Blackadder's Lucius Pattern Reaver

[Blackadder]

The Head Armour:

This will be the most difficult of all to redesign.

The Mars Pattern head is a work of art and well suited to the Mars Reaver but I want to depart from the flattened toad's head for my Lucius design.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/skhDYui.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/HBAJFaQ.jpg[/url]


Googling "Armorcast Reaver" shows the original Reaver head is more domed in appearance but still far too organic for my taste. What I need is a midway morph between the "Peterbuilt" cab look of the Lucius Warhound and the "Totenkoph"/"Minnesota Vikings" visage of the Lucius Warlord.

[url]http://www.findthatlogo.com/wp-content/gallery/minnesota-vikings-logos/minnesota-vikings-logo.jpg[/url]

Surprisingly the SDK-FZ design was staring me on the face for quite some time but I failed to take up on it.

The "head" will take the shape of the SDK-Fz series armored cars more or less and the first order of business is to make a working frame that is compatible with the Mars cockpit but small enough to allow my modifications and still fit under the hood............

[Blackadder]

Inner Core of Cockpit:

We'll start with a close tolerance internal fit so the armour will lock in place similar to the original:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/NHPvaPH.jpg[/url]


The inner cockpit frame has numerous points that allow for locking a styrene inner component.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/2exwrK8.jpg[/url]


This image shows the internal panels that lock the armour in place:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/TTbaO6P.jpg[/url]


This image shows the close tolerance component in place the excess plastic a handy anchor for the exterior surface of the finished armour which will be quite different for the original:

[url]http://i.imgur.com/six9Ncr.jpg[/url]


The only pity is I have to make another......

[Blackadder]

One Armed Juggler:

Wow I'm busier than a one armed juggler; 'way too many projects in progress at the moment.

This weekend I made the interior buttresses of the second Lucius head so when the model is complete the Lucius head helmet will be interchangeable with the Mars style helmet just by popping it off. A simple straight forward design utilizing the faceted angle to lock the respective helmet to the original cockpit.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/Ef7Fm4I.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/F01Eihv.jpg[/url]


Now with most of the major Lucius components made I am ready to start detailing the exterior of various pieces.

[Blackadder]

Reaver Head Mental Block:

I've reached an impasse coming up with an original design for the Reaver head. I don't want to copy the FW style Mars flattened pancake as a Lucius angular flattened pancake but rather a midway creation somewhere between the Warhound and Warlord.

Below is what I have come up with given the space allowed under the carapace which is a limiting factor height wise.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/9Prp2Is.jpg[/url]


[url]http://i.imgur.com/J9fzmGe.jpg[/url]


This design will have a four pane wrap around windscreen which although completely useless as in the Warhound and Walord, the two Moderati sitting much to low to see anything but sky through the glazing it does anthropomorphize the cockpit visage.

- - - Updated - - -

Reaver Head Mental Block:

I've reached an impasse coming up with an original design for the Reaver head. I don't want to copy the FW style Mars flattened pancake as a Lucius angular flattened pancake but rather a midway creation somewhere between the Warhound and Warlord.

Below is what I have come up with given the space allowed under the carapace which is a limiting factor height wise.

http://i.imgur.com/9Prp2Is.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/J9fzmGe.jpg


This design will have a four pane wrap around windscreen which although completely useless as in the Warhound and Walord, the two Moderati sitting much to low to see anything but sky through the glazing it does anthropomorphize the cockpit visage.

[Blackadder]

Cab-over Pete With a Reaver On:

To paraphrase the old song 'Convoy'.............

(Ah like both kinds'a music, Country an' Western.)

Remember CB radios; did that fad fade out or what?

I keep looking at this cockpit hence the cab-over reference and find it hard to reconcile how far the mug extended beyond the main body of the Reaver

[url]http://i.imgur.com/Snx79Gc.jpg[/url]


Although my front extends only 6-7 MM further than the original Mars Pattern it's just not looking right to me. I'm almost tempted to scrap the Mars head a build a full Lucius cockpit assembly with a shorter neck.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/2nGXhss.jpg[/url]


This flash image of the front elevation looks reminiscent of something but I can't quite figure what?

[url]http://i.imgur.com/MhAmf8v.jpg[/url]


Once I extend the rear of the hood I shall be better able to determine how to proceed with the rest of the cockpit...........

[url]http://i.imgur.com/4wRm3to.jpg[/url]

[dwez]

The head reminds me of this:

[Blackadder]

Yeah I guess but having never seen that image before I don't think mine will look like that helmet when finished.

[Richard Morris]

i was thinking Megatron from Transformers 1 with him under the Hoover damn.

[url]https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja &uact=8&docid=EAGMUmH6KdnVcM&tbnid=IXgf7TFOAEEOmM: &ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tfw2005.com%2Ft ransformers-news%2Ftransformers-movie-just-movie-31%2Fhugo-weaving-on-being-the-voice-of-megatron-176132%2F&ei=EkJcU6z-N4Hb0QXO94HAAQ&psig=AFQjCNHuMVhpXG0dmvxxQjJMlxhfoh rmZA&ust=1398641542103361[/url].

sorry for the massive link im not used to forum post and no idea how to make a link yet

[Blackadder]

After a month of doldrums I have again taken up the cudgel trying to turn dross into gold.

Given the limited space, the extended neck, and the toad-like continence of the Mars Reaver Titan I hope I have resolved the dilemma. I need an interim facade between the Warhound and the Warlord for this Obamanation Titan and I think I have resolved the problem.

I'm throwing caution to the wind and copying my Lucius Warlord Helmet with armoured sideburns and bluff brow and see where that leads me; I have to admit I have put more thought into this head than in all the other scratchbuilts I have tackled and still 'come-a-cropper'.

I would hate to have to admit defeat and do a Lucius version of the Mars head.

--
E. Blackadder

[Blackadder]

Like a Long Necked Goose:

By squaring off the cockpit it appears I have intensified the long neck appearance of the Reaver.

I'm quite satisfied with the faceted layout; once the nose and cheeks are detailed and the standard conduits are installed it should make for an interesting display.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/sWQLdob.jpg[/url]


I keep forgetting that the hood seen in these photos is actually the underside of the finished hood which will be approximately 4,0 MM thick.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/8zNKvVS.jpg[/url]


It would be really nice to have a few LED's behind those big rectangular lens openings.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/zouqXla.jpg[/url]


The nice thing is I have plenty of room above the head to install a higher more interesting brow.

[url]http://i.imgur.com/Cxnly7w.jpg[/url]