aeralure Posted June 13, 2015 (edited) Location: A07, Lesser Direstan Tags: Kawashita, Spaceship, Airplane, Lesser Direstan Kawashita KS-78 Reppū (烈風, "Strong Gale") Technical Notes: Designed as an upgrade to the venerable Kawashita KS-47 Shōkaku (翔鶴, “Flying Crane”), the Kawashita KS-78 Reppū is a multi-purpose fighter escort capable of operating in all environments. Boasting a broader wingspan than its predecessor and making use of a pair of the new, more powerful KE-199 engines, the Reppū has more varied ordinance options, given more hard points. The fighter has additional storage space allows it to take part in reconnaissance and exploratory missions as well. The Reppū is fast becoming a favorite among Kawashita pilots. Still, there are adherents to the Shōkaku citing more nimble behavior in close-quarter dogfights. Aera’s Diary: We began arriving on Lesser Direstan a few days ago. Right away the planet struck me as unique with it red and white vegetation. It’s truly bizarre to be surrounded by bright red and slivers of white as far as the eye can see. We’ve mostly been on patrols and doing recon missions - getting eyes on new locations, escorting transport ships - these kinds of things. They say there’s a lot of alien activity here, but where we’ve been stationed I’ve yet to see anything. There’s reports of huge creatures that fly in the upper atmosphere. Dangerous as that sounds, that’s something I’d like to see with my own eyes. We came here with the new K78’s. I love this thing! Everything we’ve been asking for seems to have come through with this design. It’s rare as a pilot not to have to ask for many performance tweaks. Aki will be happy I’m off his case and he can focus simply on maintenance!! \(^-^)/ We’ll see how it holds up, but so far it’s a dream come true. I think Kai sleeps in his. I swear, I rarely see him out of its sight! Scramble alert! Seems a team got pinned down encountering aliens while out surveying and we are close enough to respond. Orders have come through to lay down some suppressing fire so they can get out of there. Guess I’ll be seeing some of this world’s alien life after all! Comments: My first MOC on these forums and my first build after quite a long hiatus from Lego. A bigger project than I anticipated, but I had an image in my head of what I wanted since I first started reading about AG last week, so I wanted to try and build it. Some things were challenging, but I had fun and I learned a lot. There’s still more to do and more that I had in mind, but I’m quickly running out of time. I’m rebuilding my Lego collection from scratch - slowly - so I’m starting with digital work. There’s been a learning curve, but thanks to some kind posters here I’m successfully able to render on my Mac. I did, however, run into a part error and it simply won’t render the part properly - it’s twisted and out of shape. Looks too weird to post that way. I need to troubleshoot. Could just be that part, or maybe a new version is out there somewhere. As a result, this week’s build needs to be shown as LDD screenshots. I’m really disappointed about that - I hope that’s ok! I didn’t wish to miss this week trying to fix it. This is still a WIP - until it isn’t - but it’s complete enough now to be my entry for this week. As there was a last minute sortie, I may put up some images showing the air-to-ground load out. I may also update with an image or two of a complimentary element of the scene I was originally going to do with this (but now being unable to render this week, I’m not sure about that). So stay tuned for possible tweaks and updates! Hope I did everything right and hope you enjoy. More images hidden behind the spoiler. ~ iku Kawashita! Various angles. Cockpit and greebling details. In its grounded state, wings up and landing gear deployed. Some of the ordinance to choose from. And, I got this render to actually work! The loadout taken when helping Dragonfire. Edited June 14, 2015 by aeralure Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kodan Black Posted June 13, 2015 That is a really great fighter with a lot of greebling. I know what it is like having to get back into it. Most of my stuff is from the 80s/90s. I'm still wrapping my head around SNoT! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LittleJohn Posted June 13, 2015 Excellent work! The greebling is great and I love the cockpit area Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
narbilu Posted June 13, 2015 Awesome fighter jet! Good job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pombe Posted June 13, 2015 What a beautiful design! I love the shape, the greebling, the folding wings, and the land gear! I also love your story and how you helped save Dragonfire and his team! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackhawk STX Posted June 13, 2015 I WANT ONE!!!! No, seriously... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dragonfire Posted June 13, 2015 Nice - reminds me of the Star Wars Z-95 Headhunter - a great set. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 14, 2015 That is a really great fighter with a lot of greebling. I know what it is like having to get back into it. Most of my stuff is from the 80s/90s. I'm still wrapping my head around SNoT! Thanks! I had fun with the greebling. One of the things I knew at the outset - I wanted a lot of it. Put it on the nose, left the engines largely uncovered. Think I could have done even more though - the wings have none as of yet. That's one of the really weird things getting back into Lego now (in addition to starting over with parts) - the build techniques are far more advanced. I was a bit concerned about that. I still have a lot more to figure out, but it's also a great deal of fun to learn. Excellent work! The greebling is great and I love the cockpit area Thanks! The cockpit was particularly fun. I chose the canopy as the first build step and built the nose and other parts from that - but - when I came back to do the cockpit proper the minifig didn't fit! Prompted all sorts of changes. Sitting the minifig deeper into the plane made her arms hit the sides of the allotted space so I had to rework the way it was built, widening the interior and increasing the overall body height. I was determined to make the droid arm front screen stay in the design though as I liked the mechanical look it gave. I had made that bit before the cockpit and liked that part in particular. Awesome fighter jet! Good job. What a beautiful design! I love the shape, the greebling, the folding wings, and the land gear! I also love your story and how you helped save Dragonfire and his team! Kind words both of you. Thank you! There were a few things I wanted before I even started work on it - long, narrow nose with forward swept wings, a wide wingspan with folding wings as a functional necessity (I always liked the Corsair and carrier-based fighters from WWII), working landing gear, thin profile, large wing lasers with oversized twin turbines as compared to the size so as to yield exceptional thrust, downswept wings a la a Romulan warbird (was always partial to them as well as birds of prey in general). There was some old FASA miniature I had that likely influenced me as well. Blackhawk will know what it was. I