Hyperdrive Custom

[Bogatan]

I posted about discovering this guy at the beginning of the year in the toy section and that I really wanted to create a physical version of it. Well I finally got all the basics together and began playing with layout. Still a LOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go on this one, I doubt it'll be done till sometime next year as this is going to be too big and probably expensive to not do to the best of my ability. Any way this is Hyperdrive.


After initially planning to use a junk Star Convoy I decided that that would require building an entire lower body that would complement SC's rotund upper torso. Plus it would have just been huge and I wanted more articulation so I opted for Fire Convoy which shares quite a few useful similarities.

Robot mode. I replaced the lower legs because Primes knee is attached to the cabs bottom the opposite of HD.

Truck mode, is going to be rather large.


This is very much a design in progress so comments and suggestions are very welcome. Especially ideas of other TF/action figures I can cannibalise to construct the rest of the trailer. Currently Im thinking about Thundeclash and Actionmaster Primes trailers.

Andy

[The Doctor]

Great start!

-Ralph

[legios]

You are off to a fantastic start there indeed. If you can get the panelling from the side of Thunderclash's trailer to fit in with the other parts then it might well be a good start, Hyperdrive has the same kind of general aesthetic to him. Another possibility might be a Powermaster Prime trailer section - the sides on that might be relatively easily removed?

Karl

[grahamthomson]

Would the sides of RiD Ultra Magnus's trailer be any help? You could fill the gaps in the wireframe, perhaps?

Looks like you're off to a brilliant start so far!

[Bogatan]

Thanks guys. The trailer is definitely the big challenge, the robot mode doesnt really require to much work beside building the lower legs adding a new chest and the shoulder protrusions, some head mods and adding wheels. OK thats quite a lot of work, but I know what needs doing and more or less how to do it. The trailer though needs to be pieced together and I need to decide how it will interact with the robot mode, rather than a standard base Im thinking something like a cross between a base oand a portable weapon like Ironfists big gun thing
Good call on Ultra Magnus Graham, Nigel had some at AA and I didnt think to pick them up. Im also now regretting not forking out for some of the trailers on the Spacebridge junk table. As for POP I hadnt even considered that Karl. That might work very well.

Andy

[Deleted]

I can't think of any TF toys that are truck based other than Motormaster and Godbomber.

[Bogatan]

Progress!

and cab shape taking form pretty nicely. Attaching the back wheels is the one bit I'm not clear on.

And the truck is working pretty neat.


Im currently leaning towards a fairly straight forward trailer but it will depend on which parts I can scavenge from other toys. In the mean time my idea is to make Tracks (the landmine thing named for obvious reasons) function as an advanced version of roller. Instead of just riding in the trailer Tracks is the trailer. It can tow the trailer from either end or simply stow away between the back wheels. It will also combine with the trailer in other ways.

This one is a sort of repair bay function or a rear guard function.

Andy

[Andy Turnbull]

Going well so far.

Andy

[legios]

That seems to be progressing nicely. I'm curious, what are you using for the trailer substructure there?

Karl

[Bogatan]

Its styrene rods. Its fantastic stuff. Use liquid poly and its just like welding metal, but easier.

I've spent the last two weeks putting the lower legs together and today I got them connected to RID Prime at the knee.

Basically the outside is one side of Energon Primes torso minus the shoulders and bits hanging on the back and thats sandwiched between the the front and the back of the cab from the Fisherprice fire truck from the previous pics which have been cut down the middle right between the front windows. It took about 30 minutes of careful sawing with my hack saw and Im honestly amazed it worked. Oh and the front and back of RID Primes super mode foot makes up the foot.

The inside is where it gets complexed. Starting at the top RID Primes knee joint with just the top piece of the lower leg is attached to cut of shoulder joint from Energon Prime. The lower part of that arm is set into the leg and secured by a pin running through the leg and the fist this gives me a retracting joint needed for the transformation. (i had to cut away some of the plastic from the side of the arm to allow it to move) The arm is boxed in using styrene sheets some pins (styrene coated wire or styrene tubes) liquid poly and epoxy putty. The heel is attached below this. Supercon Primes leg after being cut back to just the retacting bit of the lower leg is fitted in to the heel. The thigh is cut short and into it Ive epoxied the ankle joint from RID Primes basic bot mode. THe foot from that mode has been cut down to fit into the front of the Supermode foot. This allows the toes to extend in robot mode and provide some articulation.

