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Ben Vaughn writes…
"A while back, I built a Mech. It took me a while, but eventually, I figured out how to attach the hips so the silly thing wouldn't fall over. It's loosely based on two Battletech mech's, the Timberwolf and the Mad Dog. I did add some extras though. My Mech, the Badger, is smaller and so more susceptible to infantry attacks. To counter this threat better, the Badger is equipped with an anti-personnel/light armor cannon. Note the split foot for better stability. Up top is the rapid fire anti-air cannon. This can engage those pesky fast movers before the main guns can be brought to bear. The Badger is powered by a small fusion bottle, cooled by the twin heat dumps.
A quick apology to all LEGO purists. The arms and waist are TYCO brand blocks, but what the hey, it works.
What I enjoy building the most are aircraft, especially VTOL's (Verical Take-off Or Landing). Right now, I have three different ones in my stable.
First is a traditionally accepted format, a helicopter. Okay, so it's a two-seater attack helicopter (at night, if you believe the lighting), so sue me.
Next on the list is a ducted fan, heavy ground attack aircraft. For some reason, I didn't get a shot of the actual swivel mechanism, but it's actuated by turning the radome on the aircraft spine to the left.
The last aircraft is my favorite. The Tomcat II is a swing wing, VTOL, all weather interceptor, featuring the incredible engine design of Karim Nassar. The 'Cat features a twin, dorsal, laser turret operated by the back seater. Up front, the 'Cat sports another pair of blasters, and for those targets below the firing envelope of these weapons, a single cannon mounted between the engine clusters.
Here's a picture of a 4 wheel drive vehicle. It uses a Torsion bar suspension system, once again, borrowed from Karim Nassar. I feel I need to apologize for the lighting in these pictures, they are somewhat darker, obscuring some detail.
I revamped the vehicle into an APC configuration. The APC is armed with a 40mm cannon and co-axial machine gun. The cannon is fixed on a self-stabilizing pivot.
This same APC comes in another variation, an A.G. or anti-grav driven unit. This unit lifts off in a fashion similar to that of a helicopter. When this happens, the drive units swivel to maintain the direction of thrust, while the power output changes. The multi-directional drive allows for greater maneuverability than the wheeled version. Additionally, this unit uses a universal dorsal mount that widens the areas of operation.
Finally, I built a small recon vehicle to scout out all the bad guys. This scout is armed with a helmet targeted, Artificial Intelligence controlled recoilless rifle. Additionally, on the left front fender, a small laser rifle is mounted, but can be unattached for personal use by the driver. Also seen is the rear storage compartment. This is a close-up."
E-Mail Ben at buster@verinet.com or see more great pictures on his web site!
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Vehicle text and images © 1996 Ben Vaughn.
Text and background graphics © 1995 Zucaro Internet Publishing. Pause Magazine and the Pause logo are trademarks of Zucaro Internet Publishing. All rights reserved.