The Energon Pub

Retread wrote:I'm not too familiar with military jets, but I'll throw out a couple more ideas.
What if you make blastoff an unmanned plane and onslaught is its launch vehicle?

Not sure if that's how this predator launches of if its dropped from another plane.

Other idea would be a vintage prop fighter like his pre-combaticon form (or was that vortex?). But that probably doesn't suit the name and would stand out from the other vehicles you have chosen.

The JAS-39 might look good as blast-off, but I don't know what the size is like scalewise.

That drone is just a little larger than a human being and they are launched
like missiles which ironically transform into the drone!

Actually HP, that isn?t entirely accurate. While they do have drones that small. The Predator is much bigger and does indeed take off and land from a standard runway. The Predator is an unmanned combat arcraft. not just a recon vehicle. It?s a long-range fighter/bomber that can carry some pretty heavy firepower. That requires a much larger craft. The Predator is about the same average size as any standard fighter.

They must have several different sizes then because I just watched a show on discovery about these not even a month ago and two men held it up which was followed by video of them being launched from a submarine. The front can either hold an explosive to deploy remotely or by it's own AI or a radar assembly that mutiple drones link up with each other and form a network.

Guys, take it from an aerospace buff, you're all right and wrong at the same time.

The General Atomics RQ-1 Predator, was initially developed as an Medium Altitude Long-Range reconnaissance aircraft, with flight characteristics that are more akin to light sports aircraft (the ubiqutous Cessna 172 and the like) than high performance fast jets.

Later on, during field development, they'd adapted the airframe to be able to carry aloft and fire 2 Hellfire Air-to-Ground missles (the same kind the AH-64 can carry 16 of).
It's the first operational UCAV, but it was not designed that way from the get go.
The attack ability is very much an after thought.

UCAVs and UAVs come in many shapes and sizes, just like manned platforms.

http://www.airforce-technology.com/proj ... UAV_/_UCAV)

http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/uav.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/uav.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... t/ucav.htm

Thanks for the links TV. Guess I was thinking of a UAV as a concept suiting the blastoff name. Came across the predator pic browsing a site of airshow photos. Most UAV are pretty missile-like aren't they? But there are some that are more similar to jets? An X-plane would have been another suggestion, but I'm not really helping with the Captain's original problem am I? Finding an actual model kit (at a resonable price).

^^^ Heh, well, if anything, you guys have given me some interesting ideas for what to do with the dirty great missile that will hopefully accompany the missile truck model i want to get for Onslaught - i'm now considering turning it into some kind of transformable drone, or maybe (MAYBE) the world's skinniest 'triple changer' - i reckon a robot/plane/missile combo would be pretty sweet.....heh...

My Swindle APC should be arriving any day......

Captain Crooks wrote:i'm now considering turning it into some kind of transformable drone, or maybe (MAYBE) the world's skinniest 'triple changer'

I don't know... Classics astrotain's train mode looks pretty skinny to me. Good luck with the part hunt.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAlrighty folks - I think I might have found the solution to my Blast-off problem: Russia's answer to the Nighthawk stealth jet, the Mig 37B 'Ferret'!





These pics are taken from the model kit i'm currently bidding on - only AUS$10 has been put forward so far, but there are 4 days left........fingers crossed i'll get it!!

What do you guys think of this design? Personally, I love it - i had never even HEARD of this jet before, and since it isnt an ordinary jet, it kinda suits Blast-off, I reckon. The model is 30 cm long, the same length roughly as the helicopter i've chosen for Vortex. With a bit of creative chopping, I reckon they will make a good set of arms....


Now, all I need is a body! Somebody, gimme a body!!!

The MiG-37 eh?
That's one of those planes that never left the drawing board.

The funding dried out at the end of the Cold War, and it would've likely have a lesser degree of stealth characteristics as the F-117 does.

I'm happy to provide the links and stuff for your knowledge.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... t/ucav.htm

Currently, the Pentagon is working on the X-45B and X-45C eXperimental aircraft, in order to develop usable land- and seaborne UCAVs with the developed technology and design experience.
The X-45A forerunner was a smaller scale proof of concept UCAV study.
(All the models, including pictures are accesible through the link, which I provided in the earlier post as well.)

Most Proof of concept UAVs and UCAVs are designated X-planes, because they're expirimental ideas, instead of refined prototypes (Y-models) or pre-production types (like the current initial F-35A batch that's being produced or the 7 EMD F-22As from the late '90s).

Edit:
If you're going for the MiG-37 and Ka-50 and a Russian missle launcher, you might as well go for an all Russian/Sovjet Bruticus, if it werent for the M-60 based Brawl.

