RGM-Commander Concept (Part I)

Dealing with Dirt: Gundams and Hovertanks

For the past few months, I've been working on adapting the RX-92LAS G-Commander concept to a GM, mass production design.

A lot of Gundam units focus on Space combat, but not a lot is explored for ground or underwater gear. Need to power through space? Just add some boosters, a weapons' rack and some claws...and voila! Dendrobium.



But what about dealing with the ground? Like sand, dirt, marsh, forest...running is hard on the joints, especially for robots. Outside of tanks, hovercrafts, mobile bases and select Zeon MA, the EFSF/EFGF haven't really pursued a solution for their MS ground units for extended missions. I like the concept of mobile suits (MS) donning "armor" to navigate more difficult terrain, kind of like Grendizer's Spazers.



G-Commander is based around Nu-Gundam, which is (simply) a high end unit: one of a kind, ace pilot use, expensive to produce, high tech weaponry, and a super weapon. Not only is G-Commander a hover tank, but it also incorporates remote MS drones to assist it during operations.

GM Commander

What if G-Commander was mass produced? What would it look like? Well, it would probably incorporate some type of GM, Ball and spare parts from around that time. I did some searching and found that Gravestone came up with their own version of the GM Commander concept. Frankly, this custom piece looks amazing! But here is how my concept is different:

• Must use some type of RGM-79 as the base unit (see variants RGM-79C, D and G)
• Must incorporate RB-79 Ball as drones
• As much as possible, utilize non-Gundam and non-specialized equipment
• use spare model parts that I already have or buy extra parts really cheaply!
• Keep the 'grunt' feel: one beam saber instead of two
• Restrict parts/weaponry to UC 0079-0083

Why the era restraint? Well, the RX-79 [G] Gundam Ground was used in 0079, the Xamel in 0083--ground/Earth terrain warfare was a still a big deal during this time, and technology was still in it's testing phase. So with the background established, let's move on to some of my conceptual designs.

Version 1

Proportions, with drones

 
After brainstorming spare parts that I had (or planned on acquiring), I sketched out Version 1. Like the original G-Commander, the leg units are out front and housed in a propulsion/float unit. I thought of using Gundam Virtue's legs for this. on the chest unit, there are cannons that pop up (like ALEX's gattling guns). The back of the unit is the torso and machine guns from G-Cannon. The boosters (lower left) are from old shields, sliced in half. 

I wasn't very fond of the leg units hanging out in front of the body...it just seemed unbalanced. The 

original design has a GIANT rear skirt, which didn't seem like it fit with my design. I roughed out a simple concept sketch, blocking out the proportions of everything.


The top sketch is the side view, back to front, and the bottom is the front view. The round things are the drones, one on each side. The drones also need to be modified to function as rotating turrets/artillery units and disconnect as remote drones. 

I visited my parent's house a month ago to raid my model stash, hunting for the parts that I needed. I found the gattling guns and some GM units to kitbash with. But I had the toughest time finding the G-cannon torso and shoulder mounted machine guns. Right before I left, I found this:

$#@&^*!!(+!(&!

Looks like I already tried using this for a project and cut the torso into--not one--but FOUR pieces! And I couldn't find the machine cannons... At least I found some other potentially useful parts. But there is no sense dwelling on 'what was' and instead focus on 'what can be'. So, back to the drawing board me!

Version 2

Version 2 was a blessing in disguise. Because I didn't have the parts I needed for Version 1, I had the opportunity to deviate from my original idea and try something new. This time, I focused on a more balance design by swinging the leg units behind, kind of like TR-2 Big Wig. Notice the movable booster on the end of the leg unit. I kept the additional torso as a connector for the Recon Ball Drones (RBD). 

Hover Unit/Leg Cover (HULC) 

Hover Unit, under detail

This is what the hover mechanism looks like for the hover/leg unit. There are out 'treads' and inner vents. Face on, it looks like an upside down U-shape.

Overall, I feel happier with Version 2; it feels more balanced, aesthetically it is more pleasing and I think I can build this. The next step is to break down the parts and plan out what each will look like.

Hover Unit/Leg Cover_v2

This time, I actually looked at photos of the part that I'd be using, and added some detail. Because I'm using a FG kit, the parts are hollow, hence, easy to modify. In fact, it conveniently SPLITS into two pieces. 

The 'box' on the top of the sketch will store weapons for the auxiliary manipulators (AXM).

Because of the shape, I might not need quite as much detail as before. I still need to design the  movable booster unit on the end of the HULC.

Auxiliary Manipulators (AXM)

AXM ver 1

Using an additional set of GM arm units, with a double elbow joint, I can attach an extra set of arms to the shoulder of the core unit. One AXM has a beam saber hilt attached to the forearm, for easy deployment. The AXM can fold and rotate on the shoulder, for easy stowage when not in use.

The problem (shown at the top of the page, side view) is that, even when folded up, the AXM sticks out from the shoulder too much and will probably put too much stress and weight on the core unit. If the rotating axis (piece connecting the AXM to the shoulder) is too short, there won't be enough clearance over the core shoulder for the AXM shoulder. If it is too long, the AXM will hang over too far when folded up.

There had to be another way of doing this.

AXM ver 2

If folding to the back doesn't work, what about the front? This version looks more stable and more compact, plus it allows for additional artillery to be added.
Option #1 has a cannon on the 'elbow', like the Virtue's GN Cannon. I'm still not sure about this since it only looks good in one mode. Also, it's a little too hi-tech, which crosses one of my conditions.
Option #2 has a missile pack on the shoulder, which can be utilized in either mode.

Another advantage to this configuration is how and where it stows. Unlike Version 1 which floated all by itself, Version 2 stows near the chest cavity, which balances the proportions in the front of the entire unit.

The new stowage location got me thinking about the rotating axis. The top image is with Version 1, with the AXM attached to the core unit's shoulder.

The bottom image illustrates Version 2, with the AXM attached to the collar area of the core body. The advantage to this is the core unit's shoulder can move freely, without interfering or restricting the movement of the AXM. Being attached to the core body is more stable and it rotates directly in front of the torso vents.

(Note: HP stands for 'hard point', which is indicates a connecting area that utilizes a poly cap.)

Stay Tuned for Part II: Recon Ball Drone (RBD)