aeralure Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) Location: Sorn (B06) Tags: Kawashita, Airplane, Spaceship, Sorn, B06 Flying Dragon Aera’s Diary Junali 29, 3815 Sorn Second week on Sorn. Endless hours of sun dancing in the waves below. Days pass. Everything runs together. All I can see is blue and the constant flashes of light. I close my eyes and lie back in my bunk. I am still soaring over the water. Lips parched from the salt air I squeeze my bottle dry and throw it to the floor. We are stationed on some rock that’s not much different from the others I have flown over. There’s nothing here, but there is beauty in austerity. The sky meets the water someplace on an infinite horizon. Two lovers, arms outstretched, always just out of reach. The emptiness of this place fills your soul. I’ve felt a peace and tranquility here that I have rarely known. Between missions I lose myself in reports. My hands shake from the stims. Long hours spent on classified work and longer hours in the air searching for the enemy. I try to get some sleep. Feels like the first I have had in days. ::: Start transmission ::: Blackhawk: Aera? Aera do you copy? Aera: Blackhawk... Glad to have you here with us. You've been a great help! Blackhawk: It’s about time my luck has turned for the better. Ow! Aera: ??? Blackhawk: I hit my foot on the panel. Broke it when the torpedo fell on it during mission prep. Aera: ... Blackhawk: I’ve encountered a Mantis patrol and I’ve engaged them. I have things under control here, but I spotted their main convoy. I’m sending you the coordinates. Aera: Alright! I’ve got just the thing! Save some for me! Blackhawk: I don’t think that’s going to be a problem… ::: End transmission ::: My heart races as I run through the hall. This is what I'm here for. So many days of searching have come to an end. It's time to see what we are up against. I’ve given my team the Reppū fighters. We’ve brought the big guns to Sorn - the Hiryū! A heavy assault bomber, this thing means business and I aim to make good use of it! Kawashita KB-66 Hiryū (飛龍, "Flying Dragon”) Seen on the front lines of most Kawashita assault operations, the Flying Dragon is an anti-cruiser bomber that sees double duty as an air-to-ground platform planet side. Housing no less than 6 Kawashita KE-280 engines, the Flying Dragon earns it's title as one of the most powerful sub-cruiser class ships in Kawashita's service. Featuring 8 hardpoints, a large payload area, 2 double-barreled blasters, 2 disruptors, 2 nose-mounted cannons and 4 rear-facing gatlings there is little it cannot handle. Variable position wings give the Flying Dragon a mode each for bombing and strafing priority and it's heavy armor ensure it's survivability. Although improved in strafing mode, the turning radius is quite wide, giving rise to the running joke among Kawashita pilots: "Just point it in one direction and shoot. Nothing will remain in your way and won't need to turn!" The long-rumored KB-66C finally nears production and claims to improve maneuvarbility substantially, adding additional verniers on the wings as well as improving the engine timing software. Additionally, the KB-66C adds a second rear facing cockpit for a weapons master position. These improvements and others expect the Flying Dragon to continue it's place on the front lines of Kawashita service. Bombing mode. Strafing mode. Rear engine housing. Landing gear down. Details. Rear profile - bombing mode. Rear profile - strafing mode. Top view along with Reppū in scale. Design notes: Had a lot of fun with this! A bomber at some point was in the plans. When trying to come up with an idea of what to build this week I was setting pieces on the base in LDD and was drawn to the big 1x1x6 slope. Everything started with that part - it became the engine housing and then informed the rest of the design. I knew the name for the bomber from having researched names for the Reppū, so once I knew I was building it I wanted a long neck and a bigger "head" as well as dual wings to try and capture a bit of the name in the design. Edited June 29, 2015 by aeralure Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zaael Posted June 29, 2015 That's an awesome bomber! Glad it isn't in Octan airspace... Not that it would have flown long there, but still. Good job! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackhawk STX Posted June 29, 2015 Awesome. And huge! Glad I had that backing me up! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NuckElBerg Posted June 29, 2015 Great job Aera, I love your planes/jets! The only thing I wonder is... why is there a hole in the back of its "neck"? Also, can we get a picture of it in strafing-mode from behind? I really like the engine housing, kinda reminds me of the Starslip Arc from Starslip Crisis (webcomics by Kris Straub)! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 29, 2015 That's an awesome bomber! Glad it isn't in Octan airspace... Not that it would have flown long there, but still. Good job! One wonders. Thanks for the kind words! Awesome. And huge! Glad I had that backing me up! Anytime, my friend! Great job Aera, I love your planes/jets! Thanks! The only thing I wonder is... why is there a hole in the back of its "neck"? I had three main parts, not including the various wing parts. There was a long "neck" section for the fuselage and as I was making it it was developing into two long rails. I thought it looked pretty cool and the hole is a vestige of it's original form I kept. It got a bit more filled in when I decided to extend the cockpit greebling as well as add a little preceding the rear housing. I then also extended the space used by the variable wings where they attached, making the fuselage look not as long as before. Can still see the black running down the inside of the rails. I didn't fully fill it in as I got to liking how it looked with space there. A future planned version adds a second cockpit. I may lengthen the neck a little bit for that one, in order to fir the rear facing cockpit, and then I'll address that area again. It's a curious design decision, agreed, but I liked it given the open "rails" quality of the rear engine housing. Also, can we get a picture of it in strafing-mode from behind? I really like the engine housing, kinda reminds me of the Starslip Arc from Starslip Crisis (webcomics by Kris Straub)! Sure, I can do that! There's plenty more pictures and I didn't add them all. It's now in there in the spoilers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kodan Black Posted June 29, 2015 It seems rather frail with that giant open hole between the cockpit and wings area. Looks a bit like something fell off... but overall it has a really nice shape and design to it. I too find myself seeing a part or a shape and then figuring out what to build based on that. Inspiration can come from many places! