Brick replica project: "Godphoenix" from anime "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman"
Phillip Thorne
Thursday, 4 July 2002
Wednesday, 25 August 2004

This prototype was built from memory, and upon consulting my reference images, I
discovered several features out of place.  The nosecone is red with blue deltas. 
On the dorsal fuselage ridge, the vents are located on the upper section, not the
lower.  The two lateral tailfins are red.  The window-like features on the
forward sides of the fuselage are more widely spaced.

The remaining incorrect features are due to element substitutions.  The wingtip
pods should be red-tipped and blue-tailed, but I don't have any cones or domes in
those colors.  There are LEGO tail-elements (as found in airliner sets) that
better match the delta-shape of the tailfins, but I don't own any in white.  The
nosecone is an approximation, built with high-angle slope elements (as found in
the castle sets and 7186-"Watto's Junkyard").

The blue wing-sections are from the MegaBloks 9743-"Blue Thunder" set; they're
analogous to the common LEGO element, usually found only in white, grey, and
black.  The red wing-stripes I'm not entirely happy with; they're 1x8 tiles,
attached at only end.

phoenix_011a.jpg      - Above forward left
phoenix_012a.jpg      - Above aft left - engine exhausts
phoenix_013a.jpg      - Left profile
phoenix_014a.jpg      - Forward: tricycle landing gear

Just aft of the nosecone is a "ruffed" section consisting of three louver-like
structures.  The following photos illustrate my experiments, attached to a common
testbed spine.  Most of them consist of plates on hinges.  Changing the stud-axis
(from the "standard" orientation used in most of the model, to "sideways" for the
louvers and "forward" for the nosecone) is achieved via (a) a 4x2x2 stud-sided
brick and (b) pegs plus Technic hole-plates.

phoenix_neck_011a.jpg -
phoenix_neck_012a.jpg -
phoenix_neck_013a.jpg -

August 2004 -- Added photos of revised version exhibited at BrickFest 2002.
Wingtip pods now longer.  Curves of upper fuselage more refined.  Alternating
light/dark grey slopes to imply upper louvres.  New landing gear.

phoenix_205c.jpg etc.

The reference images have been acquired from multiple "Gatchaman"/"Battle of the
Planets" fan websites.

phoenix_ref_01.jpg    - Left profile
phoenix_ref_02.jpg    - Above forward left
phoenix_ref_03.jpg    - Above aft left
phoenix_ref_04.jpg    - Above aft, with humans alongside
phoenix_ref_05.jpg    - Below forward left, with VTOL jets in action
phoenix_ref_06.jpg    - Below forward left with nosecone retracted