LEGO Powermaster Optimus Prime (aka Ginrai) Part 2 of 2!

Are you ready for this final instalment? (If you're new here, click here for part 1)

I started this MOC with one very clear aim: Is to make the trailer as smooth as possible from the sides with minimal studs. But as my build progresses, I found myself having the need to fold these sides, hence applying hinges on them. This means visible gaps to allow the swivelling to happen.  Those gaps are obscured by blue stripes running across.

29/10/2021 Update! Official video is up!

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TRAILER MODE

Exact cuboid shape is a bit of a turn off, so I decided to design the front end of this trailer to have a slight protrusion and curve. Well at least it no longer shaped like a shoebox. =)

By this time, you guys might wonder, where are the iconic side cannons?

Here we are. The cannons are concealed inside the trailer.  Due to them being folded out from a tight compartment, the current configuration only allow them limited range: rotation about 45 degrees upwards.

One of the rifle used earlier by Prime (in part 1) will be pegged onto the trailer. This explains why I am keeping the trailer top to be partially studded . They act as connecting points to these rifles.

The rifles are slight different from each other. They can combine to become a single weapon for Super mode Prime later on.

Side by side comparison with Reissue God Ginrai are shown below:

"Excuse me , earthlings. May I know the way to the Decepticons base? I've got some ass-kicking to do. "

'

FORMING THE BASE MODE

We shall start from the compact trailer mode.

As the flaps separate, you will notice that both of them are not exactly symmetrical. One has a stud on its side, while the other has a hole (not visible from the angle above) to help secure the connection in trailer mode.

The protuding blue lining on the trailer sides can be folded out to form stilts for base mode. They also help to hide the gaps/holes on the exterior. 

The trailer "shell" will be split in half and become smooth platforms. They actually are the legs for the super mode later on.

The trailer innards reveal complete arms. However, since we are in the process of forming the base mode. These "arms" will be contorted to form towers.

The "arms" are folded down and there are clips to secure them in place to form stabilized cannon towers. You will notice that the light gray doors on the back of the trailer are being folded, becoming the cannons. 

Stilts are folded down to finalize the tower configuration ,making them upright. 

BASE MODE

With the cannons now extended up, their range increases. They can rotate 360 degree horizontally and more than 180 degree vertically. 

Putting two critters there is a signature/hallmark of my MOC photo recently =)

BASE MODE: ALTERNATE CONFIGURATION

I tried to spread both platforms to the side (to mimic the original Powermaster Prime base mode) but they doesn't look so good (and the length of the base overran the area of my photography background). So I only spread one of them as shown below

BASE MODE TO SUPER MODE 

Whole platform will be folded becoming the leg. The tyres are tucked in snugly.

The trailer top flap will be folded to become the feet.... sole and backheel. The presence of the studs on the to flap actually helps in stabilizing the super mode (if the surface-turned-sole  is tiled smoothly, he might easily slip and fell)

Stand him up, and rotate the upper body to face the front, and now we form the arms. 

Regular Prime vs Super mode apex-armor / exo-frame. 

As you can see, I am trying to "delegate" most of the trailer mass/bulk to become the legs, so that the upper body can be lighter and hence, easier on the poseability later on. This is very much different from the original Powermaster Prime/Ginrai toy, where the upper body is a huge chunk of hollowed plastic for the cab to slide in.

Regular Prime in cab mode, and configuration ready to merge. 

• Spread and rotate the legs to face inside
• Flipped down smokestacks 
• Flipped up red flaps.

The shorter cannons are folded up and then rotated down to bulk up the skinny thighs. 

There are some hinged components on the back of thighs that can be raised up to settle down next to the pelvic joints to bulk them up too.  The dynamic nature of these components allow them to be swiveled out of the way to prevent hindering the joints , when rotated for action poses.

If you followed the transformation from Trailer to Base mode earlier, you will notice the  one-stud on one side of the trailer top flap, while none on the other.  The stud prevented the flap from tucking further into the humongous legs.

The black plate sticking out from the back of Super Prime shoulder helps to prevent the shoulder from accidental swivel to the back due to the heavy arm (which frustratingly happened quite often during development/test-transforming).

Trivia: Once again, I blew/exhausted a balljoint on one shoulder from repetitive test-transforming. Before the photo session took place, I performed a balljoint-replacement surgery :)

Ahhh... the wrath of using one-piece smokestacks. Their rigidity caused them only to be able to be  swiveled down and protude out from the back like 2 spikes. There is no way I can tuck them to the back neatly.

SUPER MODE!

I'm literally running out of words to describe him. I'll let the photos speak for themselves now I guess =)

Now this is a pleasant suprise. The cab-chest still has adequate clearance for the bumper and grill to be folded down, and finally ... allowed the windshield to be opened .... revealing The Matrix, arguably the most powerful thingamajig in the Transformers Universe!

Higher.

HIGHER!!!

I would like to confess that starting from the photo below, he has to lean against the background for the poses to be possible. :]

The "shoot with both hands holding the rifle" is the final photos I snapped for this MOC. I intended to snap a few more but.......

Disaster happened! He toppled over! What's suprising is... no parts were detached. I guess it's time for me to call it a day.