SWEEPING SILHOUETTE
One of the biggest features I wanted to nail on this build was the concept of variable geometry fighter wings on an articulated Zoid. Originally I was going to replace the elbow joint with a ball and socket, but it created tons of problems when extending the wing and folding it again. I opted for a simpler solution, using the original hinge, and that seems to have served the purpose well. The "trident" position (middle pic) is how I picture them set at super-cruise speed; allowing for interception at high MACH but retaining all weaponry for attack. The "spearhead" position would be for scramjet speeds. You cannot see it here, but the legs lock under the body here. The Zoid flies so fast it can control with only its canards and minute wing movements.
SCRAMJET MODE
These shots overview how the Lucht Vuur locks itself into its super-delta shape for maximum speed. Originally I wanted to create aerodynamic shrouds on the back of the Gatling guns so they would have a missile-like profile when they turned aft.
Unit Data
Classification: Lucht Vuur
Type: Dragon
Primary Mission: Interceptor
Secondary Mission: Airspace Superiority
Tirtiary Mission: Reconnaissance
Power Plant: DHI (Dynasty - High Integrity plant, Generation 2)
Chassis: 004
Crew: 1 ( pilot / minimal rank requirement: Lieutenant )
Statistics
Length: 32.5 meters (17m)
Width: 40 meters (10m)
Height: 8 meters (6m)
Mass: 60 tons (34t)
Performance
ScramBoosted: MACH 7.2
Supercruise: MACH 4 (MACH 2.8)
Land: 70 KPH
CAPABILITIES (Chassis)
The Redler Strike has many of the same characteristics of its predecessor model, but with improvements in every facet of engineering and materials. It is the fastest, and one of the most agile fliers operated by any nation, and it can operate on the ground like a great cat. The DHI-004 chassis is heavily reinforced structure can withstand maneuvers capable of killing the pilot, had he not worn a special pressurized armored suit. It is also covered with infused armor, which becomes harder and stronger with the heat of extreme velocities. The sensor defeating coating adorning the DHI-004’s armored skin makes it an extremely difficult target, and allows the Redler Strike to approach and dispatch most of its victims without so much as a hint of its existence. Should visual or thermal based trackers be employed, the DHI-004 can simply outrun most incoming projectiles, but before they can be used against the Redler Strike, it must be detected in the first place.
HISTORY
The evolution of aerial Zoids had been incremental for centuries on Zi. The original airborne Zoids were considered quite slow but were agile and had the advantage of long ranged weaponry. Later incarnations became faster or heavier, but most were developed for the role of aerial artillery. As Guylos was finalizing the designs for Gil Kaiserin, it was determined that more effort should be placed into smaller, less expensive, and straightforward Zoids to defend Nyx by interdicting with enemies approaching the borders as quickly as possible. Platforms were examined that took advantage of speed, first and foremost, but with the ability to withstand incoming fire and that could carry an effective array of weaponry. The most reliable platform that the engineers could come up with was the Redler. It was decided that the DHI-004 Lucht Vuur, "Sky-Fire," would be based on the Redler's structures but would take full advantage of all the improvements in technology.
ARMAMENT
The DHI-004 weapon load is designed to compliment its high speed, high agility form factor. The Lucht Vuur is designed to interdict with enemy forces quickly and dispatch them with weaponry designed to operate at high speeds. The secondary type of weapons carried by the DHI-004 are defensive; with such high speed as an asset, half of its weapons are designed to deture pursuit by other interceptors or incoming missiles. The Lucht Vuur also carries a rather daunting array of blades to engage enemy units in close combat as well.
"Hailstorm" 50mm Gatling Cannon (x2) – wing mounted, 90° forward arc
The primary weapon of the Lucht Vuur is the Hailstorm, a devastating Gatling cannon that sprays a target with 50mm armor piercing explosive rounds, shredding even decently armored targets at 3 km. The gun fires at a blistering rate of 6,000 rounds per minute, but with a magazine that only holds 3,000 rounds, the wise pilot will not use the weapon in sustained fire mode. Most pilots set the weapon to a limited 25-round burst to conserve ammunition.
