1:100 Destroid 'Nimrod' SDR-04-Mk. XIV (Macross)

[Dizzyfugu]

1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


...and the respective, well-known(?) kit that never was  :


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV - fake box art by dizzyfugu, on Flickr



Some Background:
The Space Defense Robot-04-Mk. XIV Destroid Nimrod was an anti-air/heavy artillery mecha, and intended as a replacement for the SDR-04-Mk. XII Phalanx, a Destroid specifically designed for space operations to defend the SDF-1 Macross, along with its sister unit, the cannon-armed ADR-04-Mk. X Destroid Defender.

The Phalanx had been developed in a hurry under the pressure of the raging war against the Zentraedi and suffered, as a consequence, from several disadvantages. For instance, its combat operation capability decreased substantially once the missile ordnance (a total of forty-four 430mm caliber missiles, half of them ready to fire and the rest held in reserve in internal magazines) had been exhausted. To counter this, a few models were modified in the field, e.g. with additional light Gatling guns mounted within the head unit, as well as other variations, but most Phalanx' remained basically bipedal heavy missile launchers. A sub-variant with improved sensors and missile guidance systems, as well as the ability to deploy the new reflex missiles, the Phalanx Mk. XIII, was also built, but only in small numbers, and it could not overcome the flaws of the original design.


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The Nimrod was the attempt to mend these shortcomings after initial combat experience with the type. The so-called SDR-04-Mk. XIV utilized the proven MBR-04 ambulatory system and shared a common hip and leg structure with a wide range of other Destroids. Like the Phalanx, the Nimrod's newly designed upper body was a simple core structure that neglected any silliness for a weapon composition consisting of missiles, radar, and propulsion system, all mounted on the main rotating body which could be detached from the lower torso for maintenance of in case of emergency.
The Nimrod filled the same tactical niche as the Phalanx but was a more sophisticated design with improved capabilities and a – though limited – secondary close-range combat capability. The radar and sensor suites for target acquisition as well as missile guidance were improved, so that the Nimrod became even suited for air space surveillance and as a guidance/coordination unit for other Destroids. Due to this additional workload, the Nimrod's crew was expanded by a WSO to two in a tandem cockpit.

The armament remained tailored to medium and long range, but there were some improvements. On the Nimrod, the Phalanx' bulbous drum-shaped missile magazines gave way to more streamlined 540 mm caliber reflex missile containers, which were carried in staggered clusters of four twin-pods on each shoulder, holding a total of 48 missiles with sixteen of them ready to fire and the rest in reserve. This modification reduced weight and frontal area, and in a case of emergency the missile containers could be jettisoned.
In order to improve the Nimrod's tactical value after its missiles had been deployed, it was furthermore provided with a secondary close-range combat capability in the form of a pair of particle beam guns. These were integrated into the arms, protected by the missile containers, and these reliable weapons could be effectively used against both air as well as ground targets. Thermal smoke dischargers completed the Nimrod's defensive measures.


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Like the Phalanx and other Destroids, the Nimrod was capable of limited space operations due to its vernier thrusters all over the hull. This allowed for units that were stationed on the deck of the SDF-1 to propel themselves back to the battle fortress if they were knocked off.

The Nimrod was, like the Phalanx, first deployed on the SDF-1 and was used to augment the ship's own weapon system to protect the vessel from Zentraedi attacks, even though the type came relatively late and was only used in the final phase of the war and only in limited numbers. After the conflict, production was throttled down (only a total of fifty SDR-04-Mk. XIVs were eventually built), and the surviving Nimrods from the SDF-1 were stationed at airbases in New Macross City and in nearby cities, such as Monument City.


