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Seminole Gulf - F9AM #501
This is a Bachmann HO Scale F7A, modified to more closely represent the prototype unit.
You can see many of the modifications in this photo including
1: Removed dynamic brake fan
2: Changed out headlight
3: Filled in nose door
4: Replaced number boards with homemade square type
5: Added marker lights
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe or Sturmvogel (English: "Swallow"/ "Storm Bird") was the world's second operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems and top-level interference kept the aircraft from operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944.
The Me 262 was faster, and more heavily-armed than any Allied fighter, including the British jet-powered Gloster Meteor which entered service in the UK a month earlier than the Me 262. One of the most advanced aviation designs in operational use during World War II, the Me 262 was used in a variety of roles, including light bomber, reconnaissance, and even experimental night fighter versions.
The latter was a variant that was direly needed, and the development of a fast night fighter led to several prototypes and an operational interim version. Several two-seat trainer variants of the Me 262, the Me 262 B-1a, had been adapted through the Umrüst-Bausatz 1 factory refit package as night fighters, complete with on-board FuG 218 Neptun high-VHF band radar, using Hirschgeweih ("stag's antlers") antennae with a set of shorter dipole elements than the Lichtenstein SN-2 had used, as the B-1a/U1 version. Serving with 10 Staffel, Nachtjagdgeschwader 11, near Berlin, these few aircraft (alongside several single-seat examples) accounted for most of the 13 Mosquitoes lost over Berlin in the first three months of 1945.
Anyway, the Me 262 B-1a's deficiencies were clear from the start and in parallel Messerschmitt already worked on a dedicated night fighter variant that would offer a better performance (primarily concerning range and speed) than the converted trainer, which was, nevertheless, rushed into service and gathered valuable information.
Initially, the idea of a night-fighter 262 was developed independently by Messerschmitt as the Me 262B-2. It was to have a longer fuselage accommodating the two crew, internal fuel tanks with the capacity comparable to that of a single-seat variant, and a Berlin radar antenna hidden inside the modified nose cone. However, by the end of 1944 the war situation deteriorated so rapidly that it was realized that an interim solution must be found before the B-2 could reach production status.
Instead of the complex B-2 Messerschmitt also proposed a less ambitious approach which would use as many Me 262 fighter components as possible, primarily the aerodynamic surfaces, the engines and the landing gear. This proposal was accepted by the RLM in September 1944 and became the Me 262 G.
This variant received a completely re-designed and aerodynamically refined fuselage. It was, from the start, tailored to carry the heavy radar equipment, a second crew member as radar operator and navigator and a bigger fuselage tank (the trainers that were converted into night fighters had part of their fuel capacity reduced to make place for the 2nd seat). The result was a slender, streamlined aircraft with a considerably smaller cross section than the Me 262 day fighter/bomber.
The crew was separated into two cabins in front and behind the fuselage main tank. This arrangement also offered enough space for a "Schräge Musik" installation (a pair of guns firing upwards, either two 20mm MG 151/20 or two 30mm MK 108), to allow the night fighter to attack RAF bombers from their belly blind spot.
The main armament was a pair of MK 103 30mm cannons - while this was a reduction of firepower compared to the Me 262 B-1a, the MK 103 was much more accurate, had a longer range and a much higher muzzle velocity (860 m/s (2,822 ft/s) versus 540 m/s (1,800 ft/s) with HE/M), so that targets could be engaged at longer distance with less expenditure of ammunition and further outside of the bombers' defensive fire.
The first operational version, the G-1, was ready for service in December 1944 and exclusively delivered to the NJG 6, based in southern Germany after withdrawal from Romania and regrouping.The G-1 still carried the FuG 218 Neptun radar, still coupled with a high drag Hirschgeweih antenna and with a FuG 350 Zc Naxos radar warning receiver/detector, but the G-1 was still faster than the B-1a and had a longer range on internal fuel than the B-1a with two external 300l drop tanks, which further reduced top speed. Later versions (G-2) were supposed to carry the more modern FuG 240 with a parabolic dish antenna under a more treamlined thimble nose radome, and a single seat long range reconnaissance version (G-3) was also planned, which would carry no guns but an camera array in the radar operators's place.