Reflex Laser Port (x2) – wing mounted, 90° forward arc
Considered a secondary, defensive weapon, the Reflex laser consists of a combact beam weapon built into the wing of the Lucht Vuur which actually fires inside the Zoid's structure. High tempered mirrors change the beam's direction through a small turret at the elbow of the wing. The gun port can change its angle automatically to compensate for the wing's mode, allowing it to fire steadily forward or swing laterally to hit targets behind the Zoid. It is a light weapon, however, causing enough damage to take down only lighter targets at a range limited to under 5 km.
RayTech "Valor-5" Beam Cannon (x2) – wing mounted, 90° forward arc
Mounted to the inner wing joint is the Valor-5 from RayTech Industries. This is a hypercapacitor-compression beam weapon that releases an extended bolt of superheated, ionized energy that can melt or tear through medium armor at 8 km or even heavy armor within 2 km. The guns have a cooling and recharge time of 45 seconds, but because they have zero recoil the pilot can alternate them to effective double the rate of fire. Additionally, the Valor-5 is mounted on a ball joint with a huge traverse area and can be used to straffe ground targets or fire upward into the bellies of air targets without altering the pitch or yaw of the DHI-004. This feature makes the weapon an excellent choice for use when the Zoid is funtioning at supercruise or higher speeds.
"Sunsprit" 80mm Beam Burst Cannon – torso mounted, 60° vertical arc, fixed rear
Included in the Lucht Vuur's arsenal purely as an anti-pursuit cannon, the Sunsprit is a hard hitting beam cannon that releases its energy in 20 rapid fire energy based "rounds." The effect is like an energy shotgun with a range of 4 km, but considering that it fires at targets enclosing on the rear of the DHI-004, the range is often calculated in excess of 5 km. It is a tight impact area weapon and iis well suited for shooting down missiles or medium targets.
"Skydance" Missile (x3) – torso mounted, fixed forward
Chosen for their aerial agility and speed, Skydance missiles are a medium damage, medium range weapon designed to evade active defense fire when engaging a Zoid in the air, on the ground, or on the sea's surface. The missile can also be used to target incoming warheads, though it excels at the prior role. A Skydance missile travels MACH 5.4 and can detonate within 10 meters to damage a light target or impact a medium or heavy target at 16 km.
"Skydance" Missile (x4) – lateral weapon pods, torso mounted, rear arc
A later addition to the DHI-004's arsenal, two additional Skydance missiles were affixed to the torso above the hips, facing aft. The missiles can lock onto pursuing enemies or incoming missiles and are designed to be used even when the Lucht Vuur is at supercruise.
Monomolecular Edged Wing Blades (x2) – integrated construction, wings
In both close quarters and at speed, the wings of the Lucht Vuur can cause catestrophic damage. They are monomolecular (single-molecule thick) weapons capable of sundering most armor effortlessly. The wings are articulated and strong enough to combat oponents on the ground, as well. As durable as the edges are, the wings are still vulnerable to side impacts, and so they are used with reservation.
Monomolecular Edged Tail Blade – lntegrated construction, tail mounted, 240 degree arc
The tail of the DHI-004 has excellent reach and its length affords it great momentum; a combination that allows the blade to do function very effectively. Unlike the wing blades with their huge and vulnerable surface area, the tail blade is much better suited to close combat.
Monomolecular Edged Tail Spike – integrated construction, tail mounted, 240 degree arc
An improved version of the original Redler tail blade upgraded with a monomolecular edge. The weapon was included both as homage to the Zoid that gave birth to the design for the Lucht Vuur and to give an aletnative attack vector to the tail.
Hypercharged Monomolecular Bite – integrated construction, fixed forward
Not only has the same edge technology found in the wings and blades is also found in the teeth of the Lucht Vuur. The jaws, however, are shunted directly into the Zoid's Deocalcum core, allowing them to discharge enough electicity to short out and surge many Zoids long enough to give the DHI-004 a window of opportunity for a lethal strike.
SUMMARY
Stealthy and immensely fast, the Lucht Vuur is one of the most recent and terrifying Zoids to take to the air. Unlike the majority of aerial Zoids within and beyond its category, the DHI-004 carries a compliment of weapons that sets it apart... even before its MACH 7.6 Deochalcum engines do. The Zoid was an instant success on the battlefield . From what intelligence agencies can gather, it will be a terror in the skies for years to come.
