Posting this here as a request for some feedback, suggestions, practical solutions, etc. I won't/don't have the capacity to kitbash this myself and mostly plan on coming up with a working design, however if anyone else wants to work with this idea, be my guest.  


Got this idea earlier when I did this digibash of Tidal Wave as Grandus:



Now, I want to design a combiner robot around Classics Prime (with a "Star Convoy/Powermaster Prime" like Trailer), including a Sky Garry which can combine with Grandus in vehicle mode and all three (and perhaps with an additional HiQ Powermaster) into Battlestar Convoy!

(...or Battlestar Prime, whatever you prefer).

Here's an initial layout sketch which I'm currently refining (see Torso WIP below):



The idea is as follows:

- Classics Optimus more or less combines like PM Optimus - meaning in truck mode - but with Sky Garry. His legs should spread and be rotated upwards, so that they stick out near the shoulders.

- Grandus ('Tidal Wave') will become a backpack and shield using the combination parts he has to combine with Armada Megatron/Galvatron. Think of the backpack as combined vehiclemode Tidal Wave minus the carrier and with the leg part extended all the way up till the upper legs are horizontal.

His carrier would of course become a shield, probably connecting to the lowerarm of Battlestar Convoy.

- Trailer should as far as I can tell now form the legs of the combined mode. I haven't given this bit much thought yet beyond that it'll be from the waist down.

- Sky Garry shall be capable of splitting up in two main parts (front and aft sections) at the knees (similar to the Tidal Wave carrier-shoulder connections) to combine in vehicle mode, these parts should fit in between the three Grandus parts. He'll split in three for the combined robotmode (forms arms + torso). Beyond that he should look pretty much like the old Sky Garry, but with proper articulation. I'll probably design in similar holes to fit in the little micromaster transport trailers in his own vehicle mode.

In Battlestar Convoy mode he should split up in three: his legs would split up to become arms, which should connect to his own arms (which become the shoulders). The chest splits up in three bits: the star bits move to the side to leave room for Optimus in the middle. The middles section moves backwards and will be used to link up with Grandus' flight backpack mode, as well as containing the head of Battlestar Convoy (it should be stored in the back of Sky Garry's body and fold over to clamp in Optimus' vehiclemode - connecting to the peghole normally Optimus' windshield/gun fits).


Torso WIP.




Micromasters partners (Minicon repaints):

Spinner - Prowl (the police racecar to gun dude)
Shotbomber - Land Military Team Wreckage
Hot Rodimus - Not sure yet.


Will post WIP sketches as I make them.

 

if yuo can pull it off itll be kicksas

 

your shoulder sketch reminds me of energon omega supreme (who houses prime, just not the classics one)

 

This is very intersting,
i was thinking of doing this in the near future,
as for the Hot Rodimus fig. why not use Legends Hot Rod?

 

man, that is insane, I would love to see you try this, but it looks like a doozey!

Great sketches, love seeing this kind of thing. For the colour ones are you using photoshop, gimp or oldschool pantone markers?

I'll definitely be following this.

I'm not sure about Tidal Wave as Grandus, he's very tall and skinny versus the stout brick you're emulating. But we're not spoiled for waterbased tf options, so I see its a bit unavoidable.

 

  Nice to see some interest garner.



Here's the front section of Sky Garry that should become his legs, Battlestar Convoy's lower arms up to the elbow and Battlestar's (this be what I'll call the combined spaceshipmode) 2nd section counting from the front.



Note the dark areas in the middle, this is where the Aircraft Carrier would lock into as a shield.

I'm not sure if there'll be room for a Micromaster or a Minicon inside, I might need the space for Battleconvoy's arms. I did provide a couple of Minicon ports though!

During the combination in 'Battlestarship'-mode the supporting ski/wings should become wings that fit just in front of, slightly underneath the Grandus Battleship bits it connects to (like the aircraft carrier does now). That part of course attaches at the front once the nose cone folds underneath.



Corona Sparkplug might be a possibility? Possibly. I'll have to look over the Minicons. Legends Hot Rod would be a good choice though.

 

Cool update,
Wow man, that would be insane to construct, you'd be left with no fingers, question time;

-Any thoughts on existing molds beyond Prime and Tidal Wave?

-I'm thinking boxy tfs for Sky Garry, how about Metroplex's lower legs which swing open providing alot of room. If you were to turn them sideways they might be more fitting, though there'd be alot of remodelling

-The minicon ports are a sweet thought

-I'm not too familiar with Skygarry, but I think all the Battlestars carried their micro in smaller container trucks/launchers with they connected to. Could you do something like that and have it change to shielding or something by folding out.