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr



Specifications:
    Designation: SDR-04-Mk XIV
    Mecha Class: Destroid
    Crew: 2 (Pilot, WSO)
    Weight: 21.8 tons (dry)
                   45.5 tons (loaded)
    Height: 12.36 m (hull only, incl. radome)
                  13,50 m (with raised arms)
    Breadth: 9,32 m
    Depth: 5.0m
    Max. walking speed: 72 kph loaded

Armament:
    2x weapon clusters in shoulder locations, each with:
    - Eight launch tubes for 540mm caliber mid-/long-range missiles (typically with anti-air capacity, artillery
      rockets as alternative), with eight missiles ready and another sixteen as reserve (for a total of 48)
    - One Mauler PBG-06 liquid-cooled electrically-charged twin particle beam gun
    - Three thermal smoke dischargers



The kit and its assembly:
This is a fictional Macross Destroid, with a highly modified Imai Phalanx kit at its core. It depicts a potential successor for the missile-only-armed Phalanx, but it has been totally made up. Inspiration came when I recently procured a bunch of Kotobukiya's MSG sets for mecha conversions – one of these sets included the quadruple missile launchers that now make up the Nimrod's new "arms". I was torn between using a Defender or a Phalanx as conversion basis, but due to the weapon pods' bulkiness I went for the more massive Phalanx.

Beyond the MSG parts and the replacement of the Phalanx "missile drums", there was initially no real plan for the conversion – things evolved gradually, depending on the donor parts at hand. However, several fundamental changes were made. The most important improvement measure that works for all Destroid kits with the "04" chassis is the integration of a completely now hip joint arrangement. OOB, the model's posture is pretty stiff, with the legs and feet facing straight forward. The model is just supposed to stand upright, and with the model's OOB joint options it is really hard to create a vivid poise. Furthermore, the bolts that hold the legs are prone to break off, even more so because the Imai kit is from the 1st generation of mecha kits, without vinyl caps and just relying on a very tight joint fit for hold.

My proven solution: the implantation of a new hip "bone" made from plastic-coated steel wire, which is stiff in itself but can be bent in two dimensions. The thighs had to be modified accordingly, since the wire is much thinner than the original bolts. Inside of the pelvis, the W-shaped wire was attached with the help of sprue material and styrene profiles, a thorough fixation is necessary because a lot of load has to be held in place in a very small space.


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


In order to attach the legs to the wire, there's a convenient trick: the receptor holes in the thighs were simply filled with small vinyl rings, standard material from other mecha kits (e.g. from Arii's 1:100 VF-1 Battroids or the Gunze Sangyo/Aoshima Dorvack PAs), the rings' outer AND inner diameter fit perfectly into the new arrangement. With this trick, a much more dynamic and "natural" leg position could be achieved, also thanks to the large feet and their joints of the "04" Destroid chassis. This tuning measure improves the model considerably. The legs were otherwise taken OOB, just some small styrene bits were added to the lower legs' front sides (improving another small detail flaw of the model), and some openings on the lower legs' rear side were filled with putty and styrene sheet. Furthermore, the open insides of the "heels" were filled with putty, too.

To integrate the new missile bins, suitable adapters for the shoulder had to be found. Being somewhat lazy and trying to use as many parts from the Phalanx kit as possible, I decided to integrate a styrene tube all through the upper body, so that I got better attachment points. This tube was extended so far that I could re-use the Phalanx' blast exhausts from the original missile bins as shoulder joint covers. This looks very natural and these re-dedicated parts fit well over the implanted central styrene tube channel as well as into the channel that runs along the MSG missile containers' inner side. In order to attach the new arms/containers, a smaller diameter styrene tube was glued into these channels, so that the new pods could be moved vertically.

As a weapon improvement over the Phalanx, a pair of particle beam guns was added to the new missile containers – they come originally from a Dorvack PA-36K "Berlon" kit, but they were tailored considerably in order to fit into their new position. They also help to hide the new shoulder joint, which was covered from above with parts from the Phalanx kit (the boxed that are normally attached to the upper legs) and the space between them with paper tissue, drenched with white glue. The result is a good visual transition.