FASTER THAN FAST, QUICKER THAN QUICK
The DHI-004 was conceived to be a total interceptor; something that could streak ahead of the Gil Kaiserin and pick targets apart or could interdict with threats approaching the borders of Nyx. Since we have modern unmanned aircraft like the scramjet operating X-43A that have achieved MACH 9.6 and we have a lot of suspension of disbelief in the Zoids universe where a massive dragon can acheive speeds of MACH 4, I figured it was safe to assume that there could be a Zoid that could easily achieve that envelope. I dropped the speed to a more realistic MACH 7 since this was a piloted, payload carrying Zoid. I also assumed like the actual aircraft, the boosters may easily put it over the top, but its cruise speed was far slower. Like the MiG-25 Foxbat, it would carry a few very lethal weapons to take down its prey. For the build, we'll need a Redler, then it's time to begin!
AI-2 Profile
Lucht Vuur have been described as “Little Gils” by pilots on both sides of the Guylos border. Tthey are bold and vicious, but as reconnaissance units they are also more cautious and guarded than their larger Zoid cousins. As one of the latest generation of AI-2 Zoids, the Lucht Vuur is considered entirely sentient, which sometimes leads to complications during missions if a pilot attempts to push the Zoid beyond its desires. When Gil Kaiserin called for a Zoid revolt to form their own nation, most of the Lucht Vuur joined her immediately.
SIZING IT UP
The Redler is the smallest Zoid kit I have ever attempted to customize (I doubt I'll build many models small as the EZ-007 Bloodstrike, but that wasn't a customization so much as a kit-bash). Still, it reminded me why I would rather begin with either a mint-in-box kit or one that has never had stickers applied. It took me about an hour to take apart this Redler, cut the sprue nubs from it, and then remove the stickers. But there was a bonus! The whole model had been sprayed with clear coat, too, and it took another hour to remove the clear paint with lacqure thinner. After two hours, I began to look into how I was going to chop up the torso. At first I thought such a small model should only have one cut for the middle of the body, but looking at the framing I thought it might be best to have one joint for the hip and one for the chest. I cracked open the motor and removed the internal parts, because there was no avoiding using the motor box to secure the Struxx joints in place.
A GENERAL DIRECTION
Even through the specifics were not decided yet, one thing we knew for certain was that we wanted a longer, sleeker, more angular version of the Redler. Articultaions are a given with my customs, but what to do cosmetically to match the model to the mission? Taking a hint from modern mighter aircraft, I thought it might look good to emulate the canards or control surfaces with some bladed horns. I also intended on adding shoulder pieces onto the wings and an actual jaw to the Redler so it could bite!
THE FIRST CUTS
Before I began chopping up the torso, I wanted to impliment an idea I had for the tail that would more than double itls length. First, I knew I was going to use a large Struxx joint at the base of the tail; I had originally planned on using a Bionicle joint, but the larger joint actually worked better with the silhouette. I threaded a long screw all the way through the tail's tang and half way into the joint's ball. After I had it installed I looked at the possibility of replacing the last half of the Redlern's tail with the last half of a Heldigunner's tail. It would require some creative modifications to make it flexible though.
ONLY SOLUTIONS
Articulating the tail was a bit tricky because the pieces were so narrow. I ruled out pretty much every joint that I had, but then I remembered how I made the tail for my wife's Siobhan custom: I articulated the tail with a wire running through it and bulked it up with necklace chains.
SECURE & SLIDING
The thing about doing the tail this way is that the central wire has to be affixed to the tail parts so that they can hold a pose, but the cables have to be installed so that they slip and slide through the pieces, otherwise they will bind and reduce the articulation of the tail big time. I drilled out troughs for the cables in the first and second pieces, then secured the ends of the cables in the third piece.
GETTING A LONG (TAIL)
Here are the final tail segments assembled. I still may flesh out the joints with some additional cables, but as it stands, the tail looks really long and sinewy. I've placed the removed piece of the original tail above the head where I plan to install it and to demonstrate how much longer the tail has become!
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
The low-back/hip portion of the torso... a remarkable amount of work went into this little thing! I reshaped the Struxx and carved the heck out of everything to sink the joint cups. They are screwed together, so no weakness mid-spine. Things definitely are coming together at this point.