Anyway, only about 20 Me 262 G-1 were delivered to NJG 6 at all, and probably less than a dozen were operational when Germany surrendered. The G-3 recce variant remained on the drawing board, while two prototypes with radomes for the FuG 240 were under construction and underwent wind tunnel tests.
General characteristics:
Crew: 2
Length overall: 11.67 m (38 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 12.60 m (41 ft 6 in)
Height: 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 21.7 m² (234 ft²)
Empty weight: 3,795 kg[101] (8,366 lb)
Loaded weight: 6,473 kg[101] (14,272 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 7,130 kg[101] (15,720 lb)
Powerplant:
Aspect ratio: 7.32
Powerplant:
2× Junkers Jumo 004 B-1 turbojets, 8.8 kN (1,980 lbf) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: 900 km/h (559 mph)
Range: 1,050 km (652 mi)
Service ceiling: 11,450 m (37,565 ft)
Rate of climb: 1,200 m/min (At max weight of 7,130 kg) (3,900 ft/min)
Thrust/weight: 0.28
Armament:
2x 30mm MK 103 cannon in the lower front fuselage with 120 RPG
2x 30mm MK 108 cannon "Schräge Musik" installation with 80 RPG,
angled 70° upwards, between the cockpits
2x hardpoints under the wings, each able to carry up to 250kg (550lb), including bombs, drop tanks or unguided missiles (rarely used)
The kit and its assembly:
Connoisseurs will immediately recognize this kitbash - and the Me 262 G was spawned from the thought that the Japanese Ki-46 was such an elegant aircraft - wouldn't a jet version somehow make sense? So, initially this was supposed to become a Hikoki '46 model, but when I held some Me 262 parts next to the Ki-46's fuselage the idea of a Luftwaffe night fighter was born.
And this actually worked better than expected. This whif is a kitbash of an Airfix Ki-46 fuselage with wings, tail, engines, landing gear and Hirschgeweih from a Revell Me 262 B-1a.
Mating the parts went pretty straightforward, even though I made a mistake when I measured the position of the wing under the fuselage. Somehow it ended up 4-5mm too close to the nose - while the flaw was acceptable I decided to add a 5mm plug behind the pilot cockpit to compensate... And the added length just underlines the elegant Ki-46 lines.
In order to keep the model on its three feet lots of lead beads were hidden in the fuselage, the nose tip and even the front ends of the engine nacelles. Since the Ki-46 fuselage is considerably smaller than the Me 262's I had to fill the wing roots with putty, but that was a rather easy task.
Painting and markings:
I wanted something different from other German night fighters/bombers I had already built, yet a simple livery. Since many German night fighters left the factories in an overall RLM 76 finish I used this as a basis and just added mottles in RLM 75 on the upper surfaces - inspired by a Ta 154 Moskito night fighter prototype.
The cockpits were painted in very dark grey (RLM 66) while the landing gear and the respective wells were painted with RLM 02. Everything very conventional.
The markings were puzzled together - the national markings and stencils come from the Revell Me 262 B-1a sheet while the registration was created from single aftermarket letters, matching a hypothetical aircraft from 4. Staffel, II./NJG 6 in code and colors.
The kit received a light black in wash and some dry-brushing to emphasize panel lines. On the fuselage, however, I painted some panel lines with a pencil, since the Airfix Ki-46 is completely bare of details. Some soot stains around the guns were added with graphite and finally everything sealed under matt acrylic varnish.
A simple kitbashing project, and I am amazed how plausible the Ki-46/Me 262 mix looks, despite the mistake I made with the wing position. I wonder how a Ki-46 III with its streamlined cockpit would look in this case?
After making the sidewalk section ... I added an interior wall.. I wanted to have workers exiting the building...
This is the building unpainted, not glued together and still in rough shape. Just resting on itself. I have much much much more work to do to it.
just a few shots of my colonial marine figure, don't have anything new at the moment but I had to get out and take some shots today
Nimby's... every town has to have them.
I made the picketers and signs.
I made these by printing off signs off photoshop elements on the computer. I printed them on regular paper. I then used styrene glue gel to glue the paper to thin sheet styrene. Once it was dry I cut the styrene and signs with regular scissors.
I later painted the wood posts brown.
This is how the building looks now. I still have to add interior floors, and add the odd person to the balcony.
Do some minor detailing, and add sidewalks and street signs etc.
street detailing...
