John Moscato's
1/32 Perfect Detail Legioss AFC-01H

Report #4 May 26th, 2001
mosc@total.net

Part one: The main body

As you can see, things have progressed considerably since the last set of pictures!

Most of the large components have now been machined into three dimensions for test-fitting and "transform feasibility" with absolutely no problems encountered.

Though there are still quite a few components yet to sculpt; most notably the nosecone/cockpit, hands and feet, the project is coming along at a very good pace, and is quite ahead of schedule for the time being.

The first set of pictures center around the main torso module, primed in neutral grey. Though I have opted to photograph a great deal of the components in unpainted form to allow viewers to see the materials I'd used and subsequent alterations, this part's exterior sides were predominantly white styrene, and would not have photographed well at all otherwise.

The center module has numerous recesses and fittings to accommodate the hip-joints, frontal thrusters, engines and nosecone, and will therefore feature de-mountable access panels that will show off some of the Legioss' internal parts; giving the modeler the option to build these in open or closed state.

Though it was difficult to photograph, even with the grey primer, the outer surface of the torso module is doted with precisely aligned countersunk rivets and fasteners. I did not want these to standout tremendously, as I wanted to try to capture the fabrication techniques and tight tolerances that will most probably be de rigueur in the near future, and thus, make the detail stand out just enough.

Part two: Engine nacelles and thigh pieces

The next set of pictures are of the semifinished chest components/engine nacelles. The brown/rust-colored material is grade 65 modeling board, which was used to construct nearly all of the Legioss' components, and is my material of choice for most projects due to its extreme workability with both handheld and heavy machine tools.

The lighter patches seen on the upper-surface of the completed nacelles are the HBT insertion ports, which were milled-out and subsequently refilled with putty, as they were located too far aft and therefore partially obstructed by the arms in fighter mode. These will be re-milled at a later time in their correct location.

The exploded view of the engine pods clearly shows the partially hollowed-out main housing, which will contain the JG-97M powerplants and cooling system. The entire engine system will be "serviceable" by sliding the engine/intake assembly foreword out of the nacelle, and will provide the modeler the option to build these open or closed.

The frontal view of the intake geometry shows the smooth contours of the leading edge of the air intakes. These will later be fitted with variable-geometry louvers.

The last two pictures are of the thighs, still in their freshly-machined state. The paper template is still affixed to one of the pieces, and serves as a visual guide when cutting the rough shape of the part under the mill. The small holes visible on most of the unpainted parts are for alignment pins, which I have opted to incorporate into the model so that parts "fiddling" is kept to a minimum, and should make for substantially easier building, even for novice modelers.

Part three: Legs and partial assembly

The first set of photos are of the preliminary pieces that make-up the lower-leg/calf area. The rust-colored parts are once again modeling board, while the white ones are sheet styrene. The latter is used in areas where modeling board would not be cost-effective or solid enough depending on the geometry, as most modeling boards tend to be somewhat brittle, and therefore not recommended for thinner parts.

The alignment pinholes are once again visible on the central calf-piece, though some of these will also serve as joints and will therefore accept screws. Notice that there is no slide-rail of any sort on this piece to allow the thigh-part to slide in and out for different versions. Instead, the modeler will have the option to use either of the two mounting holes provided for either fighter or diver/soldier mode. Though this may initially seem like a drawback on the kit's behalf, it was my intention to make scale realism and sturdiness a priority over "full transformability", and as a result, the modeler will not have to worry about his finished soldier/diver kit spontaneously "collapsing" under its own weight as a result of a weak joint, or his fighter sitting sloppily on its landing gear, as was frequent with the 1/48 Imai transforming model.

The next, more interesting series of pictures shows many of the Legioss parts temporarily fitted in fighter mode. The ruler gives an idea of the immensity of the model thus far. Though the fit of the parts may initially appear sloppy, this in fact quite normal, as the pieces are affixed to each other only with masking tape, and are not aligned properly.

Part four: Arms, torso, and inspiration source comparisons

The first two pictures in this set are of the arm components. The shapes are still quite angular and unrefined, though the different sections are still easily discernible. The frontal(shoulder component) denotes the placement of the reaction missiles, as well as the positionable armored hatch. The finished model will include all 60 missiles allowing the builder the option of building the missile bays opened or closed, as well as being able to display the missiles separately.

The side-by-side picture of the 1/32 model with the 1/35 toy illustrates the drastic difference in size of either design. The 1/72 scale Imai armo-soldier(also pictured) was used as a base point for proportions, as it is the most aesthetically-pleasing version of the Legioss produced in any scale, though my own draft was altered in all the necessary places in order to "tweak" the design for transforming purposes, as well as to improve the look.

The last set of pictures is of the torso components assembled in soldier mode.

Well, that just about wraps it up for this update. I hope that the photos of the work so far meet with your approval. As usual, please feel free to comment.

Regards,
John F. Moscato
Renaissance Art Models
http://www.total.net/~mosc