Hello all,

The Dorado is a scratch building project that I bashed together a while back whilst bored and waiting for the phone to ring with a job. I used a chunk of cast resin, which was a throw away from a doomed project that to me at the time represented an opportunity to create something different.



I used quite a few Tau plastic bits, as most of you will recognize came from the Hammerfish box.



The Dorado was first introduced to ATT by Kir-qath, whom emailed me politely to ask permission to post it here. I had no Idea what ATT was then and (somewhat naively) said yes without much further thought. The post and resulting discussion can be found here:

http://advancedtautactica.com/viewtopic ... ight=flyer

I had made that datasheet using the blank provided from GW at the height of apoc lunacy, and I used VDR to make it a fair and accurate cost.

This model sat quietly in my display case while I took a 3 year break from this hobby and focused on other things. Well, enough about the genesis, here are some more pics







I plan on creating another version of this aircraft, dubbed Dorado II, which will be slightly more cleanly fabricated and with the knowledge gained here shall have a nicely executed paint job.

modelglue

It's lovely.
Seeing that thing from behind makes me wish for a Tau flightsim.
...The rocketthings under it seem to ruin the shape though.

I think you should name it "Flying Fish". I'll put it short.... I love it

Topic moved to Modelling Forum. Nice concept build, modelglue.

E.

Hey modelglue!
I'm glad to see you've posted your Dorado! It's definitely a nice piece .

What did you use for basing material; is the sand naturally red or did you paint it? I am looking for the exact same 'martian soil' look for the bases of my cadre.

I'm looking forward to seeing more if your stuff,

- Null

Thank you all for your comments so far.

The "rocket things" in the ventral area pointed out by catland88 are "smart bombs" from the flyers arsenal in the chapter approved book, which also contains the vehicle design rules. MANY people have expressed the same to me, and I see what you mean.

bluedestiny, flying fish would have been an apt name for this project. Too bad we weren't in contact when I canvassed for help naming it!

Thanks Null! I always appreciate the energy and enthusiasm you put into your posts here. I used the GW basing sand that was typically available circa 2007/8. After a black base coat, I dry brushed with pure blood red following by a light dry brush of vomit brown. Asking how to replicate something I did is the biggest form flattery to me, so I thank you for your interest!

That's 1 sick looking puppy mate! I'm really impressed by the quality of your scratch build skills.
The model looks fantastic. I would love the see some WIP pictures!
cheers, Daan

Very nice work! The design keeps well with Tau design and shaping. I have about a million failed sketches of custom Tau flier conversions, so I understand that this is no easy project! Here are a few critiques:

I definitely agree that the bombs should be reworked. Either bomb-bay doors or circular missile-silo style hatches might fit in better, although much of that detail might be lost on the underside of the model. Possibly a row of 3 circular hatches angled on both sides of the hull might help keep them visible but still obviously pointed towards the ground. I envision them firing down at a 45 degree angle, taking a curving trajectory into their target.

The wings are rather thin and long, which makes it feel more like a glider than a fighter bomber. I think the wingspan looks fine, but it might benefit from bulking out the wings where they join with the hull. Either some mini thrusters, or thickening the hull at that point for bottom-bomb hatches might work well.

Overall these are just some minor suggestions that caught my eye. Regardless I think this is an excellent addition by the Earth Caste!

Thank you Daan9tjk and Revenant!

Daan, I did in fact have a lot of WIP pics, but over time, moves, and switching out my pc's I lost them

Revenant, would this be the same as the author of "Rise of the Tau"?

I appreciate your critiques, and I have had similar comments made from other tau purists about the wings looking too thin. Your rationale for integrating bomb bays into the wing base is sound. I am planning another version of this model for the future, but I have some ground pounding priorities on the scratch building roster.

I would be grateful to hear any other comments that may be floating around out there...

modelglue

Hey Modelclue,
aah, that's to bad man, I would loved to see some WIP and see what problems you might have encountered and solved!
see if you can find 1 or 2.

about the wings I must agree on the thinness. I'm looking forward to see the next version.
What scratch build projects you got in mind if I may ask?

Daan

Hey Daan,

After a search, no WIP pics were recovered.

I'll be sure to track the next rendition of the Dorado for everyone to see.



Well, I have a titan-esque walker planned. I did a quick add up of the points and it looks like this guy will sit around 1333pts. I don't want to give away too much so i'll leave it at that.

I also have another heavier flyer planned, and a small fast skimmer.

These future projects may take some time to germinate, but with a little prodding i'm sure I could be coerced into working them more frequently.

modelglue

Can i have a scale shot of this beast?

Hi Terminatorinhell!

Sadly, I have nothing to shoot it against....

But, If you look at the wing sections, I have glued drone parts onto it.

Also, the frontal area of the model has twin barbettes that house the burst cannons, these are salvaged from the chin turret of the hammerfish. The seeker missiles poking out the snout are actual pieces I've chopped to glue on as well.

Hopefully those references help you get an idea how the model feels dimensionally.

If I get any minis photo-worthy, you can rest assured I will fire up a picture.

modelglue

hello Modelglue,

first if, again: what a sexy build! to bad there no WIP pictures. I'm looking forward to your next project.
uuuh, A walker, I'm curious to see your concept, thanks for sharing!

The small fast skimmer sounds really interesting to me mate.
working on a little project my self and I can't wait to get started on new things.

keep up the good work.
I'll stop by to check your progress!

cheers, Daan

Hello all again,

I was bored/restless this afternoon so I made up this datasheet, with changes to it from the original that reflect the advice I was given here.

I did this fairly quickly, so if you notice any glaring mistakes please don't be shy about letting me know.

Go to Photobucket for the full size or PM me.



Cheers,

modelglue

(edited jpeg size and content)