More Nimby's protesting the new 29 story condo tower proposed by Quinntopia architects.
I also added a tree.
Built it from lots of random parts, and added on some cool features.
- When the table is tilted it makes a "bzzzt" mechanical type noise
- Button on bottom front of table makes light on front of table blink and sound effects
- slider button on front of table makes light blink and more sound effects
- foot rest is on a hinge
- button on base of table makes 4 sound effects
- plastic tubes filled will blue dyed water (like energon) and plugged on the ends.
- back of table has 2 prong like things that automatically swing out when level is pressed
- string of LED lights does a "chase" type lighting sequence
Development proposal sign...
Notice in the blown up version..Quinntopia Architects and designs... :D
A tribute to my friend Jerry.
The kit and its assembly:
This kitbashing project was a dedicated submission for the “Polar Wars” Group Build at whatifmodellers.com, and the result of a search for a military vehicle that could reflect the GB’s topic in a rather dramatic fashion but also demonstrate a certain madness and megalomania. I eventually stumbled upon the (light!) Soviet and Finnish aerosan vehicles from WWII, and wondered what a fully armored type could have looked like? I did not want to put a standard tank onto skis, though, and rather looked for a different basis – and inspiration eventually struck when I came across an 1:35 aerosan kit from Trumpeter AND the Chinese manufacturer’s 1:72 model of a Soviet armored draisine – combining both plus a radial engine with a pusher propeller should yield something …zany.
Effectively, this build was not too complex, because it is basically a slightly modified core box with add-ons. Things started slowly, with the OOB KV-1 turret as the main armament of this aerosan behemoth. The main body consists of a Soviet armored draisine from Trumpeter, but I found the body to be too long and symmetrical for my plans, so that I took out a ~2cm plug and glued everything back together. The engine came from a MisterCraft PZL 23 bomber, an ugly one-piece blob that I never expected to find a good use on a model. It was modified to look a bit more delicate, and at its rear an extension fairing was added, partly consisting of a piece from a plastic ballpoint pen casing. The pusher prop consists of a reversed F8F piece, with a metal axis and a spinner transplant from an Italeri F4U.
The suspension had been taken wholesale from the 1:35 kit, even though I had to lengthen some of the control struts. While safety was not an inherent design feature of this thing, I thought that the prop would need some protection, so I started to scratch/construct a cage for it from soft iron wire. Its ugly intersections were hidden behind a pair of fins (sections from 1:72 Panzer IV side skirts!) – though improvised it turned out better that hoped for. In parallel, the four skis were put together, too - again taken OOB from the small 1:35 aerosan kit, just w/o the delicate PE parts. Once the basic hull was assembled, I added a few more details, like entry ladders and sideboards to cross the steering struts, and an improvised shallow snowplow at the front to lift the vehicle’s body over shallow humps. On the roof some details like a ventilation opening were added, too.
Painting and markings:
Due to the model’s zaniness I wanted the livery to be rather simple, so I gave the BBS-1 an overall coat with medium green (actually RAL 6003) from the rattle can. Then the decals – all gathered from the scrap box – were applied and a coat of whitewash was simulated with thinned matt acrylic paint, applied with a flat soft brush so that the green would shine through here and there. Once dry I finally added a thin coat of simulated snow, created with white tile grout blown onto the wetted model from the front as if it had collected the stuff while speeding through the Karelian landscape. Worked out quite well, since this always bears some risk that it looks goofy and artificial. Finally, the tile grout and the paint were fixed with a generous coat of matt acrylic varnish.
The kit and its assembly:
This kitbashing project was a dedicated submission for the “Polar Wars” Group Build at whatifmodellers.com, and the result of a search for a military vehicle that could reflect the GB’s topic in a rather dramatic fashion but also demonstrate a certain madness and megalomania. I eventually stumbled upon the (light!) Soviet and Finnish aerosan vehicles from WWII, and wondered what a fully armored type could have looked like? I did not want to put a standard tank onto skis, though, and rather looked for a different basis – and inspiration eventually struck when I came across an 1:35 aerosan kit from Trumpeter AND the Chinese manufacturer’s 1:72 model of a Soviet armored draisine – combining both plus a radial engine with a pusher propeller should yield something …zany.
