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Subject: 
SP1 Rebel Hunter
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Wed, 19 Mar 2003 20:43:41 GMT
Viewed: 
302 times
  
What started out as an attempt to build #6897 Rebel Hunter in SP1 colors,
eventually became a complex MLCAD project... which I have to wait a few
weeks to build in real life because I didn't actually own all the needed
parts.  Hmm.  But anyway... What I've designed, and will eventually build,
is a SP1 version of the Rebel Hunter, the design of which I have modified to
be more in keeping with the style of the SP1 sets.  It was a much more
involved redesign than I had planned; the Rebel Hunter is essentially a set
designed designed around a gimmick (the cell holding mechanism), and since
the SP1 cells work differently and even have a different traditional
location, that meant that from the cockpit backward this had to be almost
completely redesigned.  So now I look at it and wonder if I should have just
designed an original model from the ground up.  Oh, well.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~asverner/RebelHunter1.png
The Rebel Hunter, as it appeared before SP Engineering decided cells should
be big and clunky and yet not have enough room for a prisoner to straighten
out, that they should be stored in an orientation that prevents their
built-in thrusters from being useful for propulsion, and that storing them
should require an extensive, specially designed area of the ship that the
rest of the ship has to be designed around.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~asverner/RebelHunter2.png
Since the ship's shape does not change dramatically when it is carrying a
cell, it only needs four of the five landing thrusters used on the real
Rebel Hunter.  I suppose by the same argument I could have removed the
engines as well, since the bottom of a Space Lock-Up seems to count as
propulsion in 6886, 6781, and 6955, but the engines sticking out to the
sides are the Rebel Hunter's most distinguishing feature--in fact, they're
the only reason I feel like I can claim that's what this is.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~asverner/RebelHunter3.png
Here you can clearly see some of the more subtle changes I made to the
design.  The only SP1 set with a tail fin like the Rebel Hunter's is the SP
Striker, so I used the design from that set. The winglets at the nose and
the extended wedge in front are characteristic of both the Striker and its
little brother the Galactic Peace Keeper.  I also added some junk to the
wings (to say I greebled would be a gross exaggeration) since 6781 and 6986
have stuff all over their wings.  I suppose now's as good a time as any to
mention that the reason the cell doesn't have the "POLICE" patterning is
that there was no part defined for it and I didn't want to make one myself.
(It was late, I wanted sleep.)

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~asverner/RebelHunter4.png
I made a mistake in the CADing which is clearly visible in this image.  The
supports that I used have unusual extra-long studs, presumably to make them
grip monorail track more securely, and as such they will not fit snugly
against the bottom of a plate (or, in this case, the side of a bracket) like
I have them here.  It's possible to build this, of course, but the studs
won't go all the way in.  I may end up switching to angled supports,
bypassing the problem altogether.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~asverner/RebelHunter5.png
Given 6986 and 6955, I figure it's safe to say that double-sloped panels fit
SP1 design philosophy, so I used those as a replacement for the Rebel
Hunter's faceted bricks.  It's not quite as impressive, but it did provide
me with a place to put a pair of lasers to replace the ones I removed from
the sides of the cockpit.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~asverner/RebelHunter6.png
As you can see, the ship is shorter than an extended 6897, but longer than a
collapsed one.  Overall it more closely resembles the collapsed ship, which
was the idea (since the middle of the extended ship is devoted entirely to
the cell holding mechanism).

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~asverner/RebelHunter7.png
And here you can see a problem I still haven't been able to solve.  On the
real 6897 the rear engines are vertically even with the forward engines, but
on mine they're positioned slightly lower.  Not only does it not look quite
as good, but I'm sure there are some sort of negative effects on the ship's
performance or something.  On the plus side, this view also demonstrates how
the clear red panels mimic the faceted bricks.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/~asverner/RebelHunter8.png
One last comparison shot of mine and theirs, just providing a different
angle.  Now that I look at it, the tail being so far forward kinda bugs me;
the Striker only got away with it because it had such a long cockpit.  Maybe
I'll work out some sort of tail boom that will allow the tail to be in back.
Heck, I suppose I could even attach some brackets to it and solve the
low-engine problem...



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: SP1 Rebel Hunter
 
Wow Andrew....pretty cool, I think, since Space Police (I) is one of my most favorite and sought after themes! (Along with M:Tron and Blacktron). Since I'm kinda new to the posting world of Lugnet, I don't really know if someone else has done this (...) (21 years ago, 19-Mar-03, to lugnet.space)
  Re: SP1 Rebel Hunter
 
(...) Well, it looks like a good design. The Rebel Hunter was always one of my favourite sets. I have one request: could you please make the background a light colour? With that black background it's hard to see detail. Cheers, Paul (21 years ago, 19-Mar-03, to lugnet.space)

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