Btw, if you want Blast Off to be a STOVL capable aircraft of Russian origin, you might be interested in the Yak-38 and Yak-141.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... yak-38.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... ak-141.htm

Edit2:
You needed a body?
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/smerch/
http://www.army-technology.com/projects/uragan/

These aren't SCUD or FROG launchers, but the base vehicles of these MLRS systems are mostly the same.

Here are some examples of Russian ground based combat systems.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... ground.htm
I suggest the BDRM-2 or something out of the BTR series for Swindle, while Brawl could be a BMD-3, T-55 or something similar.

Captain Crooks wrote:AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAlrighty folks - I think I might have found the solution to my Blast-off problem: Russia's answer to the Nighthawk stealth jet, the Mig 37B 'Ferret'!





These pics are taken from the model kit i'm currently bidding on - only AUS$10 has been put forward so far, but there are 4 days left........fingers crossed i'll get it!!

What do you guys think of this design? Personally, I love it - i had never even HEARD of this jet before, and since it isnt an ordinary jet, it kinda suits Blast-off, I reckon. The model is 30 cm long, the same length roughly as the helicopter i've chosen for Vortex. With a bit of creative chopping, I reckon they will make a good set of arms....


Now, all I need is a body! Somebody, gimme a body!!!

That is the coolest looking jet I have ever seen!!!! I really hope you win that auction cause I gots to see that puppy transform!!!!!!!!!!

Hobbyist Prime wrote:

I really hope you win that auction cause I gots to see that puppy transform!!!!!!!!!!

You and me both buddy!!


T.V., as always, you are a goldmine of information!!



With regards to making all the models Russian - the original plan was to have them all either Soviet or German, because i liked the look of the vehicles from these countries. The tank was supposed to be a German Leopard, as that is roughly what the original Brawl was, but the M60 came along cheap. I might still keep looking for other tanks though, i hadnt given the Russian ones much thought, but since all the other vehicles i have are Russian, it would be good to continue the theme like you suggested. I will browse through the list you linked - thanks!!

The kit for Swindle i'm getting any day now is the 8 wheeled BTR APC I posted the pic of earlier in this thread - it has a missile launcher on top, and looks awesome!


And the fact that the Mig-37B was never built is kinda funny, but kinda cool too - Blast-off can be all experimental-like, heh....

Hey, why not? G1 Swindle was a prototype. Admitedly, it was a prototype that was actually built, but still a prototype.

^^^ Ah, i love a good precedent! Thanks Greyryder!

Today, i found a knock-off of the original Bruticus at Paddy's Markets, for the bargain price of AU$10- !

I bought one for reference purposes (also, coz i really wanted one, heh). The dimensions of the G1 Bruticus toy are interesting - the arms are quite tiny for the body, even with the fists.

Since my main concern with this project was the scale of the various components, especially the arms, this is significant. The legs are each made up of half Brawl/Swindle, with the upper half made up of Onslaught's legs. The arms, however, are pure Blast-Off/Vortex. The necessary length to make proportionate arms is certainly not lacking in the models I have chosen for the arms, and I am no longer concerned with the relative lengths of the tank and APC models i have for the legs...

The added bulk of the arm models will hopefully also give me plenty of room for the technical bits that make the elbows bend, and let me make the large Bruticus fists part of the models, not seperate.

I'm still considering making the wings of Blast-Off (whatever form HE takes) detachable, so they form part of the chest-plate of Bruticus (like in the cartoon).



P.S. If anyone is interested, Paddy's Market also has knock-off Protectorbot sets (Called 'Fireeninebot') in regular and small size, and undersized Devastators, as well as the train combiner, whose name i can never remember...

Also, the Bruticus knockoff is called 'Waqonsoldier'....hehe

I won the Stealth Jet! Wooooooooo!! Blast-off lives.....


I'm having difficulties convincing the folks i bought the APC off of that I already made the payment over 2 weeks ago though....so it's been delayed even more.....

I might post some designs soon, see what you guys think. I'm really looking forward to making that stealth combaticon.......

Captain Crooks wrote:Today, i found a knock-off of the original Bruticus at Paddy's Markets, for the bargain price of AU$10- !

I bought one for reference purposes (also, coz i really wanted one, heh). The dimensions of the G1 Bruticus toy are interesting - the arms are quite tiny for the body, even with the fists.

I think his arms look completely normal length with Blast Off extended. (and I think Vortex comes out to the same length about) Human wrists are supposed to be at the level of the underside of your groin.

