Opus rear update

Apart from some painting (more on that in another post) I have been working on some details of the Opus.

After some thinking I decided that the SAM pods should go on the back as originally planed. This meant I could finish up the platforms by adding some curved riveted shields to the out sides. I also added rivets to the three bolter platforms as wells as some bases for the turrets. All in all I am happy with how it turned out.

Then I needed to relocate the AA-quads. So I built two new platforms on the corners of the rear decking. As I did not have any more tops for these (as I used them as missile doors on the tactical launchers) I had to build some new tops with receiving rings for the guns. This was easily done by cutting some thin strips of plasicard and gluing them up into rings (that were matched to the bottom of the guns). These were then added to some form fitted plasicard tops. i will have to do some decorations of these to make them match up with the rest of the platforms.

I have also relocated the CWIS pods to clear the deck as well as matched up the cut-out so that the guns can swivel without hitting the edges. I am also planing a underslung four piece las-cannon array for the center pod (that lacks the downward facing twin linked las-cannons). I am not sure if all four of the cannons should be individually elevated or if I should to them paired two and two. This will go on both midsection pods.

Then I started to build the frag dispensers that will line the battlements to discourage any jump troops from getting to close. Idea is also that this should look a bit like the emergency pods mounted on the sides of IRL carriers. When I did this I had to cut a small tab away from the original piece. This was repurposed as decoration on the plasticard fillers I made for the flight deck.

I also started two new gun turrets to be added somewhere. I am thinking to put these on some outriggers on top of the observation tower, on each side of the three barrel main turret. But I am not sure how I will treat the observation windows. Either I block the side windows with the outriggers, only leaving a view forwards, or I place the out riggers above the windows, but I am not sure if that will look strange. Or I will have to find another place to put them. But I am sort of running out of space to add larger weapon systems. Except on the tower (which will likely make any Orc proud in the end).

Not much done on each part but over all I am slowly ticking of small things that has been floating around the back of my mind.