by Tramp » Sun Jul 16, 2006 11:07 pm
I had thought of it when I first saw the robot mode. I was concerned about the vehicle mode, but, after seeing DF?s Megaplex, I did some preliminary sketches as feasability studies, then searched for the right model kits, and commited to the project. The hardest part was finding the right model kits with the right chassis and right kind of treads. That was critical to the suceess or failure of this project. There were several factors I needed to look at when choosing the model kits. The first was I needed one-piece flexible tread belts. The second was size. The ?completed? model size if that model had to be about 4" or less. The models I used were about 10cm, just a little over 4". Even then, I had to cut the chassis of one up and reconfigure the layout. The third factor was usability of parts. I wanted to be able to use as much of the models parts as possible. At a minimum of $13 American for a 1/72 scale model, and upwards of $27 for the same scale, in some cases, these models are too expensive to waste for just the treads. It turned out that with the models I chose, I could use almost everything, leaving very little to go to waste. I would say, I used about 90% to 95% of each of the two tank model kits in his construction. The rest was ?relatively? easy.