THE TURRET

The Whirlwind turret has been slightly converted with the removal of two missiles. Note: Do this step before assembling the missile pods. To do this step, clip off the tip of the warhead with clippers and then use a large pin vise bit to drill straight through to the other side. Use a hobby knife blade to widen the hole and use a round file to smooth any jagged edges.

To create the torn metal base, place a 40-mm round base on top of a thin piece of plasticard and trace it with a fine permanent pen. Following the tracing as a guide, cut jagged gouges into the plastic and bend a few corners upward to look like metal under torsion. Glue the cupola to the plasticard.

THE POWER CELL

TORN METAL SEAL

To suggest a jerry-rigged firing contraption, you can add a power cell to the Whirlwind turret. Take both the cell and the cable from the Imperial Guard Heavy Weapons sprue. Glue these items together and then attach them to the base of the launcher cupola with superglue.

To illustrate the stress inflicted on the seal between the Whirlwind's top panel and the turret when it blew, carefully score the surrounding plastic with a hobby knife. Pass the blade just under the surface of the plastic and clean away any plastic shavings.

HATCH HINGES

HATCH PUTTY

You can model one of the top hatches in the open position. You will need two of the alternate Rhino top plates. On one plate, remove one door with a hobby knife. Take care not to damage or remove the rounded hinges. On the second top plate, cut out the same door, but carefully remove the rounded hinges. On the second matching door, cut out two divots to receive the hinges from the top plate. Then, cover the door with a very thin piece of plasticard and add a handle bar. Lastly, use the same thin plasticard and glue on two small rectangles to complete the hinges. Once the glue has dried, use the smallest pin vise bit to put two holes in each hinge plate.

Because you can flip the Rhino's top plates, the hatch door you have created will have the texture of a exhaust vent on its reverse side. The thin plasticard has hidden much of this texture, but you will have to deal with the edge of the hatch in order to make it appear as if it is solid metal. With Green Stuff putty, fill any triangular gaps that are facing outward. Once the putty has set, carefully use a sharp hobby knife to trim down any rough edges. If you're still not satisfied, polish off your putty work with a fine file. Your putty work will look something like the image above before you trim it down.

BLOWN-OUT HATCH

To further suggest an internal explosion, you can model the driver's hatch so it's slightly ajar. This conversion is very simple to complete. Use a hobby knife to trim down both hinges to at least a 45-degree angle. Glue the hinges to the tank so that the hatch is cracked open.

Now that you have assembled your damaged Whirlwind, it's time to move on to the next two steps – creating a "waterline" to guide you in sanding down your vehicle so that it juts awkwardly out of the scenic base.