Topic: military ground vehicle

[dana.raye.smith]

All I have are a few AT-APs and an old AT-ST.
Maybe a couple of BARC speeders and a few scout speeder bikes.
None of which are just screaming at me for paint at the moment.
And I went to 3 different stores this weekend and couldnt find a bit of good paint to use that didnt come in a spray can, one of was a local HL.
What is the world coming to when you only have about 5 pots of paint in the primary colors to choose from, and trial size pots at that?

[spudafett]

phatty this is a unique contest in which we are willing to offer tips and ideas to each other during the contest...
It has become a "collaborative" contest.

soooo... post your idea and your thoughts and any wip pics you have and we'll have at it!

btw guys, I'm not entering anything into this contest... I only completed my HAFT cuz it was what inspired me to issue this challenge.  I think there was some confusion that you'd be competing against it, you won't be!

[Clonehead]

hey where is everyone at on this one? Clint where is that old project you were going to dust off and get back to work on?

It appears that I am not working this week so I guess there is not a good reason to leave it in it's cobweb shroud.

[Luke Sprywalker]

Yes exactly, I am ready to see some pics from anyone saying this is what I am working on, what you might do and if you have questions about anything just ask for input like i did. I think that makes it more fun for everyone and your project might come out better.

[Clonehead]

OK, L.E., here is the concept: I had mentioned to Tamer some time ago that I wanted to make an ATIC "all terrain ion cannon" like as shown from this kenner proto of an unproduced toy from the early 80s.





The fodder for this project was to be an atat walker and the cannon from the old vintage death star playset. The barrel of the cannon on the proto looks different but the body of the gun looks about the same.

To make the beast, I found an old chair mount from that gun and Tamer bought and sent me several partial guns found on ebay and his first walker. "he has several but this is his first so it must be special"

I barely started on this project back in May and then got busy with work and put it on the back burner as Tamer had told me that I could take as long as I wanted. Since I am layed off now, I figure I could start working on it again and If I get done early enough, it could qualify as my entry into the military ground vehicle competition.

Most of the beginning of this project is chronicled around page 50 of what is now my custom figures thread.

I started by making a couple of sketches just to get a visual feel for the project.
I knew that their would be some size and positioning issues with the gun and wanted to try to work em out in my head.












After some discussion, I had decided to alter the project a bit to include the sides and back of the walker that could close up to look like a normal walker and protect the crew or open out to reveal the ion cannnon when the walker had reached its firing position on the field of battle. I don't yet have a drawing depicting this as such but have it visualized in my head.  To allow for stowage of the gun while the walker is in it's closed up configuration, I had the idea that the gun could ride a rail or recessed groove in the floor of the troop compartment and be slid forward in the walkers body to allow the barrel to clear the back and allow for closing up of the beast.
   As shown by these pictures, the gunner's chair on the gun mount was too large to allow for the gun to fit properly into the troop compartment and allow the gun to rotate. The t-handle for the control of the walker's head is also in the way for the slide forward feature that I plan to implement. Tamer has told me that I may gut the beast to my fancy so I will cut it out of the way. I will make a bulkhead there, at the front end of the troop compartment with some kind of door detail. If there's room, I plan to mount a control panel or two twards the front on one side of the troop compartment with standing or sitting positions for a fire control person to track and repel targets from and perhaps to control the hydhrolic pumps with. Yes, I also plan on fabbing some articulated simulated hydrolic pumps, rams, and attachments which will move with the side and back panels of the beast that fold down or up to close up the walker. I drew some thumnail sketches to demonstrate this and to troubleshoot ideas for it.

All I have accomplished, thus far, is to take the walker apart and to make a couple of size saving cuts on the main body of the ion cannon. I am probably opening a can of worms here but you guys talked me into it.

I will break the parts out tomorrow and have a go at it again.

Bugger, I seem to have missplaced those hydro system designs. I will try to dig em out tomorrow.

[spudafett]

YAY... I bet tamer's happy! lol.

not an original design clint, but it is an oldie and a goodie!  I love the concept of a giant gun on the back of an at-at... makes me think of something like the top gun of the ATTE. 

can't wait to see you get started more on this... that rail/track system is going to be a bugger....

[dana.raye.smith]

Maybe try just a simple channel slide system with a piston mount holding the gun in place allowing it to travel to firing position and swivel for target aquisition?
you know, put the plug in the hole and slide forward and back while allowing it to turn full circle if necessary.