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The central hull was changed in order to move the look away from the Phalanx base. The rear side uses OOB parts, but these were modified and attached to the hull in a different way, so that the back is not as deep as on the Phalanx. The front received a vertical pair of searchlights (formerly return rollers from a 1:35 tank...), set into the breast plate. The cockpit bulge between the shoulders as well as the head unit are completely new. The cockpit cover is a leftover hull piece from a Kotobukiya helicopter drone, and it was moved forward, so that a crew of two is more plausible. The head unit on the elongated spine behind and above it consists primarily of a donor from a wrecked VT-61 "Tulcas" mecha (Dorvack), plus a small dish antenna for a tracking radar on the right (left over from a Dorvack PA-36K "Berlon" kit) and a round radome for target acquisition – scratched from main wheels of a Matchbox PB2Y and set upon a mount made from styrene profiles. Looks strange, esp. with that flat, square head unit underneath, but I wanted a unique and different look that sets the Nimrod apart from other canonical Destroid designs. And this certainly worked.


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A final word concerning the Phalanx kit itself: like all other Destroids models, this is basically a simple affair and the model goes together well – but expect some PSR on every seam, and there are some improvements possible that IMHO raise the model's quality. The lack of vinyl caps makes later movement a tricky affair, though, and it is interesting to see that while the "04" chassis Destroids (Phalanx, Tomahawk and Defender) share the same lower body, all three kits are different! As a positive trait concerning the finish, the Phalanx is also the only kit of this trio that comes with decals for the typical white trim on the lower legs of these Destroids.


Painting and markings:
Once more I wanted to stay true to the original look of a typical Macross Destroid from the "04" series. These tend to carry a uniform livery in murky/dull tones of green, brown and ochre: unpretentious "mud movers". Anything else is rare (I am aware of dark blue Phalanx' on board of the SDF-1), and complex camouflage patterns are AFAIK not seen (probably a tribute to the TV series' cel production). In consequence, I gave the Nimrod an overall livery in a rather unidentifiable brownish tone, namely RAL 7008 (Khakigrau), a tone that was carried by German WWII Afrikakorps tanks and very similar to the tone IDF vehicles like the Merkava typically carry nowadays. Since I only had this tone in a rattle can available, the model and its components were painted accordingly, with an additional hushed spray over the upper surfaces with a slightly lighter tone as a shading measure. After this basic painting, the parts received a washing with thinned black ink.


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Decals mostly come from the OOB sheet, plus some extra stencils, including the "nose art" painted on the left leg (from a P-38); many Destroids and also Armored Valkyries seem to bear such markings. Gives the mecha a personal touch, though.

Finally, before everything was assembled, the kit received a dry-brushing treatment with light grey and an overall coat with matt acrylic varnish. As a final step, mineral pigments were dusted over the model, esp. around the feet and the lower areas of the mecha.




1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:100 Macross Destroid "Nimrod" SDR-04-Mk. XIV; "A-XI (s/n D-229-194)" a.k.a. "Journey's End" of the U.N. Spacy Ground Forces; based at Monument City, 2012 (Whif/Modified Imai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A rather straightforward conversion project that gradually evolved – but with a postive outcome, after some twists and turns. The fictional Destroid Nimrod turned out more believable than expected, thanks to the good donor parts that went into it, and the simple livery also adds to the design's "realism" within the Macross universe. Even though the thing still looks odd – but not worse than the other canonical Destroids from the original TV series!

[zenrat]

 

[NARSES2]

Now that does look good 

[silverwindblade]

Looks like it would fit right in with the others.
I always found the Phalanx to be the most lacking too.Something like this is a smart and elegant solution, great job.

[Dizzyfugu]

Thanks a lot. Yes, the Phalanx looks cool, but its concept is so pointless. It is just a huge, walking rocket launcher. O.K., it' is intended to defend a space ship, taking position on its hull, but... 

[silverwindblade]

Yeah, it doesn't really do anything a mobile SAM launcher couldn't do better really...! Certainly not worth the complexity or effort of adding a pair of legs.
This is much more worthwhile, as it gives it a lot more versatility. And it looks cooler too, if you ask me