WARHAMMER 40,000: DAWN OF WAR II - RHINO DIARY 1
Ever wondered what a real-life Rhino would look like?
To celebrate the coming launch of Dawn of War II we’ve teamed up with Games Workshop to recreate a life-sized replica of the Rhino Space Marine transport vehicle from the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
An integral part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Space Marine transport unit is renowned on the battlefield. With its signature arches and armoured skirts protecting the tracks it strikes an imposing figure both in Dawn of War and the table top game.
But what would this look like in real life? Let’s find out! Over the next four weeks we’re going to be converting a real tank into the infamous tabletop icon.
This ambitious project will see a British army FV432 tank go under the knife. Used by armed forces around the world since 1960, the FV432 weighs 15.3 tons and is designed to carry twelve equipped troops into battle. We won’t be filling this Dawn Of War II tank conversion with Space Marines, but we will be making use of this generous interior space by installing a bank of high-end gaming rigs.
But, first things first… the basic shape. The first major hurdle encountered was the difference in roof line and rear arches between the Warhammer 40,000 model and the FV432. The FV432 has a square back with a side opening rear door, whereas the Rhino features a top opening drawbridge style rear door and sharp angled rear arches.
To overcome this problem the experts from Tanks-A-Lot cut and extended the FV432’s roofline using steel from other armoured vehicles as well as slicing and re-welding the rear corners to transform the vehicle shape. No easy task!
Check out the first photos of the tank taking shape in our Flickr Gallery and check back on THQ-Games next week to see the next stage in the build and find out how the project is going!
> Go to Diary 2
> Real Life Rhino Overview