THESE HIPS ARE SCREWED
I created one hell of a strong hip joint. I am using more screws these days, so the builds are stronger and are completed faster. Every time I sink a screw I also also secure it with Loc-Tite, so it does double duty. In this case I placed a small, flat headed screw inside the socket to secure it to the waist. Everything came together nicely. I noted the hip pin on the armor and decided to keep it at this stage rather than sanding it smooth... maybe our Redler would like some additional rear-arc weaponry?
FROM WIND-UP TO BUILT UP
I started crawling forward. This portion becomes the chest, and I have to admit there was a lot of intense measuring/re-measuring/cutting/recutting to get this piece together. I had to work inside the motor box because without it the chest is just a big, open frame. I would love to have made a core for it, but it would require more work to build than my client really wanted to pay. Once all the pieces came together they also had three screws drilled through them. These are covered by pieces of the frame later, and so the chest is very strong and looks great.
BREAKING ONE'S NECK
Moving from the chest to the neck was a bear. The larger joint was a must, but it required some serious surgery to get the shaft to insert correctly. In the end, it is one hella-strong joint! The ball I capped the lower neck with has a screw through it, making it quite strong. At this stage that lower portion still needs some work to be completed, but the brunt of the work is done.
SPLITTING IT UP
The neck, then, had to be split into two parts further; now there is a mid-neck joint and another at the base of the skull. I drove more small screws through the narrow neck in order to give it some strength. I also secured a new ball joint at the skull to enhance the Redler's field of view. The third picture, above, shows where I placed the screw inside the neck and drilled a hole into the base of the ball joint. The blue circle shows my answer for a tricky situation; there really wasn't any room to install a socket for the mid-neck joint, so I Dremeled one out and adjusted the tension with drops of LocTite.
FILLING OUT
Without all of the motorized parts in place, the sides of the Redler were essentially blank plastic rectangles. I found that the shield system grates from the LZ Panzer armor looked like they really fit in, but they left some other voids. I took an LZ Schneider piece and cut it in half, then tucked the main bit beneath the grate and the hinge from the same bit back under itself. The booster support structure from the Redler slides perfectly into place, but it, too, was blank, so I dropped an LZ hydraulic onto it. It disappears nicely into the armor cowling, which seats perfectly above the other pieces. There are only a couple of gaps I wish to plug in the back, and then the torso will be completed!
WATCH YOUR BACK
Re-purposed from my HMM Liger Zero, its tail gun seated precisely on the trimmed Redler wing frame hinge joint (which no longer fit in because the wings could not sit correctly due to the length of the torso increase with a ball joint). Though it only elevates, the new Redler is highly maneuverable, especially with joints in the torso and tail, so I figure it would give a nice, sleek, powerful defensive gun to take down tailgaters.
GETTING A BOOST
Gundam thighs as boosters? I have been looking for something to both add some powerful looking engines onto the Redler and supply a broader shoulder for the wing to attach to; these looked like they might do the trick. The boosters can rotate and flex in many ways, and the former knee joint allows the wings to sweep backward. The old knee post hole also allows for some under-wing ordinance to be mounted. At this stage I also planned on adding some real intakes to the square block at the front, since there will be nothing to obstruct them. The last shots feature the boosters in place with torso details, the tailgun, and also the in-work head. I was also playing with the original tail blade, which is seated in the tip of the new tail.
SHAKE A LEG
The left hind leg. It was a bit more difficult than larger builds because, well, there just isn't a whole lot of room to build joints. The leg had to essentially be carved into a rounded stick and the toes. The thigh had to be trimmed out to fit the Asoblocks I used to fill out the legs. These pieces also lengthen each piece of the leg, making it fit in better with the larger body. The foot worked out rather nicely. I plan to dress up the shin a bit, since it looks like a featureless block. Building the first leg took about two hours, but I whipped out the second leg in 20 minutes after I knew what I was doing.
CAPABILITIES (Performance)
The Redler Strike can supercruise at up to MACH 5, leaving even the mighty Gil Kaiserin in its wake. But this monstrous interceptor boasts a pair of Deochalcum powered scramjets that can catapult it to well over MACH 7, and it can maintain this speed for up to 10 minutes, allowing it to outrun any missile set against it. On the ground it can run at speeds averaging 90 kph. Here, too, it can use its boosters but in low power mode to run at sustained speeds of 300 kph. The Redler Strike can survive submerged, but it has almost no ability to maneuver, let alone battle, in the water.