Effectively, this build was not too complex, because it is basically a slightly modified core box with add-ons. Things started slowly, with the OOB KV-1 turret as the main armament of this aerosan behemoth. The main body consists of a Soviet armored draisine from Trumpeter, but I found the body to be too long and symmetrical for my plans, so that I took out a ~2cm plug and glued everything back together. The engine came from a MisterCraft PZL 23 bomber, an ugly one-piece blob that I never expected to find a good use on a model. It was modified to look a bit more delicate, and at its rear an extension fairing was added, partly consisting of a piece from a plastic ballpoint pen casing. The pusher prop consists of a reversed F8F piece, with a metal axis and a spinner transplant from an Italeri F4U.
The suspension had been taken wholesale from the 1:35 kit, even though I had to lengthen some of the control struts. While safety was not an inherent design feature of this thing, I thought that the prop would need some protection, so I started to scratch/construct a cage for it from soft iron wire. Its ugly intersections were hidden behind a pair of fins (sections from 1:72 Panzer IV side skirts!) – though improvised it turned out better that hoped for. In parallel, the four skis were put together, too - again taken OOB from the small 1:35 aerosan kit, just w/o the delicate PE parts. Once the basic hull was assembled, I added a few more details, like entry ladders and sideboards to cross the steering struts, and an improvised shallow snowplow at the front to lift the vehicle’s body over shallow humps. On the roof some details like a ventilation opening were added, too.
Painting and markings:
Due to the model’s zaniness I wanted the livery to be rather simple, so I gave the BBS-1 an overall coat with medium green (actually RAL 6003) from the rattle can. Then the decals – all gathered from the scrap box – were applied and a coat of whitewash was simulated with thinned matt acrylic paint, applied with a flat soft brush so that the green would shine through here and there. Once dry I finally added a thin coat of simulated snow, created with white tile grout blown onto the wetted model from the front as if it had collected the stuff while speeding through the Karelian landscape. Worked out quite well, since this always bears some risk that it looks goofy and artificial. Finally, the tile grout and the paint were fixed with a generous coat of matt acrylic varnish.
Greenmax kitbash kits 29 & 30
The second section of the building glued together. I used both front pieces of kits 29 for the sides and a top floor section of kit 30 upside down for the front, then glued on a sheet of styrene cut to fit for a roof.
Out of 0.010 inch sheet styrene I cut out 4.5' X 4.5' squares to simulate the NRUC door pannel. I eyballed where the bolt heads will meet the door ribs then I marked them with a pencil.
This is an super-rare Transformer, modeled after the Chevy Aveo. Some might remember the G1 Swerve? Lucky if you can find this discontinued guy on ebay under $80 USD.
Anyway, this figure is a remarkable execution by Hasbro. The articulation, transformation, robot mode, head, details - all some of the best I've seen or gotten my paint brushes on.
His alt mode was painted with HoK:KK red metallic, then clear coated with platinum and dorado dreams (both also HOK paints) details were done with Testors model masters enamels. I even experimented a bit and did some black washes with ACRYLIC and alcohol (as suggested by my local hobby shop guy) Works well on freshly dried enamels.
Saturday's 5 hour work...
After sanding the parts. I wanted to make sure the parts would fit properly before I repainted them.
Customizing office floors, and office details.
I got these ideas from my friend Jerry.
His blog is quinntopia.blogspot.com/
This mini powered kitbash is from some leftover parts from other projects I've done. It uses the nose cone from a Mini Max, body tube from a Mini Honest John and fins from a Hi-Flier.
Complete with "wrist-mounted-crossbow-dart-gun-thing!"
One of my favorite design aspects about the 1985 Snake Eyes, and everybody always misses it! Well, here it is!
Customizing office floors, and office details.
I got these ideas from my friend Jerry.
His blog is quinntopia.blogspot.com/
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The MBR-07 Spartan was born as a humanoid-type weapon from the United Nations Military ambulatory weapons program. The MBR-07 Spartan was the second-place participant, the winning design became the Main Battle Robot-Series 04 family of Destroids that included the Tomahawk and specialized variants like the Defender and the Phalanx. However, soon after the 04 family’s introduction field experience suggested that a higher hand-to-hand combat capability was required to protect the MBRs which rather carried medium- and long-range weapons. This tactical gap led to the MBR-07 Spartan and its unique chassis, which had been specifically designed for unarmed close combat, but its development encompassed a series of prototypes that honed the technical aspects of this task.
