Here is a quick post on how I added magnets to the turrets of my Imperial Navy Marauder Bombers and Ork Fighta Bombers in the Aeronautica Imperialis: Wings of Vengeance boxed set.

Ork Fighta Bomber

This is perhaps the easiest turret to set up of them all. All I did was to place a blob of greenstuff into the underside of the turret. Then gently push a stack of two magnets, size 2x1mm, into the bottom of it, with the lower magnet just sitting proud of the turret base. Then I put a touch of super glue on the bottom of the bottom magnet, and pushed the turret into place in the fuselage. The tricky part was guessing the right amount of greenstuff so that when I pushed the turret into place there was just enough greenstuff to hold the top magnet without also grabbing the lower magnet. This was done through trial and error before using the super glue.

Marauder Bomber

The fore and aft turrets were done in the same way. I put the turrets together as per the instructions and placed them on their mounts facing forward/aft respectively (I just held them in place by hand, but blu-tack may be of use here). Where the panel line on either side of the turret meets the mount I made a small mark in the plastic of the mount with a knife, on both sides. Roughly where the red arrow is pointing on the image below. I then scored a line across the mount between the two marks. Where this line crosses the join in the two halves of the fuselage is where I drilled the hole for the magnet (more 2x1mm magnets). I did the same thing on the bottom of the turret, scored a line across between the two panel lines, and where that line crossed the line made by the two turret halves is where I made a mark for the drill with the point of my knife.

The dorsal turret was slightly different because of the turret itself not having a complete lower surface. I enlarged the hole in the base of the turret with my knife. Used a blob of greenstuff to partially fill the hole and pushed the magnet into the greenstuff. I actually left the magnet sitting slightly proud of the turret base to lift the turret slightly on the Marauder so it can rotate round and ‘fire forwards’.

The corresponding hole in the Marauder fuselage was simply drilled into the turrets dorsal recess. The moulding has a slight dimple at the middle and I used this as a guide for the drill. I used a 2x1mm magnet in the recess and a 3x1mm magnet in the turret itself so I didn’t have any misalignment issues due to not being able to drill a hole in the centre of the turret base.

Works exactly the same for the Marauder Destroyer too, obviously.

I am an engineer in the aviation industry, it was written in stone (or scribed on aluminium alloy) that I would purchase AI upon its release. However, assuming you don’t have Aeronautica Imperialis yet, here are some links to aid you in parting with your hard earned cash, and help support this blog at the same time.

Rogue Games – my local game store, they have good deals on price and free postage when you spend over £20. I don’t earn any commission, but I do enjoy playing regularly there (if you do buy from them let them know you came via splayedpaintbrush.com).

Element Games – affiliated link, I earn commission on what you buy via the links on this site.

Goblin Gaming – affiliated link, I earn commission on what you buy via the links on this site.