GW 28mm Lothern Skycutter to 10mm Elven Airboat Conversion

This week I completed a conversion project that I've been working on slowly over the past couple months, that involved converting a 28mm Games Workshop Warhammer "Lothern Skycutter" into a 10mm Elven Airboat.  I had purchased this model for a very reasonable price from a friend's flea market table at the BARRAGE gaming convention, with an eye to using the boat portion of the kit for my 10mm Elf fantasy army.

The kit's box

    I began by assembling the boat, and making a few modifications.   First, I trimmed and re-positioned the rudder handle, so it would sit low enough for a 10mm figure to use it.  Secondly, I took an old Games Workshop Warmaster Elf Repeating Bolt Thrower and cut it down so it would mount on the prow of the boat.  I gave a friend the large bird that was part of the Skycutter kit .

The assembled model.

  Instead of using the typical GW base that came with the kit, I glued the airboat's flight-stand to a 3"x 1.5" base suitable for use with the "Bear Yourselves Valiantly" mass-combat Fantasy rules.  I then went through my box of spare figures and selected some individually based 10mm Elves I had to use as a crew.

The finished airboat.

 I spray primed the boat and crew with flat black primer (I wish I had used white!) and painted the boat in a dark blue, white, and yellow scheme, and the crew in a light blue and white uniform.

The airboat shown flying over some 10mm Elven troops.

I painted the crew and boat separately; and after painting was complete, I glued the crew in the boat.  I added some scraps of lead, cut from a figure's base long ago, to the base of the boat to add stability, and blended them into the base with a little putty so they would resemble little hills.  Afterwards I flocked the base.

A close-up of the crew.

    I'm pleased with how this project came out.  It will add some powerful air support to my Elven forces.

A shot from the back angle.