"Retrofitting rotors to Khurasan's "Phalanx" gunship" Topic

The Federal "Phalanx" gunship has since been fitted with grav drives for VTOL propulsion, but originally mounted ducted fan rotors.

We're having an optional part made to swap out the grav drives for the ducted fan rotors -- what do you all think of this size? Of course this is just a size marker and the final piece will be shaped differently and filled with the rotors.

Why are you doing this to me? Wasn't too fan of the Phalanx and… Bam, ducted rotor instead of grav thingies and now I'll have to buy it!

Seriously, they seem slightly too small to me. I'd say 1,25 to 1,5 times the diameter would feel about right. Now, you can always handwave it by saying the Phalanx is much lighter than a 21st century helo, or has some grav assist hidden somewhere or something and thus only needs (relatively) small fans…

Why are you doing this to me? Wasn't too fan of the Phalanx and… Bam, ducted rotor instead of grav thingies and now I'll have to buy it!

You've just answered your own question!

Thanks for the input on size.

I like them the size you have there. If they stick out too much or make the model awkwardly top heavy it may be a pain to use on a game table. (Falling over; getting bumped 'cause the rotors are too large, etc)

I agree, I like the size, maybe even a tad smaller.

I think any larger and it would start to get unwieldy as a model.

Or, if not ducted blades, maybe something like the Kaman K-MAX for the near-future look?

It will definitely be ducted blades.

Now that looks much better with the ducted rotor fans and i also agree and think 1,5 times the diameter would look about right, im also thinking about getting one now…

Looks even better with rotors. I'd say the size you have them at now works for me.

Your killing me here, my wallet's going to runaway from home!

a little small i think……..

Chatticus Finch,
A good rule of thumb is to never fly in anything that can have a mid air collision with itself. ;)

If the struts from the main body were shorter, I think the rotors would be imrpoved if they were a little bit bigger (~130%). With the struts as they are however, making them larger could make the whole thing look slightly awkward.

Totally sold by the rotor-design, by the way. I liked the grav version well enough but this has produced an entirely different level of desperate need.

Hope the casters treat it with due respect and reverance.

Another vote for bigger rotors here. As there should be some kind of connection between the arm supporting the rotor structure, you could make them double coaxial rotors…

Oooooooh!!! Aaaaaahhh!!! Not too shabby there, Jon…

Leland R. Erickson
Metal Express
metal-express.net

Anything that I can use as Near Future is a big plus for me. This I would buy. No interest in grav vehicles.

I can dig this. I also dig gravship VTOLs, in their own right, so im not desperate for a conversion, really, but have jet turbines been considered? Like a jet-powered Osprey?

For example: link

--M

Looks much better than the original…A slight increase in size would look a little better…perhaps x 1.25

Actually, whilst you are making a mod for this, it would be cool to have the choice to remove the skids and add other types of landing gear…perhaps wheels or pads (two at the back and one at the front)…

In not redoing the model, I'm making a swappable final drive part.

I'm liking this, of course I liked the original as well :)

Thanks!

I think a little bigger, just a bit.

That is a great idea, to add the rotor conversion kit. It looks awesome. I can't wait to paint mine up.

Shortening the struts would seem to make the main element of the fan directly over the weapons…wash affecting weapons and turbulence fife ting lift and stability. That said, I think the fans need to be slightly larger to make the design a little 'harder', that said the final analysis in sci fi is always based on the rule of cool….and this is!

I think it's spot on as is, but 125% increase wouldnt be too bad either. Me, I like it as is and will buy a few of them. Promise!

Even if those were counter-rotating ducted fans, I think they need to be a bit bigger. maybe 125%, though I'd like to see 125 and 150%.

I'd be more likely to buy the rotor version than the grav version, to be honest. I thought the DOE dropship was the unholy offspring of a Hind helo and a Harrier, flying through brute thrust.

Definitely a must buy for me, much more interested in near future SF and less High Tech Grav vehicles these days.

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

ALL MY MONIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that is nice! The twin tail fans are a really good touch.

Damn fine, I'll take three.

Good god man! I was almost about to start thinking of waiting until I painted all my models before buying more. Well done for pushing that ridiculous idea straight out of my head

Holly mother of the Emperor with a side order of peanuts, another miniature I will have to buy!

Couple of thinks I'm slightly less fan of (in a "I'll buy it anyway, but would like it better if" way):
- Not too fan of the tail rotors, but I guess I can just leave them off and go for the original tail. More power to the model if other can have their thing too!
- Don't like the two spiky thingies on the front of the main rotors… Guess they're too much in the filler without apparent function realm for me! Well, again, if everybody else likes them, or if it's too late to change them, I'll just have to file themç

I wasn't going to buy any of these…now I am. This is a 100% improvement on the original…great work and I'll buy two of these…

Wow!

I'll agree with Trojan Points about the 'spiky thingies on the front of the main rotors' and also just keeping the original tail rotor, i also think it is a much improved version that the first Phalanx gunship.

Like base design, as said above would lose the spikey bits along with the riveted panels on rotor pods. Might be worth replacing these with small chaff/flare launch pods which the side vent being replaced with puff-port similar to ones on harrier jumpjets.

Like the small rotors at rear as make the craft look more like it would balance better and give better controls.

Would suggest to change the rotors from propeller blades to a ducted fan/tubro-fan system, as this would look higher tech and less parts to assemble.

Regards

MMG.

Would suggest to change the rotors from propeller blades to a ducted fan/tubro-fan system, as this would look higher tech and less parts to assemble.

That's a great idea! Would allow to make the rotors thinner too: (while we're nit-picking) I love that how they're bigger (diameter) than the original concept, but they seem a bit too tick to me…

Something along those lines:

Agree on loosing the spikes at the front and loosing the rotor blades in favour of a complete ducted fan system, overall though, ball out of the park goodness from Khurusan, again !

This sort of thing needs to be a standard for flyers, options for grav/rotors/jet pods and ground vehicles have grav/wheeled/tracked/air cushion.

Would suggest to change the rotors from propeller blades to a ducted fan/tubro-fan system,

This actually is a ducted fan system. I like the idea of the big props being separate pieces so gamers can do things like paint the tips in a contrast colour (not necessary in a ducted fan of course but it still looks cool!) or just flat black, perhaps with some weathering on them.

The maintenance brackets on the front of the engines give the craft an aggressive leaning-forward look -- I like them! This is the final form of the model -- the anti-grav version will be released shortly, this version hopefully by the end of the year (fingers crossed). Thanks for the input.

That looks very cool!!!

Make it so!!!

are you still planning on releasing this? no rush, I was just wondering if I should wait for them or buy the grav version.

They will be released as an add-on to the grav version. No point in doing it otherwise -- the grav vectors are small enough that there's no need to have the moulds remade just to leave them out.

I'm gonna have to jump on the "no spiky bits" bandwagon. Makes it look less like military hardware and more like GW style deco for deco's sake. But other than that minor complaint, I am in lurv!

They are manufactured as shown and will be released soon.

yeay!!!! :D

The spiky bits on the rotor enclosures are to cut entanglements and low hanging power lines that might cause the ship to crash when in low level flight.
At least that is what I assume they are.

I like this design, too. The little fins are nice too. Cuts turbulence down a bit…
Anyways, I'm a big fan of the originals and bought three. Thanks for the great designs all around!
-Edgar

Definitely keeping an eye out for the release of these, can't wait to see them! I hope you cast up plenty for release day!

Yeah I've been kinda holding off until these were released as well…I do like the grav version though. I hope the SPAR teams get released with this too!