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 29, 2015 (edited) It seems rather frail with that giant open hole between the cockpit and wings area. Looks a bit like something fell off... but overall it has a really nice shape and design to it. I too find myself seeing a part or a shape and then figuring out what to build based on that. Inspiration can come from many places! It's actually very strong in that section build-wise, but if you mean taking a hit in combat, well, I would have to apply handwavium in the interest of coolness! Something I'll revisit in the C version because the fuselage is the main part that needs redesign to fit a second cockpit. I don't want to extend the "head" as I'm really happy with that shape - the second cockpit will sit in the area where the forward greebling is, and then I'll go down the fuselage and see if I want to keep the rail idea. I think probably. I know what you mean though about looking like a part having fallen off. The reason these are not rendered is at the moment my getting from LDD to POVRay is precipitous. Usually ends up with some decent percentage of parts missing and a need to rebuild in Bricksmith - which I haven't had time to do. So yeah, it looks about like that. Might be because the rail concept is not extended all the way up the neck anymore, given some fill in. May decide to fill in between the wings and extend the open rails idea in the neck area further in the C version. The only part that stayed open in this design was in between the wings. Open to opinions/comments on that of course, or any other part of the build. I really do enjoy how more often than not one part sets you off down the path to inspiration and surprise. I've always loved that about Lego. Edited June 29, 2015 by aeralure Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kodan Black Posted June 29, 2015 It's actually very strong in that section build-wise, but if you mean taking a hit in combat, well, I would have to apply handwavium in the interest of coolness! My practical mind considers the issue of fatigue when subjected to stress during duty cycles. I'm sure the Unobtanium it is made out of never fatigues though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 29, 2015 My practical mind considers the issue of fatigue when subjected to stress during duty cycles. I'm sure the Unobtanium it is made out of never fatigues though. We think alike on both counts. Probably I will fill in between the wings as mentioned above and slide the open space forward into the neck behind the second cockpit on the C version, thus satisfying practical considerations while maintaining Unobtanium spread throughout in other areas in smaller doses. Can't use too much of that stuff in one place, otherwise you may run foul of Handwavium Dissodance. Perhaps that version will make a cameo in some other build so we can see it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zepher Posted June 29, 2015 Yeah, agreed about the gaps, but other than that some superb and unique shaping! Love the area around the engines with those curves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sal Posted June 29, 2015 Whoa, M.A.N.T.I.S. needs to beef up its military capabilities ASAP if that's the sort of thing we're up against! Awesome build! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rodiziorobs Posted June 30, 2015 I love the smooth shape of it (and its predecessors), and how that contrasts against the awesome greebles behind the cockpit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccoyed Posted June 30, 2015 You do the industrial-meets-clean look that Star Wars is famous for so well, Aeralure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 30, 2015 Yeah, agreed about the gaps, but other than that some superb and unique shaping! Love the area around the engines with those curves. Thanks! I really enjoyed that. It started on the one big curved brick piece... and then it just kept going. Whoa, M.A.N.T.I.S. needs to beef up its military capabilities ASAP if that's the sort of thing we're up against! Awesome build! See you in the "friendly" skies! Thanks Sal! I love the smooth shape of it (and its predecessors), and how that contrasts against the awesome greebles behind the cockpit. Thanks! I enjoyed that greebling back there. I set a precedent on the Reppū so now all my Kawashita planes need it. You do the industrial-meets-clean look that Star Wars is famous for so well, Aeralure. Thanks! Wanting to build us a cool fleet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike S Posted June 30, 2015 Awesome bomber! I like how the wings can position at different angles and also really like the rectangular design of the tail fins! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 30, 2015 Awesome bomber! I like how the wings can position at different angles and also really like the rectangular design of the tail fins! Thanks Mike! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andromedas Gates Posted June 30, 2015 The judges awarded you 5 points. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Commander Turtle Posted June 30, 2015 Great bomber Aeralure, very proud of our team this week Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted June 30, 2015 Great bomber Aeralure, very proud of our team this week Me too! And thanks Commander Turtle! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LucasLaughing Posted July 3, 2015 Cool bomber! I really like how you did the wings, and the cockpit has a lot of cool details as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted July 3, 2015 (edited) Cool bomber! I really like how you did the wings, and the cockpit has a lot of cool details as well. I really enjoyed the wings on this one too. There's details in the cockpit that cannot be seen due to the placement of the wedge plates. The seat is fully adjustable and there are other controls and a keyboard in there. I probably should have included a shot of that, but I have added a couple detail shots here for you to check out. Glad you enjoyed it! Cockpit detail Wing detail Edited July 3, 2015 by aeralure Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LittleJohn Posted July 6, 2015 Fantastic bomber! The engines and cockpit look great Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aeralure Posted July 6, 2015 Fantastic bomber! The engines and cockpit look great Thanks! I really had fun with this one. Look down the road for the C version - it will have an additional rear facing cockpit and modifications through the fuselage area. Maybe some tweaks throughout as well. It won't be a featured build as I have done that here, but it will sneak an appearance in somewhere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
