R2-2E Starts Here

Having decided on #3, I had to come up with a plan for a scheme.  I haven't done R2-D2 and keep thinking i should.  But it is just so BORING!  So after a lot of browsing and looking at all the cannon astromechs, i decided there was room for a few more, and that i would do my own.

I chose the black and orange X-Wing from TFA as my inspiration, and did a very lose colouring in job.  Then the CG legend that is Paul J Wiz Johnson worked his magic and this is what he will look like.

He quickly got referred to as 'Juice' and i think that name will stick.  But R2-2E is the chosen name.

I am amazed at the difference in the club.  It only took a few weeks to get EVERYTHING for a dome.  Brilliant. :)  So with all the bits in hand i couldn't resist starting. :)

I attacked the base assembly in the following order.

1.  Removed panels and prepped both layers of the dome.

2.  Clamped the domes together to get best alignment and fitted the front and rear HP to lock the dome.

3.  Fit Radar Eye.

4.  Clamp in HP pie then fit top HP.

5.  Fit logics, moving slightly to make the outer spacing of the panels work.

6.  Fit ia-parts.com PSI holders, again aligning the outer panels.

7.  Fit Dome Bumps.

I soon got to a point where i could do little more without some bits.  For this droid, im aiming to only buy cosmetic parts via runs, and to make the rest myself, always looking at things fresh, and taking what ive seen and learnt into account.  Also im fed up with cheap servos, i hope that by using Savox servos will make him last a lot longer. (Although, 4 years of Twitching on BHD with 4 fails from 17 servos and all recent, isnt too bad really.)

I needed to design the following parts:
1.  HP Mechs - Single axis anti twist.
2.  Hinges - Fit to the dome, using a lot of the concepts used on X2.
3.  Electronics mount.
4.  Slip ring connector / Electronics docking.
5.  Dome fastening of some kind.  Studs, or similar to keep the dome on.