custom classics Combaticon Blast Off
This was the most problematic Combaticon for me.... it was made from an Astrotrain (not many choices for space shuttles in the Classics line) but I wanted to tweak it so it'd stand out from Astrotrain.
It was inspired by another custom I've seen but I didn't keep a record of who did it. All I have is a print out of the custom, so if it's you, kudos to you.
http://i45.tinypic.com/d7hpu.jpg
As you can guess it's Astrotrain's train mode turned into a space shuttle. To me it kinda looks like Fan Project's not-Blast Off.
There weren't any major modifications required but a lot of minor tweaks. In no particular order:
Astrotrain space shuttle cockpit removed.
New feet added - these are the heels from a junker Cyberton Blaster! They were about one millimetre too narrow so I had to shave down the posts inside the legs. I kept Astrotrain's cockpit wheel struts to act as heels.
Wings unpinned, new hole drilled in the bracket and wings reinserted. This was done because I didn't want Blast Off to have the wings up behind his shoulders like the Seekers and Astrotrain. Having the wings down by his legs gives him his G1 look. However, the wings in their normal position would have been too long for him to stand, so I had to move them up 2-3cm.
All the wheels removed. Gah, so many metal pins....
New head added. It's the commander head from a PCC Bombshock. I had to glue it on after grinding down the minicon port on the back of its head. Astrotrain's head pin was too wide for the head to fit on. There wasn't enough room in Bombshock's head to drill it out to accommodate it, and Bombshock's original head pin was too small.
Astrotrain's tail was moved from his chest to the back of his wing arrangement.
http://i45.tinypic.com/n770h.jpg
There is a gap between Blast Off's engines and the back of his space shuttle. This is to accommodate his feet. I could have left them off but I felt it would help his shuttle mode to have them. The engines swing around on to the back of his wings. Unfortunately they do hinder Blast Off's leg movements, but it's fine for display. I had thought of trying to use some hinges to glue the wings direct on to the legs, but I wasn't sure that would work.
http://i49.tinypic.com/99ph6q.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/10r8o7k.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/2edniu0.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/ztvexz.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/2va00g8.jpg
The only Combaticon left is Vortex, which I think is going to be easy to do (hello Tomahawk!). The only problern is deciding what legs to use....
Oh and no plans for combining the team yet.
