The Bishkek 2nd Basilisk: part 2, building the gun


I have made some good progress on the Bishkek 2nd Basilisk Battery. First, let me show again the image (from 1945) that inspired me:
Ok, with that in mind my first task was to single out the gun and platform and separate it from the tank. That looks like this:
Then I needed to create a rotating mechanism to make it swivel. The finished base will have a static platform, where I can put the gun in and out and turn it where ever I want. I made the rotating part like this:
a couple of old bits (rims of a truck) and a Chimera turret. I glued the rims together but not to the turret, really simple stuff. It works perfectly.
I added some plastic card rim to the square, just to be able to give it some texture when comes painting time. I am planning to detail it out a bit more, but remember, a lot of it will be covered by the protective shield in front.
The back of the basilisk gun, where the shells go in, has a closed lid. But I wanted it to be open, so some guys can arm it. But with the hinge being on the side, I can't keep the lid open and move the gun in the highest position at the same time; there is not enough room at the bottom for the lid to stay open. I noticed that the Forgeworld Basilisk Battery has the lid attached from the top like here (look closely at the back of the gun barrel):
So I created a hinge and mounted the lid up top. Now I can move the gun up and down the whole way.
I struggled for a while with the platform, in the 1945 image they buried the bottom part, but I wanted to show (some of) it. So I glued three dozerblade holders together at a slight angle. I measured to make sure the size of the middle was large enough for the rotating rims.
Now I can put it in and take it out no problem.
I want to leave you with an interesting picture from the German Afrika Korps. Very much like the Imperial Guard..

Hope this inspires!

Mike

Comments

  1. I like this, alot.
    It's nice to see people building cool stuff, with simple parts

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  2. Looks awsome mate. Im a Death Korps collector so im really into my artillery! I love what you've done here - may give it a go myself!!

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  3. Very nice, I like it a lot. I have a guard army and I've wanted the dismounted arty as well but wasn't so excited about the FW price. (Also have a FoW German army so the desire to make my Guard look more like the Wehrmacht is definitely there.)

    Some additional data: I think the Basilisk is actually based off the German 150mm sFH18 artillery cannon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_cm_sFH_18). While some crews were trained to bombard with the 8.8cm FlaK36 it wasn't very effective. The differences will be, of course, the 88 operating in dual AT/AA would have the gun shield and sometimes turntables while the sFH18 didn't have a gun shield nor turntables. The 88 also had those counter weights extending in front of the gun so the gun could fire straight up, while the sFH18 had long trailer legs to counterbalance the barrel.

    How relevant this is to the Basilisk conversion is unimportant though as the end result is awesome.

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  4. Charles: thanks for that clarification. I think you are right and will mention it in the next post. In the end, 40K design seems to be a hybrid of all things, mashed together to make it look cool. But I like the idea of getting inspiration for real images..I am going to build the diorama with the ammo cylinders in the ground.
    Mike
    SCWH

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  5. I like it a lot as well. Do we get to see a basing diorama in part II? Stacks of shells, loader servitors, earthworks, mmmm....

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  6. I', already impressed, but if your little trench diorama is anything to go by, this is about to get AMAZING!

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