Redscout MkII WIP

What with the global pandemic going on, I've found myself with a lot more spare time. So! Barrelling ahead with this project then. This is just a work in progress - a low detail mock-up of the next of our Zoids - the Redscout MkII.

A squirrel Zoid! I was beaten to the punch by Tomy themselves when I first designed this Zoid. The official squirrel Zoid (a flying squirrel no less) is the Savinga. As you can see, this Zoid is very flexible, capable of standing on two or four legs.

I've built a very simple rig to be able to check these poses, and see what needs to be extended, trimmed or redesigned to make the Redscout look cool in both poses. I've done general movement tests, and with the exception of a few hydraulic cylinder positions, everything looks good to go.

This Zoid will be lightly armed and armoured, and functions as a scout. Quick, manoeuvrable and with a suite of sensors, the Redscout will be able to get in, check things out and get out again before missiles, bullets and charged energy beams go a-flyin'.  

 

Like the Blitz Panther and Demonwing, this re-design sticks much closer to the anatomy and general shapes of the animal it is based off. In this case, a red squirrel. Smaller, redder and endangered, red squirrels are native to the UK. Here you can see my design process - drawing armour and mechanics directly onto reference photography in a way that matches the form while making sense in a sort of fictional engineering way. Also making sure I retain what I like from the MkI.

Next step: detail modelling.