In Progress Â» Project Pandora

12.27.2006 Â» Concepts
/ Intro

My next project is a custom MS design
based on the PG WZC frame. I’m calling this unit
the Pandora. I still need to decide on an era
or if I even care to fit it in one. Probably post
F91 so I can justify a beam shield and short stature.

I am looking to find a good acronym
for H.O.P.E. System though to do the whole Pandora’s
Box thing. So far my favorite is HydrOxide
Polymorphic Engine

As for the design, I’m taking elements
from a lot of my favorite MS designs and fan-art
(especially WindFall and Studio Reckless) for
this. Also some queues from the Evolve Hi-Nu (hence
the extended ass and crotch) even though I’m generally
not a Hi-Nu fan at all.

Anyway, I have no sketches as the
design is in my head. I’m also playing it by ear.
Here’s what I’ve got so far. The main gimmick
feature I designed on it so far is the top of
the mid-chest which slides forward to open the
cockpit. I know the WZC does that, but I had to
make my own mechanisms. I’m also integrating magnets
under the armor for potential full armor (Full
Pithos (storage jar)) mode.

12.28.2006 Â» More
Chest Armor

I’ve gotten the basic shape of the
chest armor done. Now I just need to do clean-up
and the detail work for it. It splits up into
several pieces to allow for painting and removal.
I’ll take pics of all the seperate parts soon.
I also need to do the upper torso, but needed
the chest fleshed out first. It’s funny that I
need to do A before B before C, but I need to
first figure out what A is. Gotta love scratchbuilding.
Here’s the pics.

12.29.2006 Â» More
Chest Armor

Last night I made the boxes to add
to the shoulders and started on really cleaning-up
the chest parts before detailing. Below is a photo
of the finalizes chest shape. The chest vents
are modified extras from my MG Rick Dias.

Today I worked on the upper torso
that is connected to the chest, the crotch armor
and I started on the thigh armor. A lot of the
original WZC armor is rounded. This will be a
boxier design so much of those parts are getting
scrapped. I am still using small bits of the armor
though and just layering over it to get the shapes
I want, but allowing me to keep the same attachment
points to the frame.

01.03.2007 Â» Skirts
and Legs

Here’s the latest batch of photos
with some new body parts armored. Obviously there’s
much progress all over, but this project is so
massive that it all seems to look the same for
quite some time. These shots show the basic bare-bones
progress. These “panels” of styrene
are merely the first layer to give me something
to start building onto. Enjoy.