This is definitely gonna be one of my top 5 favorite creations this year, and the year has barely started!
PROLOGUE
LEGO 31152: Space Astronaut below was a definite purchase for me as soon as it went on sale last month. The choice is clear: I can see many useful hinges simply by observing the box art showing the astronaut main model (below)
frictional joints, ball joints and even the ever-so-useful hinge plates on the elbows! I'm thrilled!
Not long I acquired the set above, I unboxed and built the space-dog. I skipped the space jet and astronaul models altogether , because I was excited to start building a Transformer with the set. Oh boy I was never this impulsive before!
From the get go, I aimed to make a Transformer pop-culture crossover , with the color scheme must be a close as possible as well to the subject of choice . My very first idea was an anime jet plane , but I decided to cancel the plan after a bout of analysis paralysis.
Oh yes... I always post updates of my work-in-progress in my Instagram, please follow my IG channel (below) ...!!!
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
The Thundertank alternate mode is based from Thundercats cartoon from the 1980s. Thundercats come a close second as my favorite 80s cartoon, after G1 Transformers , naturally!
What spurred me to build this mode is very obvious: the parts offered bv set 31152 is very close to the color scheme of the Thundertank itself!
The original Thundertank consisted mostly of one solid color . I decided to use some creative liberty to apply the medium azure /blue parts from the set to accent the paw and vehicle roof a lil.
I NEED TO MAKE THIS! WHERE ARE THE BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS?
Building instructions for this fine specimen is located in rebrickable.com (link below). Support me by making your purchase!
TRIVIA!
Many years back, I built my first Thundertank Transformer using LEGO view set: Emmet's Couch Mech!
Set 31152 provided a handful of black parts which I utilized almost all of them just to built the faux tracks for the tank, with help from dark blue parts .
One particular component for this creation pose excessive challenge for me, and it took me about 7 redesigns to perfect them. Can you guess which part?
This space astronaut set even provided me 2 variants of printed "control panel" tiles for me to choose to be used on the tank cockpit.
The greatest fun I had while building this were trying to mimic the functionalities of the original Thundertank. However, one element I failed to replicate is the lower jaw for the cockpit.
The raised limb took me many meny iterations to perfect (at least five!) . The initial designs were blocky, poor structural integrity, and even the joints were weak as well.
ATTACK MODE
Original Thundertank has concealed cannon turrets inside , which was shown to be manned by the Thundercats characters themselves.
The turret has 360 degree range and also can point towards the sky as needed.
The ability of the cannons to position itself at the front of the cockpit is purely incidental!
TRANSFORM!
The feet were connected to the raised panels initially, but they hindered the raise (to reveal cannons) from being done elegantly. So I redesigned the placement of these feet.
The crest of the robot head must be swiveled down for it to slip through the gap in the body.
At this point, the rest of the leg transformation doesn't need much visual guide!
ROBOT MODE
Most of the worth mentioning parts of the design process revolves around the tank mode. I think the following photos of the robot mode are pretty self explanatory. Enjoy!
The square-ish robot head is probably one of my biggest regret in this project. It is limited by the gap inside the vehicle mode, preventing me from building a more detailed head.
One noteworthy design worth telling: The lower legs design are bricks and plates stacked on top of each other, with brackets applied strategically to allow the tracks be connected and reinforce them.
MORE ACTION POSES
BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS
Building instructions for this fine specimen is located in rebrickable.com (link below). Support me by making your purchase!
Below are previews on how the instructions will look like:
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