Alanyuppie's LEGO Transformers: Video Tutorial: Transformer Bat aka Mindwipe from LEGO Creator 31102: Fire Dragon

Friday, October 1, 2021

Video Tutorial: Transformer Bat aka Mindwipe from LEGO Creator 31102: Fire Dragon

This marks my 5th Transformer built using LEGO Creator 31102: Fire Dragon, after about 20 months.

PROLOGUE

Set 31102 was purchased early last year (2020). And since then, using that set, I had created Transformers with the following alternate modes: two-headed dragon, crocodile, and two types of jets, with the most recent one shown below:

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When building the Transformer Jet Plane shown in video above , my mind kinda wandered and thought of making something else with set 31102. Maybe it's due to me not being very satisfied with its robot mode. I completed it still , quickly put a closure to it, before planning my next step with this set.

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

If my memory served me well, I think someone suggested building a bat to me (not sure he implied a Transformer bat, or just a bat creature) with set 31102, last year. Only recently I took a good look at the arched dark blue pieces from the set and the rest is history!

For this project, I took inspiration from Mindwipe ... an official G1 Transformer from the 1980's character that turned into a bat. As a Headmaster, Mindwipe's head can turn into smaller humanoid figure from planet Nebulon.

The original Mindwipe toy have pretty simple transformation (my observation, I don't own this toy), and I initially attempted to copy such transformation in my project, but chunkiness of the bat mode put me off.

In recent years, Hasbro released a new version of Mindwipe toy, where the bat wings wrap around to form the robot legs. I always love unique transformation techniques, so I copied it!

BAT MODE

My first batch of bat photos were captured in lighter background, and placed on the ground. Not satisfied with the outcome, I decided to capture a new batch with dark background, hovering. Looks more menacing this way!

The first component to be built were the bat-wings, obviously.

I made a last minute change to the bat optics, from transparent red to pearl gold, due to obvious reason: trans-red didn't look prominent when surrounded by dark red.

I Googled photos of actual bats to see how a typical one might looks like, and to my pleasant surprise, they have slim waist with wide upper body. Copied!

Tried hard to remove the pillars that propped the bat from the photos, except this one. Since the pillar overlapped his foot a lil' and my image editing skill is just average.

My initial design was having the robot arms folded down in such a way they can form the bat feet. But they looked clumsy in this manner and hard to align and touch the ground. Finally I ended up building independent bat feet instead.

TRANSFORM!

Being a mechanical bat with heavy wings, flapping won't generate enough lift for flying. You can see the red thrusters on his back to aid his flight.

Since both the bat and robot head are fighting for space on the exact same spot on the body, integrating both of them is the only solution, so it seems.

ROBOT MODE

The robot mode is very stable, thanks to the wide footprint. However, all is not flowery though which you will find out later why.

A lil' regret applying the cones on his arms. They hindered the shoulder joints a fair bit.

Wide footprint allowed for many articulated and action poses. However, he can't kneel on one foot without toppling over. Ability to kneel on one foot is a very common pose I love to photograph for my LEGO Transformers.