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That's right campers, I'm back, again, on yet another different computer, and I have a new half-finished 3d model I'm looking for an opinion on. This go round, it's the transforming FW-190, the first human-designed variable mecha to go into combat in this alt history. It's kind of hunchbacked and possibly vaguely Krogan-looking, but that's just how it works out having a single, front engine to deal with. Unlike the previous planes, the propeller does not retract on this one - and while it wouldn't be powerful enough and thearms stow whwre the fuel tanks went in aircraft form, it could in fact mount the original double-stack 14 cylinder radial. The question I have for you all, is what do do with the head? Usually I have to cram on into whatever little space I have left over, to the point of needing to transform the head from some non-head-like shape that was all the space I had. This time, I've got ALL THIS VOLUME! (The big white block) with the only constraint being that the black "eyebrows" are the polygons where a gun port texture will go on for the muzzles of the twin guns rught in front of the cockpit, and I have no ideas at all! I feel like a wholesaler, shouting VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME! Up to the bottom third could also be split off and hinged separately to fill out the torso a little, which honestly speaking it could use. Still, anyone have any good ideas for what to put under those laser eyebrows? (It's also the first human designed energy weapons, BTW. They're big, draw obscene amounts of power, and generate enough heat to need their own radiator, but they never run out of ammo and that's a treasure beyond price.)

I continued straight on from modeling the FW-190 and roughing out a possible Toggel (Zzard command mecha) to the alien mook suit, the Klogg, but found the thing a real fight to figure out all the mechanisms for, and kept switching back and forth between two basic designs as one of the parts cleared up... then I discovered that I had two workable designs, intended for the same unit but related only in that they have two main engines and three omnidirectional vector fins, and use the same super parts. Which one is better, do you think? The Klogg Naro is based directly on my original paper sketches, though the torso and shoulder transformation ends up completely different. It'll have to have a narrower head than planned, but not too badly so, (and that doesn't make the origin of the subtype name obvious AT ALL.) bare - red patches are for texture mapped missile racks with the space version super parts, that are mostly engine and fuel/remass the Klogg Jau, based on "a flying saucer would be cool, but I have to keep the cockpit ball in one piece this time." the Jau with atmosphere type super parts, which include a smaller engine and about the same amount of fuel as the space type, but have more mass due to the wings and swing hardware. Having aerodynamic lift and control surfaces more than makes up for the mass, as long as you are in fact inside an atmosphere, though the mecha can operate fairly well in its base configuration. The Jau is 2-3 components ahead of the Naro, able to transform the torso and shoulders. The barely-opened flap on the side of the shoulder is to let the arms hang down in its hybrid mode, or lift them up to the sides in full humanoid form. The super parts also include a part that straps onto the outer surface of each leg vector fin with chaff/flare launchers and another micro-missile rack on the top, each also including a fuel tank, though the top one is small and only meant to feed the vector fin microturbine, since they usually just run off small tanks built into the center part of the fin. The robot toes provide some vectoring for the main engines and there are small reaction thrusters distributed across the unit as well for fine adjustments, but most attitude control is intended to be done with the fins, which can swing 180 degrees forward for reverse thrust and have butterfly paddles in the exhaust ports on their tips to control yaw, pitch, and roll inputs. They also provide atmospheric stabilization like the feathers on a badminton shuttlecock if it's flying in base configuration. All of which is true for both of them. The main difference, aside from outline, is that the Naro's cockpit section has to tip down at the nose, how far I've not yet determined but hopefully only 15-20 degrees, during transformation, requiring an internal gimbaled pilot seat, while the Jau keeps the cockpit pod level, like all of the variable WW2 planes I've made. That alone is tipping me in favor of the saucer design, but I like the other one too... So I'm asking for opinions to help decide. Yes, again. Despite hardly getting any responses the other times. The replies I did get were useful, so I'm running a new one up the flagpole to see if anyone will salute.

Hey troops, I'm making a variable Me-262 Schwalbe (plus HG.II version with 35 degree wing sweep instead of 18) but I have two nearly equal variants of the robot mode I can't decide between. Considered on its own I tend toward type 1, but with space-tech versions of the Lorins a VMe-262 HG.II would be able to make orbit on its own, and "get earth ready to fight the aliens" is basically the whole justification for Germany being the aggressor (by wiping out undesirable "weak" strains of humanity, communism, etc. - I never said they were the good guys!) Got sidetracked. Anyway, givn the emphasis on capability to fight space-based enemies, fighters that can get up there or back down without needing a mothership have obvious importance - otherwise, the only option for that mission type until the 70s style original designs that only appear very late and if you put particular effort into creating them is the variable V-2. So, do you prefer TYPE 1: * can use OTL landing gear * V-shape folded backpack is common element with variable V-2 * less time to pop the wings out for boost jumps * arms have room to swing back for melee or holding a gunpod or TYPE 2: * flatter backpack * better field of view from head & cockpit * easily mounts OTL Lorin ramjet boosters It is possible to have the normal transformation use type 1 but switch to type 2 with optional equipment attached, but this still means I have to come up with different landing gear... for voting purposes, call this TYPE 3 Game design is not a democracy, but I will count audience response when making the final decision.