can't remember lol. Shape, downswept wings and a bird-like thin-ness with huge wings - that was kind of the plan. Had to change some for this reason or that during the build, but maybe I came close. The ship took on a bit more size as a I built so now the engines aren't quite as massive as the originally were. I plan to try again with other ideas. I saw Dragonfire's post as I was making mine and thought, yeah, Aera's going to get the call for that as it literally happened right as I was doing mine. Synchronicity. I WANT ONE!!!! No, seriously... That could be arranged as you know where I live. Nice - reminds me of the Star Wars Z-95 Headhunter - a great set. It does, yeah. Inevitable, I think, given what I was going for. I even put some X-wing style blasters on the wings with further adds to it. I could change their style if I wanted to try and break away from that association (and I'm not sure I could, given the result), but I really like the Headhunter design as it hits a number of my buttons so I'm happy with paying homage anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NuckElBerg Posted June 14, 2015 Great ship! Reminds me a lot of an X-wing (which is not a bad thing )! Great greebling (I just learned a new word!), love the functionality, such as the foldable landing gear and wings! Really great first build, Kawashita welcomes you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shmails Posted June 14, 2015 That ship is greebletastic! (there is another new word for you NuckElBerg!) The colors, the scale, and all the details make this a serious spacecraft! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 14, 2015 Designed some of the ordinance options and placed a shot of that and the loadout taken when helping Dragonfire into the spoiler. Great ship! Reminds me a lot of an X-wing (which is not a bad thing )! Great greebling (I just learned a new word!), love the functionality, such as the foldable landing gear and wings! Really great first build, Kawashita welcomes you! Does, doesn't it? Lol. Not really intended (outside of the wing-mounted blasters - just knew I needed something out on the end there for visual balance) but it sure worked out that way! And thanks! I'm happy to be here. I had a lot of fun working out various issues in the build and trying to work it out for myself. One of the great things about a game like this involving builds and I'm happy to be contributing what I can to Kawashita. That ship is greebletastic! (there is another new word for you NuckElBerg!) The colors, the scale, and all the details make this a serious spacecraft! Greebletastic? I love it! Good word lol. Was indeed what I was trying to go for. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sal Posted June 14, 2015 Fantastic build, especially since you've just come back Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackhawk STX Posted June 14, 2015 Do I know which Romulan ship you're talking about? The only thing that comes to mind is the Romulan Winged Defender (which was a friggin' awesome design!), though it had up-swept wings. Still, not a bad source for inspiration! Always was my favorite Romulan ship. May have to try to make a lego version sometime... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Commander Turtle Posted June 14, 2015 This is ace! May you serve Kawashita well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 15, 2015 Do I know which Romulan ship you're talking about? The only thing that comes to mind is the Romulan Winged Defender (which was a friggin' awesome design!), though it had up-swept wings. Still, not a bad source for inspiration! Always was my favorite Romulan ship. May have to try to make a lego version sometime... You do! See? I knew you'd remember. That is the one. I had forgotten the name AND, apparently, that it had upswept wings and not downswept. It's no good. It was a long time ago. Ironically, it's the Klingon Bird of Prey and not the Romulan ships that had downswept wings. That Winged Defender though still was my favorite Romulan design. Going to have to look it up for old time's sake. Maybe draw a little inspiration. This is ace! May you serve Kawashita well. Thanks! Honored to be here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zaael Posted June 15, 2015 Very nice ship! Are the blueprints for sale? Octan would pay handsomely! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boxerlego Posted June 15, 2015 WOW! Excellent work on everything behind the Spaceship Strong Gale especially for your First build! There is impressive level of details going on here from the technical write up to the build it self! Very well done! I like how you designed engines on this! Looks very agile and tough. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccoyed Posted June 15, 2015 Awesome build. Don't worry about the SW feel of it, since it's hard to avoid when SW has been so influential for so long. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 15, 2015 Very nice ship! Thanks! Are the blueprints for sale? Octan would pay handsomely! Hmm. Alas, I am loyal to Kawashita. WOW! Excellent work on everything behind the Spaceship Strong Gale especially for your First build! There is impressive level of details going on here from the technical write up to the build it self! Very well done! I like how you designed engines on this! Looks very agile and tough. Kind words. Thank you! Awesome build. Don't worry about the SW feel of it, since it's hard to avoid when SW has been so influential for so long. Thanks! Yeah, I figured I was in for it using X-wing style wing-mounted guns, but, how could I not?? They just looked "right" once I put them on there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Greeble Posted June 15, 2015 Nice, sleek shape. I'd love to see this in real bricks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 15, 2015 Nice, sleek shape. I'd love to see this in real bricks! Me too! Was always my wish. It's just being short on bricks right now, having just returned to Lego recently - completely brickless - it had to be digital. I didn't have time to get the bricks in. I'll update this topic in a couple weeks with new pictures once it's built, as I fully intend to do that. Eventually, once I build a few digital things I submit here I'll have an assortment of things to choose from to start building with real bricks again. That's the plan anyway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andromedas Gates Posted June 16, 2015 The judges awarded you 4 points. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 17, 2015 Parts on the way to make this build a reality, as asked for by a few and desired by myself (I need a pool of parts anyway, so can of course use what's here as a basis to build something else). I'll update the pictures anew with the real build for those who are interested. Also, many thanks to the judges for such a timely turnaround and the staff for running AG! I had a lot of fun my first week. Too much, I think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike S Posted June 17, 2015 Excellent build! Love all the details you put into this. And also like the payload accessories you created as well. Nice touch! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