Yeah, I picked myself up that set. Nice to have. I always have to tell the story about how I mixed parts from that, some KO Battle Gaea components, and G1 Bruticus to form a mostly green jungle camo version (with silver... and a couple purple chest plates, since the only alternatives for Swindle and Blast Off are... what, red?)

I'm still considering making the wings of Blast-Off (whatever form HE takes) detachable, so they form part of the chest-plate of Bruticus (like in the cartoon).

So not considering using Blast Off as the actual torso component? is Onslaught's model kit going to be that much larger than the others?

Captain Crooks wrote:I won the Stealth Jet! Wooooooooo!! Blast-off lives.....

Is it done yet is it done yet is it done yet...... Man O man am I looking forward to seeing this!!!!!!!!!!!

^^^ Haha, it hasn't arrived in the mail yet HP!! It's due this week though, and just this morning, I recieved the model i'm using for Swindle in the post.....sooooo all i need now is the kit for Onslaught, and the games can begin!!

RavageX-9 wrote:

I think his arms look completely normal length with Blast Off extended. (and I think Vortex comes out to the same length about) Human wrists are supposed to be at the level of the underside of your groin.

You are quite right - I didn't have either of the arms extended....

In fact, there were a couple of things i got wrong with the overall transformation - I didnt bother with the dodgy instructions on the 'waqonsoldier' box, and did it from memory - and it's been, what, like 20 years since I had that set?!

So not considering using Blast Off as the actual torso component? is Onslaught's model kit going to be that much larger than the others?

I suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure hope it'll be big enough!! I really want to keep the team line-up the same in terms of positioning. I'm confident, from the rough measurements i've made, that there will be enough bulk in the truck to make all the necessary parts for the torso, limb connectors, etc. And if there isnt, well, i'll just have to be super creative!! I LIKE a good challenge, heh.

I might post some concept art im working on for the individual characters - it's the closest i get to making any kind of plan, so i thought i'd make 'em good ones this time. We'll see!!

A little update - I've made a wee bit of progress on the Brawl figure - he now has most of his legs, and a chest design is half complete.

I was toying with the idea of making the tracks pivot up onto his shoulders, becoming the big sonic cannons that are a trademark of this character. This would mean that the tank tracks would remain unbroken, and the tank could roll along for real.....however, this took much of the bulk away from his body, which i felt was kinda important for this character, so i will be going for the more traditional 'toy style' transformation, where the tracks are seperated....I know it ain't ideal, but maybe in the future i'll redo him as a Russian tank, to fit in with the other limbs, and I can use this current model as a reference and do the alternative design......we'll see!!

I still dont have a model for Onslaught though...!

i was Messing about with a Idea For Onslaught Why not use a dodge Prime and Add a Turn Base at the back So that The Legs fold up Like the Original Its just a idea at this Moment in time Really then on the Bonnet Cut open so that the Bonnet goes on the Arms. as i Said its just an Idea

Captain Crooks wrote:AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAlrighty folks - I think I might have found the solution to my Blast-off problem: Russia's answer to the Nighthawk stealth jet, the Mig 37B 'Ferret'!





These pics are taken from the model kit i'm currently bidding on - only AUS$10 has been put forward so far, but there are 4 days left........fingers crossed i'll get it!!

What do you guys think of this design? Personally, I love it - i had never even HEARD of this jet before, and since it isnt an ordinary jet, it kinda suits Blast-off, I reckon. The model is 30 cm long, the same length roughly as the helicopter i've chosen for Vortex. With a bit of creative chopping, I reckon they will make a good set of arms....


Now, all I need is a body! Somebody, gimme a body!!!

I think I had one of those model kits when I was younger.

It's been a while lads and lassies, but this project is under way again - i've been taking my sweet time about it though, heh.

Unfortunately there are no picture updates as yet, but the legs of Bruticus are going to be a reshelled Classic tank Megatron (for Brawl, naturally) and a reshelled movie Wreckage (made to look as little like a Movie Transformer as possible, of course). The tank is a Russian T-90, and Swindle is still going to be the 8 wheeled APC thing, just the Russian variant featured earlier in this thread (with a multi-missile launcher on top.... mmmm.... missiles...). I've also finally gotten a SCUD missile truck to make the Onslaught figure (no idea how mind you, but one step at a time, eh? ).

The arms are still going to be the Russian concept stealth 'plane and a KA-50 Hokum attack chopper, with the transformation possibly resembling that of the Yamato Valkyries i've been studying in depth - but more on that later.

In other news, have the old Transtopia forums been 404'd for good? This Seibertron format is so new and scary, haha!