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captain america

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I'm so blessed to be getting one of these already that I'm shocked at how envious I am of those you managed to get two.

One for Soldier, one for fighter mode.

I have a feeling this installment will be the blue and white fighter, and after you do the inbit command ship, your next legioss out will be my red Z model to build in soldier mode...

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Hi guys! Welcome to the latest installment of Building The Perfect BEAST.

Today we're going to take a look at parts for the 2 last installments; namely the main body and the nosecone. Though normally I prefer to concentrate on one segment at a time, these two sets of parts are such that they must mate very carefully with each other when building, so alterations to one part inevitably spills-over and affects other parts: a simple principle that translates into more tedious and time-consuming work.

In pics 1 and 2, we see the old-style JG-97M power generator, as it was made almost 10 years ago. I was never quite happy with the look of it, and wanted something that was a little more realistic in appearance, not to mention that as it is in the pics, it would be a complete casting nightmare. Therefore, with a bit of clever machining and fabrication...

…I end up with something much nicer (pics 3 and 4.) The new powerplant is more along the lines of what I'd envisioned, and sports re-tooled fan blades and no bleed-slots; much more efficient looking IMHO.

Pic 5 shows the engine in its chest housing. Since the entire mouth/intake of the powerplant was re-tooled, I wanted to ensure that there were no fit problems with the unit.

Pic 7a: the movable intake doors. THe one on the left is the old version, while on the right is the 2.0 version.

Pic 6: The engine/housing and intake doors. This shows the parts in flight configuration.

Pic 7: intake doors in closed (armoured) position. In my head, I'd envisioned the doors to serve 3 purposes: one to protect the engines from Foreign Object Damage while taxiing on rough runways, two, to serve as intake ramps to control the high-speed airflow to the compressor face in high-speed flight, and third as armored shutters in heavy-duty engagements.

Pic 8: the new forward fuselage/radar tray about to be machined. The nose section took quite a while to shape adequately, since I really wanted to nail the shape that would allow the fighter to really come alive. The rough version I'd shown previously was too bulbous and really didn't work with the rest of the fighter.

Pic 9: the new nosecone tested for fit and aesthetics. All I can say is wow! The old 1.0 nosecone really doesn't hold a candle to the new one. Be warned though, the Fighter mode should be over 20 inches in length: it has presence!!

Well, that's it for this update. I should have all the masters ready to begin mold prep by next week--stay tuned!

Sorry, I'm not in for one of these monsters, but watching very closely and enjoying all the eye-candy. I have one question though, once it's assembled, what does it run on? Jet fuel or does it rake regular 97 octane?

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Sorry, I'm not in for one of these monsters, but watching very closely and enjoying all the eye-candy. I have one question though, once it's assembled, what does it run on? Jet fuel or does it rake regular 97 octane?

These birds drink HBT.

Awesome stuff guys!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi guys! Welcome to the latest installment of Building The Perfect BEAST.

Captain's log: Monday August 22, 2011. After lunch.

I was going to post the update last Friday, but by the time I got to taking pics, I was already quite pooped… Guess I'm starting to show my age. :mellow:

Anyhoo, probably the most significant alteration to the Legioss is now done, and by that I mean the newly-reworked nose cone. The first two pics show the new nose in all its riveted splendour. There will be a few little details fixed here and there, but it's essentially complete. The oblong rectangular access panel on the starboard side of the nose grants access to the on-board oxygen generator and cockpit air-conditioning unit, whereas the small rectangular panel on the port side is for access to the air-conditioning/cooling system for the avionics. I made the semi-triangular raised shape on top of the nose a rain-repellant unit for the front windscreen.

For those concerned about painting the necessary demarcation on the nose, I will provide a computer-made, same-size template that can be used for masking, so as to take the guesswork out of the equation.

Pics 3 and 4 show the radome in the open position and the avionics suite extended forward. Some extra detail was added on the top and starboard side (replaceable mission cartridges) of the unit. Also, you may have noticed that the nosecone hinge is now beefier and mounted topside, as opposed to the starboard side. I did this to both offer the look of a more secure latching mechanism, and also allow the crew better, unrestricted access to all the plane's goodies.

Pic 5: all the parts that are being prepped as part of installment 5, namely: the main body, right boobie, one engine and related intake ducting, the head, and the 2-way multi-mode data transmitter/receiver. Parts are being primed and prepped for instructions photography, and will then be moulded and cast as per my usual procedure. I will likely skip next Friday's update, but expect another progress report on September 2nd.

