Just a Hint of the Future (Early Stages of a 28mm Sci-Fi APC)

I've been doing a lot of cleaning and sorting of old figs and projects recently, and have a few sci-fi and post-apoc projects on my makeshift work table at the moment.

One of these projects was/is to complete a platoon of sci-fi APC/MICVs for my Marine Heavy infantry.  These are basically slightly de-imperialized 40K space marines.  Somewhere I picked up a Land Raider kit with intentions of scratch-building four of them in a less 40K-ish style.  My original sketches kept evolving to less and less land raider-like designs, and eventually the whole thing just got pushed back on the shelf as it became more involved than I had intended.

In the last week or so, I started playing around with the design again, and while I don't quite have a final design, I do have a basic chassis concept and have started a base vehicle.  I figure that I will complete the detail on the first one, then open a little assembly line to complete the final three models.

Here is my sketch, which includes layers of detail over layers of detail, sorry this isn't easier to see.

The outermost boxes drawn around the profile and plan views represent the overall dimensions of the GW land raider.  My models will be a little smaller in the hull length, width, and height, and a little taller with the turret.  Layout is very conventional with driver and vehicle commander left front (somewhat like a BMP1), turret center and slightly offset to the right, infantry compartment to the rear, with a rear ramp and large overhead hatch and small doors on each side of the vehicle.  My vehicles will be a little less fantastical than the GW inspiration with a three barreled gatling main armament.  It would be a large vehicle, maybe two and a half times the volume of an M2 Bradley with MBT type firepower  and armor, and a squad of infantry.

Here is a pic of current progress showing basic hull shape.

Tracks will rotate around large sponsons that each contain a firing port for a heavy MG, retractable anti-tank missiles and mortar tubes, and a small door.  You can see side panels for the other three models of the platoon in the background.

That's all for now.  Updates will come as I make progress.