Stormhawk Interceptor (Part 5)

Hot on the heels of the progress I was making in Part 4 I have continued to capitalize on what free time I could spare to continue working on this model.

Lower Engine assembly.

As I continue to assemble this model I am covering large areas of it with GW's The Fang paint in order to darken the model more for when I get to the proper painting.

The Fang low-lights are painted on.

At this point I realize that this model is smaller than a Rhino but with a ton of parts. And it's starting to become heavy from the weight of all the bitz and glue. Astoundingly, the kit has an entire Sprue that is untouched (all the options for the Stormtalon Gunship). I consider this to be a waste on GW'S part. I'm sure the excuse to include the extra sprue was to save shelf space or some logic like that. But I guess it does provide the modelers out there an opportunity to make unique versions of these things also,  so maybe that's a win? But you do pay more for this box than you do for just the Stormtalon Gunship kit, so it's a win with a cost if it's a win at all.

Too many parts!!!

This thing is coming together nicely though. I noticed after I glued on the sensors with the little fins that their weight is pulling the front fuselage from the cockpit. I apparently did not feel that I needed glue on this area when I joined those sections together but now I see that I was mistaken.

Front fin sensors now painted.

A careful application of glue, a strategic binding of a rubberband and about two hours of time and those gaps are now gone.

For a tighter bond.

The wing and engines are assembled next.

Wings and main engines.

The underwing weapon pods are assembled and joined to the engines. As a happy bonus I discover that the front plates that distinguish the specific weapon options on the pods can simply pop on and off! No magnets required!

Engine mounted weapon pods.

I continue on from here adding the last few bitz from sections 1h and 1i. Then I circle back and add the tall wings that the instructions wanted us to add way back in section 1a. Having seen how fragile the Ork Fighta Bomba's tall fins are, I decided it was best to save that for last with this kit.

All together now! 

And with that, assembly is now complete!!! Hoorah!
...Now onwards to the painting stage, a lot of which is already done.