-Legends Hot Rod strikes me as the best choice, but thats only a small detail

-The joints I see look like they would be solid, are you inspired by the Tidal Wave shoulder joint?

-Then there's the flap for Primes head. will it work similar to Energon Omega Supremes way of revealing it? by swinging up on one side I mean.

Nice work man, how deep do you intend to go with this concept? While I'm not expecting you to make it, I'm curious to see what degree you'll go with it.

 

When I clicked on this thread, I expected to see something like the Battlestar Galactica or Pegasus. This project looks pretty cool too.

 

I was thinking it'd prolly be better to have the others completely scratchbuild. I mean Armada Prime's trailer for example wouldn't have enough articulation. At least I don't see how it could. Besides, I'd like it to be more ambitious than that.   So regarding existing molds, that'd most likely be for the Micromasters/Minicons that'd come with it. I'm not sure if there are any other molds that would aid Sky Garry for example.

I'm not sure if I see that, but it could be an idea for a kitbasher to start with. (I don't have any kitbashing experience so I can't really judge how easy that would be to be honest).

I was thinking of providing some pegholes for the trailers on Sky Garry, which would suggest there to be a system above it to allow for three Micromaster trailers. IIRC, Grandus couldn't transport them, just connect with them. Star Convoy can house two trailers in his own trailer.

I'm wondering if he should still turn into a base, meaning he should have Micromaster base ramps connections. Could add some of those ramp connections to Grandus somewhere btw. >.>

Think I agree.  

Yes, same system, just black.   Could possibly interchange the sections then for added fun too.

Well I haven't worked out that mechanic exactly, but I was thinking the bottom of it should form Sky Garry's back and spaceship underside. I'd say it should somehow be able to extend and or fold over at the backside, being able to flip over the middle section of Sky Garry that'd fold backwards. Alternatively you could perhaps have everything flip backwards through the middle?

As far as I'm able to take it.   I'm not sure if I'll for example go and make a Solidworks model. Though that could be an option if I learn to animate in there. The modelling should be possible, though insane. I'm studying Aerospace Engineering and Industrial Design at the moment. So I might actually use this for practice in ID-drawing techniques, like 'folding instructions' or something.

 

Wow. And to think i was working on a design, that i think might need to be rethought after this.

So, what are the chances of getting the Triple Combination Battlestar Attack? I.e. in a less stupid looking form than the original.

 

The vehicle modes combined you mean? Well Sky Garry and Grandus should at the very least do so and I think that'll look quite nifty.

But. I have been thinking "Micromaster Autobot HQ" for the trailer (ie truck to spaceship). I just haven't been able to give the trailer much thought, but if it could turn into a spaceship for starters, I'd also want to look into fitting it in at the rear. (Of course preferably somehow Classics Prime would fit in or maybe Actionmastery sit on top firing guns).

PS: Dsn, using markers for these sketches, just for practice (normally I do colouring digitally, but since this is more a design drawing thing...). Sadly at this time don't have crayons at home to give it that finishing polished Design Drawing look though.

 

Exactly what i mean. I personally was thinking to use movie Leader Prime for tar convoy (add custom trailer to replicate G1, because the cab looks right), and use two other leaders for Grandus and Sky Garry. Just for the comical proportions compared to other bots. Me a bit  .

In all seriousness, i was going* to mod Universe Cyclonus into Skygarry. (wing change, etc.) At deluxe size he should be in proportion to Tidal wave.

*Australia gets stuff 6 months later, so yeah.

 

I almost forgot, but you have to get your images all attached, thanks.

 

ID, cool, studied that myself for several years, but thats awhile ago and my work took me in other directions, but I still have a huge interest in the process. What I see here is awesome work, put my efforts to shame.

-considering the Prime head in Skygarry, your idea makes lots of sense, giving you lots of room for storage and clearance. Will Prime be pushed in from the front then? Or will he slide in from the back and be sealed in by the Grandus backpack? I'd be in favour of the latter, but they're the only ideas I've had.

-also I imagine the part will swing from a hing at the top of his back? The opening in Skygarry's chest for Primes cab would provide clearance for the head to come up, pre-insertion. I'm sorry if my descriptions are vague. But maybe it could slide back a couple of mm to release it from a locked position rotate 90 degrees and slide forward again to relock.

I have other questions, but I wanna see what you include in your next drawings as you seem to have most things solved anyway.

Just thinking something like this would be very suitable for 3d printing, if the cost wasn't so restrictive. If you went as far as to create a solidworks model. Have much experience with the program? I fond it tended to only enrage me. That being said there's alot of work to be done before you sit down to solidworks with this.

Your marker skillz are top notch sir, reminds me I should buy myself some more. I clicked your deviant art page, wow great stuff, if you carry on with updates I'm looking forward to neat technical pictures.