Joint development of the MBR-07 by Centinental and the Kransmann followed one year and two months after the first MBR-04 series Destroids began design in 2003 at Viggers Chrauler. One of the experimental designs that supported its optimization as a close combat Battle Robot was the XMBR-04-Mk. VII, unofficially nicknamed “Pollux” (after the mythical Greek siblings (Castor being Pollux’ brother); during the expedition of the Argonauts, Pollux took part in a boxing contest and defeated King Amycus of the Bebryces, a savage mythical people in Bithynia).
As straightforward proof-of-concept vehicles for the required powerful and highly articulated arms as well as the corresponding reinforced internal structures that would support them when deployed as contact weapons, two MBR-04-Mk. VI “Tomahawk” Destroid chassis’ were set aside by Viggers Chrauler as testbeds.
One of them (“Pollux I”) was used to develop and test new rigid arms and their mounts, provided by Centinental, plus highly articulated claw hands made by Norman Banks with 5-finger manipulators, while the second one (“Pollux II”) received a new upper body to improve the swivel capability of the waist and test a new balancing system designed by Kransmann. This system would allow much more dynamic movements of the massive Destroid, including kicks, punches, and even complex martial arts stunts. Both elements would later be combined into the new MBR-07 chassis and the Spartan family of Destroids based on it.
The two Pollux prototypes went through quick but thorough testing in late 2003 and in early 2004 the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces ordered a small pre-production series of the experimental type to test the systems under field conditions. Outwardly the serial MBR-04-Mk. VII looked like the 1st prototype, but it already used the new balance system for the MBR-07 as well as improved servos to deliver much more effective close combat attacks than any other humanoid weapon in the U.N. Spacy's inventory, coming close to the VF-1's agility but adding considerably more force to the punch. These tests lasted until early 2005 and a total of twenty MBR-04-Mk. VIIs, which retained the unofficial "Pollux" moniker in service, were built.
By the same time the Spartan Mk. I entered trial production in February 2005, too, and by January 2008 Mk I units were beginning first rollout but were quickly superseded by the redesigned Mk. II variant after it had become clear that a pure close-combat robot was too vulnerable, esp. against air attacks. All Mk I units were later upgraded into Mk II units, and the small Pollux force retired from frontline service and rather relegated to pioneer/marines units where its power and manual agility became welcome asset.
General characteristics:
Equipment Type: main battle robot, Series 04, optimized for close/hand-to-hand combat
Government: U.N. Spacy
Manufacturer: Viggers Chrauler (chassis)
Centinental/Kransmann (arms and corresponding ambulatrory system)
Introduction: Prototypes 01 & 02 in September 2003
Pre-production models in March 2004
Accommodation: 1 pilot only
Dimensions:
Height: 11.27 meters (to shoulder), 12.7 meters (overall)
Length: 5.1 meters
Width: 7.9 meters
Mass: 27.8 metric tons
Power Plant:
Kranss-Maffai MT808 thermonuclear reactor developing 2800 bhp;
auxiliary generator GE EM9G fuel generator rated at 450 kW
Propulsion:
Multiple low-thrust vernier thrusters beneath multipurpose hook/handles
Armament:
2x Norman Banks CH2-TYPED claw hand with 5-finger manipulators
Provisions for 2x Bifors close-in self-guided rocket launchers, 12 rockets each (not mounted)
1x optional metallic club (for hand-to-hand combat)
The kit and its assembly:
This kitbashing project was inspired by a sketch I recently came across while doing internet research. I assume that it is not an official Macross design, rather a fan-art/dojinshi design, because I could not find reference to it in official sources, any other media with or, or even come up with a name. However, what triggered me was the fact that it looks like a prototype/test rig for the close-combat Spartan, just based on a Tomahawk chassis? Overall, this made it a plausible missing link, and since I have already built/scratched/converted a Spartan Mk. II into its earlier Mk. I variant, adding another (probably fictional, bu6t who knows?” ancestor to the collection of 1:100 Destroid models was a logical step.
