I;m back!!! Yeah it;s been a while since I hang out here coz my previous ID (alanyap) email address (which is linked to my ISP) is gone forever when they (ISP) decided to pull the plug off this service,so I no longer can retrieve my account password. Call me complacent for no checking my mailbox (the real one) about their notice prior. :P
anyway, I've missed out the chance to post my previous 2 LEGO Transformers creation here when they were ripe. But I definitely won't miss out on posting this one =)
This MOC (My Own Creation in LEGO terminology) is my 3rd rendition of Ultra Magnus. The first one was done nearly 10 years ago, to be towed by MP01 Optimus Prime ,and the second version, "Movie style" Ultra Magnus was completed days before Transformers:Dark of the moon premiered. To know more about these two past UM, you can view my blog article below:
Alanyuppie's LEGO Transformers: LEGO Ultra Magnus: A retrospective reminiscentBack to this MOC, if I'm not wrong, was initiated days after I found out an official Masterpiece Ultra Magnus will be produced by Takara. Such impulse =)
CAR CARRIER MODE
Well, I started the ball rolling by insisting on a
few improvements over the original G1 version (besides the articulation)
- Proper toes/feet
- Making the upper deck /ramp as smooth as possible
- A smooth trailer base as well... and a consistent color (red) from end-to-end
- No partsforming . That's why the rockets are positioned in one orientation rather than on the side of the trailer. They require no removal and reattachement upon transformation to robot mode
^The grey parts shown above are stoppers, to prevent the cars from bumping
into each other. A last minute addition before I finalize the MOC
^ The cab detached from the trailer. Transformation to robot mode doesn't
require the cab to be separated, but it's a hassle to do so (I need 3 hands
to make it happen) . The cab can be transformed separately, and then
reconnect back to the transformed trailer initial peghole to finalize the
robot mode.
TRANSFORMATION HIGHLIGHTS
^ I've had great challenges trying to engineer the ramp to form the arms. A day before I decided to finalize the MOC, I noticed he has gorilla arms ! I
immediately make amendments to the design and managed to shorten the formed arm's length by 1.5 stud , whilst maintaining the trailer ramp length.
^ The above showed how I secure the shoulder via some hinges. Unsecured, the wobbly shoulders will definitely hamper the posability.
^The blue studs at the bottom of the cab helped to secure both halves of cab
front grill . When opened, it reveals UM's head.
^ Some nifty folding of the cab,, and unravelling of the head to face the
front. It is now ready to be re-plugged back to the transformed
trailer-to-robot-body.
For videos and step by step transformation photos,
click on my blog link below:
Alanyuppie's LEGO Transformers: LEGO Ultra Magnus: Part 2.5 of 3 (Transformation photos and videos)
^ In later stages of my building , I found out that I no longer bothered
to implement a deep matrix hatch for UM, as this would disrupt the
transformation sequence which I liked so much.
PS: Yeah the backpack looks huge in most of his photos... but there's one photo of his side profile which showed a flattering backpack . But still, the top heaviness caused some of the poses that require knee bending to be supported by the wall behind. :|
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I hope you enjoyed my selection of photos uploaded here. If not, there are so many photos (>100!) taken that I need to split them into a few blog
entries. To view them, start by clicking on my blog link below:
Alanyuppie's LEGO Transformers: LEGO Ultra magnus: Part 3 of 3 (Robot mode)As usual, thanks for your support all these while (even though I've not been
really productive this year)
)