And when you get far enough I demand an exploded view  

Hope some of this is helpful.

 

Second update:

Sky Garry's Front section's "Double Cockpit Shuttle"-mode:



As you can see I'm pondering making the front section's nosecone bits rather than be foldable underneat, be detachable as guns (missile launchers) for Sky Garry in robotmode (and then probably attachable elsewhere in vehiclemode, perhaps to a Minicon port?)

Note the added section at the back that should make the shuttle and combined mode a bit more solid in either mode of the front section. However, I'm not sure if it'd be practical for the arm modes.

EDIT: Btw, I was wondering - since the two parts of the shuttle will split through half, one could of course consider adding wings on the opposite side of each half, creating two anti-symmetrical shuttles! Perhaps you could even go as far as making the middle identical to the outside, save the folded wing(slot) and pegholes? Depends a bit on how much space you'd have between the cockpits, which is limited by the dimensions of the Grandus aircraft carrier's pegs, of course.



PS: REDLINE: I'll go back and attach them. Thought I was saving serverspace though. ;P

 

In deed.

 

Your work continues to amaze me, buddy  

 

Well I'll be starting on the chest portion of Sky Garry next I think. (Probably once I've sorted the armmode definitively). I've had something like that in mind for the chest, only difference would be to slide Prime in from the top, as his legs would be used to keep him in place, together with the tab and possibly a mold for the crotch of Classics Prime to fit in.

(That sounds more perverted than it is btw...  ')

My main concern (in the back of my head right now) is how to tackle Sky Garry's crotch, upper legs and waist sections, since those will have to connect with the front section and be able to extend to provide room for Micromaster trailers in the Combined Sky Garry Transport Shuttlemode. Was pondering a few options:

Option 1. Detach Sky Garry's upper legs for Battlestar Convoy mode and combine it with weaponry located on Convoy's trailer. Crotch folds backwards while waist splits up as part of the Battlestar Convoy torso.

Option 2. Sky Garry upper legs and torso are somehow stored at the back of the torso.

Option 3. They're (somehow) used to combine with the trailer more thoroughly and keep things in place.


And how would that work out in the back sections seperate shuttle mode? (I think it might be an idea to fly 'backwards' with the back section, using the upper legs as 'engines' like I'm using the connection of the front section as well). Rotating the Sky Garry head up to it's robotmode position, turning it 180° from there and using that as the cockpit that's all the way up front of its shuttlemode.

The shoulder sections should then rotate 180° as well, them containing the main engines and wings of course.

Hehe thanks.   Wouldn't know how much 3D printing costs, but it sounds expensive. Wouldn't know if we even CAN do that at our faculty... I don't have an awful lot of experience with it, but its interface is better than Pro-Engineer at least...

You funny! D:  

It is. ^^



Any ideas for HiQ? Should he turn into an engineblock as well as something else?

 

What if Skygarry's upper legs combined with other problem kibble for a super weapon, vehicle or base for use with the micromasters.

I like the idea for his torso becoming a shuttle, will anything cover his face or will it be seen from underneath?

Underneath the front of your Sky Garry cockpit, when the guns detach, will it leave the original connections in place?
Hi-Q seems to be pretty busy being an engine and robot as is, there'd be no necessity for another mode, unless he becomes the power master for something else while not in uber mode. Or he could be able to operate something cool.

The anti semetrical ships sound fun, I don't think you need wings on the otherside, the design is so unworldly it works fine without it.

Dropping Prime in from the top works fine.

Well as far as 3d printing goes, it was a hypothetical possibility independant of reality lol. An exploded view would no doubt inspire violence, so many parts.

Nice work, looking forward to the next update, my only complaint would be I need more pictures to see more of whats going on, to understand things better. But that can't be helped.

 

I'd prefer a weapon over a base or whatever since it could then be used during vehicle mode or something. =) HiQ was just a thought really, engine would prolly be sufficient. (Could perhaps attach to the trailer in every mode?)

Anyway yeah, just made this one since I could easily trace my own earlier sketch. Intending to do a few more views to work out the mechanics further. Been looking at dimensions btw and tried a little bit in Solidworks. As the Aircraft Carrier and slots in Tidal Wave's shoulders are dimension determining, both halfes combined it'll be 6 cm wide (exactly) and about 8 cm tall (including a height of 2 cm fins on top and a half centimer underneath for rollers like Grandus has). Which means this shuttlemode alone would be around 15-17 cm I think. (About the length of Tidal Wave's hovercraftmode).

From this I'm expecting the other section to be roughly 17-20 cm long, plus room for Micromaster trailers in the middle.

Don't want to think about how long the combined mode will be if the trailer hops in as well.   Then again, the old one wasn't "short" either.