Oh, and slightly on-topic, if anyone knows someone who does white metal casting, it seems that I would have need for that service again. There are problems with my current/previous provider. More on that subject as details emerge.

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Looking amazing! You are closing in on the finish line with this massive project, How's it feel? Will you be building one or more yourself?

I'll let you know how I feel when she's done; still no light at the end of the tunnel, so I just keep my head down and do what I gotta do. Oh yes, I definitely have a couple of kits for myself; this is iconic mecha pr0n for me :lol:

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Nice!! For reference here is the old nose.

04142002_radar_open2.jpg

John,

Any pics like these so we can gauge the look of the new nose in the other modes?

04142002_diver1.jpg

04142002_soldier1.jpg

And in case some don't know how to find these pictures there are a ton more here on MacrossWorld. From the main menu click on M.W.A.T. From there click on the "x" above "John Moscato - 1/32 Legioss Project (Cancelled)" and you should be able to take it from there...

Carl

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Nice!! For reference here is the old nose.

04142002_radar_open2.jpg

John,

Any pics like these so we can gauge the look of the new nose in the other modes?

04142002_diver1.jpg

04142002_soldier1.jpg

And in case some don't know how to find these pictures there are a ton more here on MacrossWorld. From the main menu click on M.W.A.T. From there click on the "x" above "John Moscato - 1/32 Legioss Project (Cancelled)" and you should be able to take it from there...

Carl

A better comparison between the old and new nose. Night and day difference!

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New new nose is tons better than the earlier version, but I took a look at the lineart and I think it should taper more at the base:

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There are actually numerous deviations from the source artwork, especially with regards to proportions. As I've stated on a few occasions previously, this model is not intended to be a 100% anime-accurate version (which would not be physically possible anyway) but a design with my own touches, envisioned as it would exist in a more real-world scenario. A Legioss: Moscato version, if you prefer.

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Captain's log, stardate: September 3rd, 2011. Morning. About to have coffee.

Hi everyone,

I'm happy to report that the newest set of moulds is complete and the first test-castings will be done by Monday evening. The procedure seems to have gone exceptionally well, as I've inspected the new tooling and found no problems, which is always a sigh of relief when you have to mold some rather complex shapes.

The first 2 pictures are of the moulds themselves. The first pic shows two of them being poured, while the third is a finished unit. If you're wondering why I sometimes use tupperware as mold boxes, and acrylic jigs for others, it's simply to suit the size of the pieces being moulded. Some parts are so awkward that custom mold boxes have to be made to accommodate them, like the main body and the engine nacelles.

The next series of pictures are courtesy of our very own Codam23, who is making the joints using 3D printer technology; something that would have been unthinkable a scant decade ago. The photos show the joints in question supporting a whopping 1.9 lbs of weight each, without bending or moving. I can confirm from the prototype joints that I have that they will be very strong indeed, and when built properly, will be able to handle the weight of the kit, no sweat!

By next week, I should have some test-shots to show, as well as some mocking-up of the parts to give you an idea of just how massive this model will be. Stay tuned!

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A 1/32 Hovertank is sure interesting. I would be tempted but I'm not certain Cap would get enough orders to make it affordable.

Now - I'm not sure, but I would think you could definitely 'pay through the nose' and he would make you a one of a kind.

Or Neptune Survey might be able to sell it as a limited run on that modeling website - don't give up on your dream.

Make it happen!

I started an illustration of the Hovertank years ago - never finished it...

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Edited by DarrinG
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Captain's log. Stardate: today, somewhere between lunch and my afternoon snack.

Hi Everyone! Another week, another update. I merely wanted to show-off the castings from the latest installment: they're coming out excellent (in reality, they have no choice: if the castings come out crappy, the molds get re-done.) Also, I took the time to check the fit of the parts as a precaution, and everything is coming out aces!

The third pic is of a new series of landing gear masters: my first attempt to contract this service out was an unmitigated disaster and a waste of time, so let's all cross our fingers they my second attempt will prove more successful. I do deeply apologize that these are taking so long. That having been said, they will get done one way or another.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi everyone. Just a quick heads-up to let you know that I'm starting to ship kits today. Most will be shipped by Monday or Tuesday, though 1 or 2 people may have their kits delayed as I had to order more screws, minor speedbump.

Will be posting again on Monday to announce the commencement of the final segment. Stay tuned! ^_^

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