CAPABILITIES (Combat)
The DHI-004 is the lightning that strikes the skies as the DHI-003 Dreadwing’s thunder roars across the ground. The Redler Strike is extremely capable as a fighting machine, but it is not truly intended as an infighter. Rather, its focus is on dealing precise, lethal damage at range while keeping itself well out of harm’s way. With its incredible speed it closes with a target to bring it within missile range of its target. Failing this the Redler Strike relies on its long range cannon. If it must get closer, the DHI-004 can rely on its speed and aerobatics to tear foes apart with its Gatling cannons. As a final measure, the Redler Strike brandishes a number of deadly blades that can cut close-in foes to ribbons.
ZOID PARTS
Redler
Base Kit
Heldigunner
Tail
HMM Liger Zero
Aft Cannon, Fangs
HMM Liger Zero Panzer
Torso Exhausts, Missile Racks
HMM Liger Zero Schneider
Torso Details
Gorhecks
Aft Missile Pods
Arosaurer
Canards
Brachios
Jaws
Deadborder
Wing Canons
NON-ZOID PARTS
Gundam Astray
Scramjets/Shoulders
Gundam Heavyarms
Gatling Cannons
Asoblocks
Intakes, Various Joints
Struxx
Torso Joints
Brass Pipe
Mandible
Rayon Cords
Power Cables
Kotobukia MSG - WU #2
Shoulder Armor
Soft Soap Dispenser
Shoulder Sensor Dome
Sheet Styrene
Wings, Various Details
BUILD NOTES
After having worked my way up the Zoid kit food chain (Wolvereaver to Gil Kaiserin to Supreme King Gojulas) I had gotten used to working in ever larger terms. To jump from the SKG to a Hi-1000 windup kit was actually quite the challenge. I have the same desire for full articulation, but much less space to work with. Ironically, I believe I used more screws in the Redler Strike than in the SKG!
4th Commission Build
Hours to create: 24
Articulations: 35
BUILD "FIRSTS"
First time articulating a wind-up kit
GIVE ME A BOOST
Patched up some details on the back, added some intakes to the boosters (not sure if I'm keeping them yet, but they look good), and added a 3-shot missile battery over the neck. The large, flat structure there needed something, and I figured this would be a great place for some ordinance. The Redler could streak in on an enemy position, drop to sonic speed, fire at a few ground or air units, and then accelerate back to scramjet-supercruise.
MAJOR TOOTHACHE
I decided to take a big risk; I didn’t have a spare Redler head! Starting with the head of a Brachios, I initially wanted to use the blue portion (first pic) to extend Redler's muzzle, but it just came out blocky at the nose... it also gave the head a weird, front-heavy appearance to the head and started to make it look like Geiger's Alien. I ended up going with just the teeth (photo 2). In pic 3 you can see where I had to drill a hole through the bottom of the head; the blue portions had to be sanded down to make room for the new teeth and the mandible. In pic 4 you can see I installed a brass tube (to give you an idea how little clearance there is here, that tube can be seen across the bottom of the pilot's seat! I then took the lower teeth and drilled the mandibles so I could insert an aluminum rod to use as a hinge pin; this is tightly secured with a pair of watch screws.
CHANGING HEADINGS
The head is 75% done: the muzzle needs some putty, it all needs smoothing, and I need to design some killer horn/wings. The forward sensor array was trimmed from the tail of the Heldigunner, and the pipe was taken from a TDP Deadborder that is set aside for another commission. The front teeth are from my HMM Liger Zero. All together, the new head is made from five different Zoids at this point.
GETST
Three more details I added to bulk up and coolify the spine; the first was to clip a spare Redler neck grill to fill in the gap left behind the head joint… the middle piece was transferred to the underside of the mandible. The second piece was left over from Gil Kaiserin; I cropped it to make an aerodynamic sensor system that would replace the small sensor vane and flat shoulders of the Redler. Finally, my solution for the original tail blade was to create an air brake. I clipped out a section of a spare piece of Redler armor and shaped it so that it could be mounted to the old blade and articulate for posing.
THREADING CABLES
As has become the fashion with my builds, I design them to include cables to add details and to fill in gaps in the silhouette. With Guylos Zoids, however, the pipes and cables are also reminiscent of the original Dark Zoids. Though the Lucht Vuur is a smaller build, it has cables running from neck to tail through the torso. Since this photo set, above, was taken, I also drilled out the vent holes in the shoulder armor.
