Star Wars! Imagine my surprise when I found this site searching for ideals to kit bash a 1:35 scale LAV-25 Mortar Carrier into a Rebel Troop Hover-Carrier. I came upon your site specifically looking for a reference for the laser turret used in TESB. I’m thinking of using the upper portion as the main gun for my carrier. Part of my inspiration came from my own service in the mechanized infantry as a troop and later a crewman on the M2A2ODS Bradleys. Another cool track, that always screamed out sci-fi and hovertank, to me, is the Soviet BMP-2. Strange that it was featured on the same FM cover as your build. Looking forward to seeing more from you. I’m just getting back into the modelling hobby after a twenty year hiatus, but I feel like taking it to the next level. Thank you for the increasing inspiration and creativity. One day, I hope to return the favor with a website of my own showcasing my builds as well.
Hey Jeff. Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad to liked the article. Sounds like you’ve got an awesome kit-bash in the works. the LAV-25 definitely could make a great hovertank with all of the angles it has. And yeah, the Bradley was always very futuristic looking. I especially loved how the driver hatch opened. Feel free to keep me in the loop, I’d love to see some pictures. Or if you wish, Facebook has several modeling groups, like Starship Modeler, that would be a great outlet for this project. Best!!