"Chewk drilltank preview" Topic

Here are two pictures of the print of the chewk drilltank, with the ubiquitous T-34-85 as a comparative vehicle for scale.

picture
picture

The giant drillplate is a separate piece and spins for fun value. As you can see the sallyplate is separate and can be depicted opened or closed.

The ridge along the top is the door for the fusion cannon, which can also be depicted open, and a whole arm and platform arrangement will allow you to deploy the highly posable chewkannon on its boom, complete with intrepid chewk gunner in the seat.

This thing is big, but most of it is under the ground of course. It will look particularly big compared to the chewks as they are quite small.

It's being cast now, so availability should be within the next two months. The status of the chewks themselves is somewhat less certain.

Model created by John Bear Ross.

Good news boss; check your email!

Awesome!, will there be a surfaced model at some point?

? That is the surfaced model! Maybe I'm not understanding your question correctly.

He probably means a fully surfaced one, that shows what the entire device is supposed to look like.

"The status of the chewks themselves is somewhat less certain."

So . . . no chewks yet?

Dan

yeah, what Dan said. That model appears to be partially dug in yes?

The chewks aren't in the mail.

Yeah, grabula, it would not come out of the ground, because how would it get back in?

lol, it's a good point, though I'm sure the Chewks have to have a way of getting em in there in the first place! Maybe some sort of drillertank launch vehicle!

I'd kinda prefer the traditional pointy nosed drill-tank look.

"Yeah, grabula, it would not come out of the ground, because how would it get back in? "

What? Chewks are too lazy to get out and push?!

I'm still holding out for those Chewk "horse artillery" where the "horses" look like giant sand fleas… makes me want to do a whole "Charge of the Light Brigade" convention event featuring light mechanized cavalry charging into the Chewks' "Valley of Death"…

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

I think they would probably have camouflaged construction/launch sites, possibly even underground, which makes the most sense.

Think of the drilltank as kind of a dirt/rock/sand submarine.

Leland, that's going to be made soon, probably in a few weeks.

"Leland, that's going to be made soon, probably in a few weeks."

Drool, drool!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

"where the "horses" look like giant sand fleas…"

That's cute:

bugguide.net/node/view/16097

Or are these the ones you mean?

link

Dan

I'm subject to correction, but as far as I know its the second type.

The first type are the only ones I had ever heard of until now. Nasty little suckers. And your skin itches for days.

Dan

Yes, clibinarium is right, and it's a good thing, as he is making them!

Hey, Mr. Khurasan, if that Chewk gun team is successful enough, any chance you'll do some pack mule and/or supply wagon versions of the Chewk beasts of burden?

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

I think the sandflea, which I think I may call a Sanocks, will be fine pretty much as-is as a beast of burden, seeing that it will have a harness on to attach it to the gun carriage.

I confess to being completely clueless to all of this, but it looks sooooo coool I just had to say so.

A "surfaced" drilltank would just have to find some convenient cliff face to ram into, and then dive once it's immersed.

Best,
JBR

"Yes, clibinarium is right, and it's a good thing, as he is making them!"

Hmm. I see the "sand" part, but don't see the "flea" part of them. Looks more like "sand shrimp".

Do they jump amazing distances and bite and suck blood, like the critter we have always called sand fleas (by those of us raised down in the tropics and subtropics)?

link

Dan

"I think the sandflea, which I think I may call a Sanocks, will be fine pretty much as-is as a beast of burden, seeing that it will have a harness on to attach it to the gun carriage."

Will you make individual or packs of Sanocks available separate from the gun and crew? I'm getting an idea for a Chewk trading caravan/supply convoy…

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Probably not, I don't think I can convince myself to spend an extra $80 USD so one crazy guy can buy the fleas separately! But the gun set will come, I'm pretty sure, with the cannon and crew, the wheel carriage, the boom for the drilltank, and the Sanocks. So if you put it on the tank (the chewkannon I mean), you have the critter left over, plus other cool bits to muck around with.

"A "surfaced" drilltank would just have to find some convenient cliff face to ram into, and then dive once it's immersed."

All it would need to launch "into" flat terrain would be some sort of jacks or other gear at the back end, to raise the back up till the cutting disk could start digging into the ground, like the Thunderbirds MOLE but without needing the tracked transporter. Retract the jacks as you go under, and there you have it – a self-launching system….

Not really, too big and heavy. The machinery needed would take up too much of the vehicle to make it practical.

Although it does have hydraulic hull plates to make it change direction underground, they're just enough to give it a push into a different direction, not enough to lift it's deadweight to drive it into the ground.

Anyway, why bother giving it the power to haul itself out of the earth then stick itself back in, when it's just going to lay there anyway?

Just wondering what would the other end of the Drill Tank look like?

Anything you like, Tom!

I imagine it as being just like the front end.  Along the hull would be expanding metal plates used for steering, and metal teeth to move it through the earth, sort of like an earthworm.  But the fun of sci fi is you can make up your own backstory, and I don't want to get chastised for monkey's bum-ism:

link

"Probably not, I don't think I can convince myself to spend an extra $80 USD USD so one crazy guy can buy the fleas separately! "

Aww, come on now! You know I'm speeeeecial!! Special *ed* maybe….

" But the gun set will come, I'm pretty sure, with the cannon and crew, the wheel carriage, the boom for the drilltank, and the Sanocks. So if you put it on the tank (the chewkannon I mean), you have the critter left over, plus other cool bits to muck around with."

I LIKE spare bits, Khurasan:

link

Spare Chewk cannons means Chewkies with *technicals* as in human-supplied skimmer cars with Chewkie cannons in the cargo beds… me likee!

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

I would suspect the drill would be a push-me-pull-you style of design without a fore or aft…same on both ends.

Update: the Chewks are remade, so we are back on track (he said, jinxing the second shipment).

Grabula: "Awesome!, will there be a surfaced model at some point?"

Something like this?

TMP link

Dan

Is the Shredder gonna pop out to fight some dastardly turtles?