[Luke Sprywalker]

Yes, I was hoping this was the project you were refering to. After reading your thread I noticed you never finished this. Also I remember seeing you hydro drawings about 3 pages after these pics in your customs thread. I don't have much to offer as I can see it will be a task to get everything crammed into the space available. The chair seems like it is too wide for that. I am sure you will work it out and I can't wait to see you working on this.

[Clonehead]

Yes, I have decided to ditch the chair as there just isn't enough room for it and I cut it from the gun mount.

I had decided to cut a channel for the
Gun mount to travel on and be able to swivel. Perhaps I can use a screw or bolt upside down drove into the bottom of the gun mount for this. I can cut the groove into the floor and access room for the screw head to enter the track In the battery compartment area.

I looked for those hydro system sketches there but didn't see em.

[Clonehead]

Here are those pics and some info from the post where they were posted. thanks, L.E. for finding them. I ended up hosting them as I figured it would take longer to find the shots on my HDD. they can be shown bigger that way, anyways.

I had told Tamer that I had done a few sketches while on break in the car, the other day, of conceptual designs of some of the interior elements that I might create for our Heavy gun platform walker project that is looming in the near future.
  He is about as curious as usual about these sketches and I told him that I would post them, tonight.
Keep in mind that these are just thumbnail sketches and arn't as refined as the sketches that I posted back on page 32.
In usual artists fashion, my handwriting is less than pretty so good luck reading the captions.
  If we are to go ahead with the walker that opens up to reveal the gun-plan, I wanted to mount some simulated hydraulic rams to open and close the panels with and their pumps with conduit leading to a control panel somewhere. This pump control panel may serve double duty as a fire control panel, as well. I'm assuming that I will have room for these details. We shall see.

[spudafett]

the only problem I see is with this sketch:



The "piston" won't actually move at all if it is ancored at the same pivot point as the door.  You need it to be slightly forward so that it forms a triangle when the door is opened.  The only way I know how to explain it is if you have a storm door on your front door, you know it has that piston to slow it down and keep it from slamming? it's exactly the same configuration. 



see how the post that the piston pivots on is several inches inside the door frame and not right on the same plane as the door's hinges?  That's what I'm talking about....

but... you may already realize this and I'm just wasting space... lol

[Luke Sprywalker]

I have a few pics of the door now that it is painted and the windshield That I made. The entire thing opens, otherwise it would be near impossible to get the 3 pilots in and out.












I am thinking about adding a second window in the plating that would be a bit smaller than the one in the pic. What do you guys think? For the first window I just wanted it to lone up with the side windows.

And here is another moc up for the tread covers and storage containers. I need to get some better pics without the flash but it was dark when these were taken. The containers are clear so this one kinda blinds you...

[spudafett]

looks good ls,  as you requested here are the pics of my HAFT

remember guys this is not an entry but Lukesprywalker wanted me to post it here in this thread too to give yall an incentive to work harder and maybe to steal Ideas from it...

Heres the finished Heavy Artillery Fighter Tank (HAFT):

[Clonehead]

Wow! Great progress to your vehicle, L.E.! I love how that back door looks with paint on it. The front window looks good. Was you thinking about going above with the second smaller window? I think that would look good and allow you to see into the cockpit a bit better. It would offer a better view of your control panels.
the side shot with the equipment is hard to tell from the shot. Can we get a forward profile shot so we can see how much those containers stick out?
  I have been filling resin orders all day and am just now breaking my project out from the shadows of the basement.

you are right about that hinge on the ram, Spud. I had thought about that later but will reconfigure if and when I get to that point. I have a good deal of work to do before I get there.

[hangarbay94]

Spuda, I've never entered a competition before but this one really interested me.

I've been wanting to make a hardcore Imperial Transport for as long as I can remember and as I now have a spare one lying around I thought "what the hell!"

This is a Work in Progress.
Imperial Scout Command Unit

This is for use on the Quter Rim Systems for Piracy suprssion duties and forms part of a forward Scout Group. Typically a small Carrack Class Cruiser is  dispatched to a system where Piracy is a problem and should ground operations be required a small scout group is dispatched on a search and Intelligence gathering operation. Once a Pirate Outpost is found and the threat assessed then heavy ground operations are brought to bear. Usually this is not needed as often the Scout group is armd well enough to deal with most small Priate Clans.

I've got the parts all together an now she just needs panting and decals made.  Along with the main vehicle there is a heavy Droid Destroyer and a mobile Sentry Gun.