Above is my third CASE-2X Mod 1 variant standing pose mostly completed. I say mostly because I need to restore detail lost from the conversion. Delayed by illness impacting my ability to work due to the pain in my wrists.
It's a bitch.
Again, the model is poseable. So the torso twists, the arms and head can move using magnetized ball joints.
Though I've yet to assemble the missile pack the model is largely complete.
Still feeling a bit rough from Covid, so this is just a compilation of pictures taken so far with this project, which by comparison, made the conversion I did for the Hunter running pose seem like a piece of cake.
There was just so much fettling to make the pose work.
When one cuts a casting apart to rebuild it, what one finds is how much is wonky with the sculpt. Nothing is truly square or symmetrical, and well this just makes everything more difficult.
Nowadays, with digital sculpting this would not be a problem
However, digital sculpts can end up looking lifeless, which takes a really good artist to add life back into the finished product.
Also, for this conversion I wanted to mount a gauss rifle, as described in Bad Dog.
So, I assembled some parts to make a nice chunky, but not too oversized model. I used a Rapid Fire Bazooka from the Dream Pod 9 1/144th range as the base on which to mount a combination of original RAFM weapon parts.
As before, there's still some detailing work to finish this conversion, which is delayed by my ongoing infection leaving me a bit ragged around the edges.
Still, I'm pretty pleased with the repose.
After gathering a bunch of a parts I eventually got around to assembling my kneeling CAS-3-Mod 1 Ape. I changed out the yellow part in the picture above for another for this conversion.
After drilling to magnetize the torso, I found that the body couldn't turn because it interfered with the raised plates on legs. Hence the photo on the right showing how I rebuilt the parts so that the torso would clear the plates, which I really shouldn't have had to do because this was sculpted as a kneeling Gear.
So, I bit the bullet and re-sculpted the lower torso top, and corrected
the mismolded lower torso.
Finally, with that corrected, I could finish the conversion. As you can see I've added some stowage.
I have some old RAFM weapons, quite a few in fact, but some of the weapons are ridiculously large. Hence the substitution of the new Heavy Grenade Launcher from the current Dream Pod 9 1/144th range.
I decided to make the torso on this version a recon specialist variant inspired by the Ape suits that in my novel Strike Dog.I used a part from the current Kodiak from Dream Pod 9.
My plan is to make six mechs given that each half of the detachment was a
mirror of the other. So, this model represents either Sergeant Mary
Lewis, communications, or Sergeant Miguel Sanchez, communications from my novel Strike Dog.
Combat Armor Suit Detachment Alpha 5136
Captain Anthony Downey, detachment commander
Master Sergeant Campbell, operations and team sergeant
Staff Sergeant Morales, combat engineer
Sergeant Mary Lewis, communications
Sergeant Schmidt, medical
Sergeant First Class Frank Radoslovich, weapons
Chief WO1 Andrew McAdams, assistant detachment commander
Sergeant First Class Thomas Nguyen, assistant operations and intelligence
Staff Sergeant Julia King, combat engineer
Sergeant Miguel Sanchez, communications
Sergeant Daniel Robinson, medical
Staff Sergeant Juan Espera, weapons
And yes, this means I working on three more CAS-3 Ape conversions.
Still some final detailing to finish, which is going be delayed because after three and a half years of avoiding catching COVID19 I've tested positive. To say I feel ill only scratches the surface, and I can't remember being this ill in over forty years.
Guess it sucks to be me.
We've seen some of these Girls und Panzer episodes and they're all a hoot to watch.
For those who like to play wargames then TooFatLardies What a Tanker would be perfect for recreating a Girls und Panzer campaign.