SHAKE A LEG
Legs: Playing with the leg cables (might use real metal if they hang better). That part making up the "triceps" booster was cut from the original ankle. After the first two pics (both front leg), the last three showcase the rear. The rear thigh booster was cut from the original shoulder piece that teardrops from a smooth, rounded front to a stealthy square exhaust, and the hamstring detail was cut from the original front leg. I am also looking to place an armored collar around the hip because it seems to be hanging out there a bit too far for my tastes.
SPREAD YOUR WINGS
I am considering playing just a touch with what a pair of nose/chin mounted canards would look like... small blades, of course, but maybe could give it more of a barbed arrow look. Hmmmm... perhaps "barbed arrow" was a working codename for this sucker? I photographed the wings in the most common posing positions I could see for recon, intercept, and storage, however, these were just to check span and form... they don't reflect the use of the shoulder joint at all. Also, I MAY be able to mount that outermost wing/blade on a pin, like the old wing, giving it the ability to fold back even further.
ARMAMENT
One thing missing on the Redler since its inception has been ranged weapons. I wanted the Lucht Vuur to carry logical weapons for a machine built to streak at blistering speed, then engage the enemy and run. The most logical arsenal included Gatling guns for their ability to spray a target at high speed. Some jointed beam weapons would be ideal for targeting while conducting maneuvers or a high speed pass, and a few tactical missiles to offer fire-and-forget capabilities. The small guns were taken from a TDP Deadborder mounted into the muzzles of a CP-09. The Gatling cannons were supplied by a Gundam Heavyarms. The double gun was sawed in half, backed with sheet styrene, and then I attached a peg through the whole thing. To finish it off, I used a recoil cylinder from some random tank model and a piece I cut off of the Redler's legs.
DEFENSES
Now infamous on the battlefields of Zi, Guylos is seeing all production units equipped with the crystalline infused Deochalcum amror that tints its new Dark Zoids a telltale dark green. The armor's structure diffuses light forming a two-fold defense; both laser damage and light based targeting designators have reduced effects. The base Dark Armor is restructured so that the molecules compress with extreme kinetic force. Like Dark Emperor, the DHI-004 is difficult to see and light, heat and solid projectile based attacks actually make it stronger. Unlike prior designs adapated to use this armor, the Lucht Vuur is also built to withstand vibrations that would shake other Zoids apart, removing vibration-based weapons from delivering additional harm.
THE BUILD
HEAD DRESSING
I decided that the rest of the Redler had changed so much that the head needed to be further separated from the old look. Also, as I studied interceptors and experimental aircraft designs. Many of them, and many missiles, make use of canards, or forward winglets, to maintain control at high speeds. I cut a set of canards from the stability tabs from the Arosaurer's feet. I also made a set of "horn-wings" for the head to compliment the "delta dart" shape.
FINAL BUILD
At last, that final piece is glued on and the custom gets fully assembled for the first time. I was really pleased with the silhouette in all modes; the wings stretch doubl their original span, the length, too, was doubled, as was the height. I felt that it was not overgunned like some of my customs, and its flexibility provided the Zoid with 360° of protection. I am almost more please with the changes in the Lucht Vuur than I am with those of Gil Kaiserin. The taper, spines, and proportions are very similar, but the Lucht Vuur appeast faster and more tapered.
PAINT PROCESS
I do wish I could have taken the time to film the model when it was based in black, but the amount of masking meant it would take hours to unmask and remask the model. After the black coat went on it was time to spray on a coat of luminescent pain. The stuff hates my airbrushes, but it is the only way to obtain a fairly even coat. Atop the glowing paint comes a layer of clear acryllic dark green. At this stage the masking comes off and in some places it is reversed, then I paint the gunmetal that makes up the structural pieces and the burnt iron I use to do the blade eddges. My custom Guylos labels are placed on the smooth clear paint, and a few decals are also added at this point. The most tedious part of painting follows. I paint inside all of the vents and portions of the model that I want to glow; the first coat is flat white, then the lumiescent blue is traced on top of it. Only after the luminescent paint is down do I place the clear Gil Kaiserin decals atop the glowing blue arrowheads. I also dab the glowing paint atop the stickers to make them glow like the original Dark Zoid labels. Finally, after all of that, I can spray a top coat of semi-gloss. In these shots, the head almost looks like a fighter!