Another selling point was that I had an Imai Tomahawk kit stashed away with no concrete plan yet, and at first glance only a Spartan's arms would be necessary as donorparts to bring the illustration into hardware form. Finding a suitable donor kit turned out to be almost impossible: Arii Spartan kits in 1:100 have become rare and mind-boggingly expensive, and things became so desperate that I eventually procured one of those ugly chrome-plated "Metal" kits as donor source. This had two drawbacks: despite being quite cheap the kit’s postage from the USA more than doubled its price, and the plating had to go before could use the parts for my plans.
Stripping the sprues’ plating off took several weeks and the help of sodium hydroxide, foamed oven cleaner, and patience. This procedure revealed, to my surprise, that the "Metal Spartan"'s polystyrene color of the individual sprues was different, ranging from mint green to a greenish ochre!
Technically the model is a kitbashing, but in order to improve the kit(s) and/or make life a little easier I made some visible and invisible mods. Most obvious difference are the shoulder mounts that attach the Spartan arms to the Tomahawk torso. Taken OOB they are mechanically not compatible, and to make life easier I decided to transplant the Spartan’s complete arms, including the upper arms/shoulder sections, what was easier than trying to adapt the Tomahawk shoulders to the Spartan's lower arms AND to improve the shoulder joints so far that they would be movable at all when the body would be completed. This is just one of the Tomahawk kit’s many issues, in this case because the Tomahawk kit is a very early mecha model, a very simple construction and without any vinyl caps for the joints (which the 1:100 Spartan kit already has!). Another selling point of the Spartan's shoulders is that their diameter is slightly bigger than the openings in the Tomahawk's torso flanks, so that they would cover them well.
To center and align the “foreign objects” properly I had to build an internal carrier structure with the Spartan's vinyl-cap-bearing sockets for the arms, scratched from styrene profiles, and mounted into the right position. Similar material was used to create a new vertical pelvic joint that would allow to keep upper and lower body separate for painting, and I scratched a two-dimensional hip joint from steel wire and styrene tubes that would allow a much more dynamic, "open" leg position (and even slight movement). Another small measure that improves the model's looks is to fill the hollow heels of the legs. All hardly visible efforts which are nevertheless IMHO worthwhile to make this old 1:100 Destroid model look much more convincing.
Other small mods are additional surface details created with styrene bits, and I added shoulder hardpoints that carry a searchlight (left over from a 1:72 ESCI M48 tank) and something that I’d interpret as a camera, inspired by the mecha’s drawing. The Tomahawk’s prominent gun clusters on the lower torso as well as the machine guns at the cockpit flanks were deleted and faired over. On the torso they were replaced with 3D shapes made from 2C putty, which extend the shoulder missile launchers' covers downwards.
Painting and markings:
While I am not a fan of pop colors like violet (esp. on “real robots”!) I decided to stay true to the mecha drawing and adopt the shown purple/white paint scheme. I (still) had a tin of ancient Humbrol Authentic "IJN Purple" (then called HJ04 "Mauve") at hand which turned out to be an almost perfect match as basic overall color, with the benefit that it IS a purplish tone, but very dull and with lots of grey. The light contrast areas were painted with RAL 9002 (Grauweiß). Once thoroughly dry the parts received a black ink washing and some post-shading as well as dry-brushing with ModelMaster's "Napoleonic Violet" and medium grey (Revell 47) around the edges to emphasize details and add a worn look.
The black-and-yellow warning stripes on arms and feet are generic decals from TL-Modellbau, and I decided to add some tactical markings and stencils from the Tomahawk's OOB sheet and the scrap box, to give the model a more realistic look. After a coat with matt acrylic varnish, I added mud and dust stains esp. around the feet with watercolors and mineral pigments, as a result of thorough "field tests".
A kitbash using a Phicen body with a Scarlet Witch headsculpt by Hot Toy's and an outfit by Super Duck .
This is an super-rare Transformer, modeled after the Chevy Aveo. Some might remember the G1 Swerve? Lucky if you can find this discontinued guy on ebay under $80 USD.
Anyway, this figure is a remarkable execution by Hasbro. The articulation, transformation, robot mode, head, details - all some of the best I've seen or gotten my paint brushes on.
His alt mode was painted with HoK:KK red metallic, then clear coated with platinum and dorado dreams (both also HOK paints) details were done with Testors model masters enamels. I even experimented a bit and did some black washes with ACRYLIC and alcohol (as suggested by my local hobby shop guy) Works well on freshly dried enamels.