The toe and Armada Primes joint still isnt attached to the heel which is why it looks a bit feeble.

Im working on a way to make the arm bigger and to make the lower arm look more like a fuel tank taking advantage of the retracting first to hide the upper arm in truck mode.

And finally a comparison of the original design and my wip. Its not to bad I think. Above the truck mode looks pretty decent or will if it look like that once all the wheels and stuff are attached.



Next up start work proper on the arms I think so that I can finish the legs. as the front wheels are on the shoulders theres some complex fitting to do.

Andy

Edit: I dont know why the photos are sideways they are the correct way up in pb.

[grahamthomson]

It's coming along nicely there!

[legios]

Ah, I was wondering if you had built it from Styrene sheets or something, but rods would make more sense.

I am impressed with the amount of work and thinking that has gone into this. It certainly seems to be paying off - it is looking fantastic.

Karl

[The Doctor]

Looking good. So far so good!

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Can't wait to see the finished item.

Andy

[Bogatan]

Wow I didn't realise it was so long since I did anything with this. Anyhoo I'm looking for some feedback on the lower arm. I'm trying to Bulkheads lower arm, its rather larger than the drawing at the top of the page, but I dunno I think it works.



Opinions?

Andy

[Andy Turnbull]

I think it looks pretty good.

Andy

[The Doctor]

Keep going!!! Don't stop!!!

-Ralph

[Hero]

*gasps*

This is great!!!

[legios]

I think the Bulkhead arm is reasonably in proportion with the rest of it, it certainly doesn't look out of place or anything if that was what you were worrying about.

Karl

[Bogatan]

Yeah that was my concern, but I've got it attached and I think it looks good. Still think the upper arm is going to be to short even though its suprisingly close to the drawing.

Anyway I moved on to the chest as I need to bulk it out to get a proper sense of the size and I've been staring at it for over a year and I only realised today (or yesterday) that the chest is the same as God Ginari's. I cant look at the design without seeing Powermaster Prime with Star Sabers head and God Ginaris chest.

Andy

[Hero]

Hyperdrive RULES.

Keep on updating bud.

[blueshift]

Given the size of the legs, I'd say Bulkhead's arm is /more/ in proportion. Looks fab!

[legios]

Feb 6, 2009 0:43:16 GMT Bogatan said:

I cant look at the design without seeing Powermaster Prime with Star Sabers head and God Ginaris chest.

Andy

That's funny, because I have a weird problem with the head - my brain keeps flipping back and forth between interpreting it as intended, with a face beneath a sort of "cap-like" projection, and reading the projecting part of the head as a strip-format mono-optic like an Ingram or Peacemaker Patlabor. But I think that is just my visual cortex being odd.

Karl

[Bogatan]

And I'll update this while I'm at it.

The shoulder has a complex little transformation. I used a cut down movie legends Barricade.



And using some left over parts from RID Primes superfoot

and then I cut the foot of a poundland KO movie cliffjumper.



And contructed this


I cut down the front wheel from Energon Prime and attached it to what was barricades arm/bottome of the car door.

Andy

[Bogatan]

Arm I went with Bulkheads fore arms wrapped around Primes arm.
In these pics the wheel has also been attached.

Robot mode


Truck mode


Chest.
Started with RID Primes blue chest panels cut out and swapped over. I tried encasing them in styrene sheet and sides pieces from a poundland KO movie prime.


Kinds liked it but didnt look right for TC plus the plastic was awful. SO I tried a different approach building it all from Styrene rods.



Then added a legends Bumblebee to the chest and stumbled across Optimal Optimus and thought the head would work well.



Had to add a slidey panel to all the joint in hte spine to be able to move.


and then it retracts like this

and Bumblebee's bonnect folds up in to the chest to.

Added some translucent red and thats almost up to date. I also did the lower back and have now done the waist.
The waist is more complete now but its using Energon Primes waist and 2 pairs of feet from Supercon Prime. One set of toes is being used as the peak on the head.



Andy

[The Doctor]

Very clever! Keep at it!

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

I'm loving this and can't wait to see it when it's all done and dusted, but the insights into how it's made along the way are fascinating.

Andy