"1/300 Dropship Ideas?" Topic

Hey, all. I'm looking around for dropship ideas for Dirtside-style gaming. So far, eBay is looking pretty barren, so I was considering making one of my own. I'm not an expert modeler, though, so I was wondering what other folks have done to satisfy their dropship cravings.

I have noticed quite a number of Orion shuttle models from 2001: A Space Odyssey on eBay recently. I'm thinking about buying a couple and working on a conversion.

Here's a few views of that model, if you aren't familiar with it:

link

Thanks!
Javelin98

I was planning on making a Union Class Dropship, from Battletech, out of a gerbil ball. I found one the right size and when I remove the lid and set it down on the open edge it looks just right.

Iron Wind Metals is coming out with a Leopard Class dropship, which would be more like what you were thinking of.

Wizkids, has some special dropship for their MechWarrior Dark Ages. Because of the difference in scale, it may look pretty mammoth for 1/285th minis.

Ground Zero Games makes a few 1/285th scale resin spacecraft for their spaceport terrain. I have one that is called a dropship. Too small to transport any battlemechs or even tanks, but would make a good troop transport.

GZG has the so-called Tactical Interface Transport. To go with it, they have the LIPPC (Light Interface Portable Personnel Carrier) and a light tank (the M44 Coonhound) to go with it as well. It's the three next-to-lowest entries on the first page of Dirtside minis. The site is www.gzg.com in case you don't know. :)

-A.

I've actually had a bit of luck with toy planes. There's one in particular I got at a Target (pronounced Tar-jay) that's a spot-on match for an orbital dropship big enough to carry a squadron or two of tanks. I can't remember who makes it, though. Sorry I can't be more help than that.

There are some free print out and assemble dropships and drop pods to download on germy.co.uk/dsbuild.htm.

Hope this helps.

I made a dropship from scrounged model pieces. I took the bulbous wing rocket off of a Zoid-brand mecha, painted it and added external detail. It seems that rocket pods from mechas and models bear a lot of potential. Stylistically, they provide that "lands and then takes off, no frills" feel.

Also, have you checked out anything from Irregulars in the UK?

try some of the " gundam " sets that can be found at target,
kay-bee toys etc. there is one with a nice "lifting body"
shape that i picked up for my 15mm troops but it would also
work great for 1/285th. i wish i knew the name but i do remember that they came in grey plastic.

hope that helps,
pat

Walmart had these giant easter eggs for like 1.99.. they were about a one foot long. I was imaging a battletech egg-dropship. Just requires heavy modelling.

GZG's large dropship (pictured on pg 42 of the rulebook) is spectacular! Nice resin kit and easy to put together. There are three nice dropship designs in the Battletech 3025 book (one with a lifter body, one a sphere, the other an ovoid egg). I liked the ovoid egg and am currently in the process of trying to kitbash one (although much smaller!). The main body is a wooden egg shape (with the bottom already flattened out) that I purchased from Hobby Lobby for about $3. Simply have to sand it down (to get rid of the woodgrain), attach bulbous sections and some gun turrets from a ship model, throw some landing gear and thrusters on the bottom and VIOLA! drop ship.
I'd say if you're new to modeling start out small. Buy a bunch of aircraft, ship, sci-fi, and 1/35 scale armour and go wild. Start with the basic idea you want and build from there. You'll get it in time.

If you want to have a BIG drop ship - I.e., the kind that drops off Mecha or Superheavy tank platoons - go to your local Wal-Mart or Toy Store and look for the Star Wars action fleet sets. They now have the Star Wars Republic Gunship in a size suitable for a big 1/300 scale dropship.

The Gundam toys that Pat Sexton mentions are pretty decent - I'd second that recommendation.

By the way, the bigger Republic Gunship made for the 5" Star Wars figures, if you can find it, makes a darned good 28mm substitute for the Forge World Thunderhawk. Let's see, prepainted, cool looking dropship from Wal-Mart for $30-40, vs. unpainted $750 kit from Forge World...

If you have a used toy store in the area, look for the old Micro Machines Aliens lines. They had a micromachine-sized version of the dropship from the movie, and it's sized just about right for a 1/300 scale game. There were also Micromachines made of the troop dropships used in the movie Starship Troopers, but these are incredibly rare.

I'd also recommend the downloadable paper models that Germy has at his website, which Varlik mentioned above. These are great for the gamer on a budget.

Beg and plead with your local retailer to request the Leopard Class Dropship that Wizkids has made for their Mechwarrior Clix game. They're very limited, and a retailer can only get one, ever, so get your groveling skills ready.

The GW Epic Thunderhawk, the latest one, is a very nice model; it's just overpriced like everything else in their line.

Here's a weird idea I've seen done - buy a model kit of a Star Wars ATAT, build the body and head, but instead of putting the legs on, attach the feet out to the side so they look like landing thrusters. It looks a bit odd but it does the trick and it's a cheap alternative to lead.

There is a series of models for Perry Rhodan. Two of these might work. One is a huge orb with lots of little landing legs, the MARCO POLO, the other is a huge flying saucer - sort of like in Fobidden Planet. It's got lots of little landing legs also. The saucer is called BLUES SPACESHIP. It's nearly big enough to fight a small battle on the back of it. These are all over Ebay for around $10-$20.
K

AMT/ERTL made a Star Wars Episode I Trade Federation Large Transport. It makes a good dropship for infantry.

There is a line of spaceship models for Gundam which contain several ships usable as infantry dropships.

There are two different sizes of a model of Thunderbird 2 from the TV series. Both make good dropships

All these models are on eBay quite frequently.

The Eagle lander from Space 1999 is a perfect squad-sized transport for 25mm; it could hold nearly a platoon in 15mm.

Another one to consider is the Corvus from Grendel. It's fairly large but the cargo compartment is relatively small -- maybe big enough to justify a 5-6 man squad.

I have one of each and wish I had more.

There's a Leopard on the preorder lists (Alliance) from Iron Wind Metals.

There are plenty of paper models available at:

link

And here is a modular approach to spacecraft:

link

Match box has a x-33 lifting body and there are other toys and models of lifting bodies that are cool and easy to convert Farscape style. Also the GZG Antellies fleet shultle is way cool too.

I constructed Brumby dropships for my Oceanic Union forces from plastic clip hangar clips ( Heatsheild - The rear angles up to make the door ), a cigarrette lighter ( Main Hull ), a couple of small bottlecaps, plastic tube and the cockpit of an AV-72 Gunship from GZG. They have an Apache techno-gothic-exciting look to them that I rather like, and are a bit less splayed-out-parts approach than the ALIENs ones. I can E-mail a blueprint if you like, for inspirational purposes.

The 10mm Badger APC from the Reaper CAV line might be worth a try. too - Love the fold-out missile/rocket pods! - And the GZG Tactiacl Interface transport is nice, too, though the initials are a bit iffy. Dropships of the three types - Bricks, rocket-hogs and shootles - are all thin on the ground at the moment.....Someone should start sculpting.

Wow, thanks for everyone's great feedback. I've developed some ideas from this that might pan out really well. Walrus, I'd enjoy seeing what you've built -- andreas.udby@hr.com. Maybe after I get something of my own up, I'll post pics.

Thanks all,
Javelin98