DEOCHALCUM DRAGON
This first test shot above shows the Lucht Vuur photographed in normal light after the application of the luminescent paint on flat black. The second shot is the same view with my black light turned on. The final image shows how the paint looks after the black light off.
GALLERIES
LUCHT VUUR vs REDLER
I had forgotten that my only copy of a Redler was a Zoids 2 version I had acquired about 20 years ago and painted the classic Zenebas Black/Red. Still, these shots give a real comparison of how much larger the custom is than the original kit. The Lucht Vuur has almost 3X the wingspan and is 2.5X longer. If model kits could be considered as stages of maturity, the Redler would be immature, the Lucht Vuur an adolescent, and Gil Kaiserin an adult!
LUCHT VUUR vs Gil Dragon
Once I had seen these two side by side I was shocked to discover that Lucht Vuur has virtually the same wingspan and is only a few inches shorter in length. I still love the Gil Dragon/Gil Vader's style, but the more I work on dragon customs, the more I really would love to see some sleeker, meaner dragon Zoids! Actually, I would love to have seen a stricly fantasy line... maybe I'll work on that.
LUCHT VUUR vs SIOBAHN
One of my first complete tear-down/rebuilds, Siobahn, faces off with my newest. The lioness is 15 tons heavier than the dragon, but their firepower and armor are almost comparable. Both rely on Gatling cannons as their primary weapons and can rely on speed and agility in close combat. If they were to meet in a confrontation, I would have to give the fight to Lucht Vuur due to its ability to shrug off weapon fire; they are similar in melee cababilites, but the Vuur would bury the Siobahn with its myriad blades and superior reach. Its missiles would be countered by the Siobahn's ability to shoot them down, and both units are limited in ammunition, but the DHI-004 also articulated beam weapons which gives it more tactival options.
LUCHT VUUR vs ERADICATOR
This match-up would be quite a scrap. The Eradicator has the advantage of range with its theater missiles, but the Lucht Vuur can evade or destroy them. By the time the Vuur is in beam cannon range, it is also in range of the Eradicator's RiPPER cannon, force howitzer, and Sunderflare thermal cannons. Even with its improved Dark Armor, those heavy weapons would whittle it down with just a few hits. In close the Lucht Vuur has an arsenal of blades and claws, but Eradicator's armor would keep it alive long enough to shred the smaller Zoid with its massive claws and teeth. Further, the Eradicator's gravity cannon could easily stun or incapacitate it. The victor would be Eradicator.
LUCHT VUUR vs HURRICANE HAWK
The only standard flying Zoid kit I have in my garage, Hurricane Hawk is really more of a F/A designated Zoid, like the F/A-18 Super Hornet. It carries bombs and missiles for ground and air targets, as well as light cannon for close-in combat. Should these two meet for a showdown, they would both prove to be nimble Zoids with decent firepower, but the Lucht Vuur's variable arc beam weapons, fore and aft-facing missiles and guns, and infused Dark Armor would spell a quick end to the Hawk.
LUCHT VUUR, GIL KAISERIN, & KING GOJULAS
Between the king and queen of Zoids the Lucht Vuur looks pretty diminutive, which is especially impressive when you consider that it has the same wingspan as Gil Dragon. Despite the differences in size, my objective was to keep the level of design and detail consistant between this series of models; hopefully I've managed to pull it off.
REAL WORLD COMPARISON
As with the Gil Kaiserin, I wanted to compare the DHI-004 to something similar, and, just like with my prior build, I happened to discover it was almost identical in one dimension; the Lucht Vuur is on;y .2 meters shorter than the Lockheed Martin SR-71. The SR-71 maintains the manned aircraft speed record (unclassified at MACH 3.32). Also, ironically, the Lucht Vuur has a similar wing area compared to the SR-71 proportional to its mass (the SR-is 76 tons to the Zoid's 60 tons)
LUCHT VUUR vs STORM HERON
The Storm Heron is a formidable Zoid in its own right, but it would be an easy kill for the most advanced interceptor yet created. Though its detection abilities could see the Lucht Vuur at range, its weapons have a limited ability to damage or destroy the dragon. The Lucht Vuur can easily evade or destroy the Heron's missiles, and retaliate with straffes from those paired Gatling cannons.
