The Secret Xmas Project update: Space Marines Salamanders Stormtalon conversion

My secret Xmas project has successfully reached it's first milestone: build & conversion work is now complete!

As you could have guessed from my first post about this project, I'm building a Space Marine Stormtalon with some modification thrown in to make it more flyer-like and to customise it for the Salamanders legion

The conversion work was focused manly on two things I don't like in the standard Games Workshop kit: the wings and the armament.

A stock Stormtalon in the Salamander colours
scheme from Games Workshop

The wings are too small in my opinion and the under hull assault cannon is way too big! And let's not talk about the landing gears on the sides of the cannon please

I replaced the stock wings with to top portion of the fins from a Space Marine Drop Pod and I pinned and glued them to the engines. I also moved the missiles pods under the wings and I magnetised them to be able to use all the weapon options available in the kit. The pods are suspended under the wings by two brass rods, one that actually connect the pieces together and one that serves only as an embellishment

I recreated the assault cannon by just using the barrels without the bulky body and I added some plasticard bits to cover the mounting holes on the sides and to add a magnet on top to connect it to the Stormtalon main body.

You can see the new assault cannon in the following photo alongside the pilot, his arms (!) and other bits in various assembly stages:

I played with the notion of lengthen it's tail but I decided to not do it because it would have required too much time and I have to complete this project before Christmas

Last night I completed the first stage of the project and the Stormtalon is ready for priming and painting. I have kept the pilot, he's arms and the control pad, the assault cannon, the cockpit and the engines/wings assembly as separate sub-assembly for easy painting.

Here are some pictures of the Stormtalon in early stages of assembly and as it stand now, ready for priming

I customised the kit using the Salamander etched brass symbols from Forge World to align it with the XVIII legion iconography. I will also add some decals at the end of the painting stage

Here you could see all the weapon options and the assault cannon:

Please let me known what do you think about this project so far, C&C really appreciated :)