SEE Type 8-FF 'Florian', a Fire-Fighter Labor (Mecha); pics @ p. 5

Captain Canada · July 10, 2015, 06:03:27 AM

Agreed. It does look ready to accept a water supply and fight fire ! Going to be neat watching all the body parts coming together.

Dizzyfugu · July 10, 2015, 08:35:37 AM

Thanks a lot for the idea's support!

Meanwhile, I try to keep the tension up with some more WiP shots, concerning decals and pipings (on the feet first, filling voids that could reveal ...nothing

):

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Industries Europe Type-8FF 'Florian' Fire-Fighting Labor Prototype; Tokyo, late 1999 (Whif/Brocken conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Industries Europe Type-8FF 'Florian' Fire-Fighting Labor Prototype; Tokyo, late 1999 (Whif/Brocken conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Other markings follow suit - starts looking more and more purposeful:

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Industries Europe Type-8FF 'Florian' Fire-Fighting Labor Prototype; Tokyo, late 1999 (Whif/Brocken conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · July 11, 2015, 04:01:31 AM

More news, and finally... the complete object!

But first, some WiP shots from the shoulder water cannon and the plumbings:

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Industries Europe Type-8FF 'Florian' Fire-Fighting Labor Prototype; Tokyo, late 1999 (Whif/Brocken conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Industries Europe Type-8FF 'Florian' Fire-Fighting Labor Prototype; Tokyo, late 1999 (Whif/Brocken conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

And, finally, "Rise, creation of mine!! Muahahahaha!"

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Industries Europe Type-8FF 'Florian' Fire-Fighting Labor Prototype; Tokyo, late 1999 (Whif/Brocken conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Still some detail work to do - but the Florian Labor looks good.

zenrat · July 11, 2015, 04:17:44 AM

IT'S ALIVE!!!

Great work Dizz.
Where do the pilots sit in these? In the chest like in a Gundam?
Or are they true robots and thus have no need of a pilot?

scooter · July 11, 2015, 05:14:22 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 11, 2015, 04:01:31 AM
Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Industries Europe Type-8FF 'Florian' Fire-Fighting Labor Prototype; Tokyo, late 1999 (Whif/Brocken conversion) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Or is he actually set up to torch books?

Dizzyfugu · July 11, 2015, 05:38:19 AM

Quote from: zenrat on July 11, 2015, 04:17:44 AM
IT'S ALIVE!!!
Great work Dizz.
Where do the pilots sit in these? In the chest like in a Gundam?
Or are they true robots and thus have no need of a pilot?

Thank you. In the chest, traditionally for Patlabor - the visor for the pilot is well hidden under the protective bar. The Labors are not too large (if you compare them with other mecha, e .g. from Macross, Gundam or even Evangelion), and a single pilot finds a snug place right in front of the head.

Here's a Helldiver from the home collection where I opened the hatch:

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Shinohara Industries ARL-99B "Helldiver" Airborne-Troops Labor (modified Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dizzyfugu · July 11, 2015, 05:41:01 AM

Quote from: scooter on July 11, 2015, 05:14:22 AM
Or is he actually set up to torch books?

Certainly not! Mechas are avid readers (from fellow user Joriel Jimenez at FlickR):

Reading Up | Macross マクロス by Joriel Jimenez, on Flickr

scooter · July 11, 2015, 05:51:58 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on July 11, 2015, 05:41:01 AM
Quote from: scooter on July 11, 2015, 05:14:22 AM
Or is he actually set up to torch books?

Certainly not! Mechas are avid readers (from fellow user Joriel Jimenez at FlickR):

Reading Up | Macross マクロス by Joriel Jimenez, on Flickr

Looks more like Hikaru Ichijyo (Rick Hunter for those who only know Robotech) reading the TM on how to operate his VF-1J

Sticky Fingers · July 11, 2015, 11:38:25 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu

Certainly not! Mechas are avid readers (from fellow user Joriel Jimenez at FlickR):

I concur.

Captain Canada · July 11, 2015, 06:09:56 PM

Is that ever coming along now ! Very cool. I like the guys reading too...pretty funny stuff !

Dizzyfugu · July 12, 2015, 02:29:03 AM

"Habemus robot"! It's done!

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some background:
The origin of Rescue Labors dates back to 1998, when both the Tokyo fire and police departments were called out for a high risk job when a fire broke out at the Tower City skyscraper under construction in Tama. As the fire fighters dealt with the fire, the police's AV-98 Ingrams carried out a rescue of the personnel and dignitaries trapped high in the tower. The impressive potential of the Labors in this scenario led city officials to publish a tender for a dedicated fire-fighting Labor.

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

In 1999, a design competition was held, with three contenders. These were the ARV-99 Rescue Labor by Shinohara Industries (based on the AV-98 Ingram chassis of the police Labor), the CRL-98 "Pyro-Buster", produced by Hishii Heavy Industries, and the SEE (Schaft Enterprise Europe) Type-8FF Rescue Labor.

The latter was a civil adaptation of the military Type-8 "Brocken" labor for the German Bundesheer (Army Forces). All designs offered sophisticated solutions and equipment for the fire-fighting job: Because the Rescue Labor works in high heat environments, the units were designed to be fire and heatproof to protect the pilot. To fulfill its main role of extinguishing fires, the Rescue Labors were to be equipped with a pair of water cannons, one on the forearm and one on its shoulders, fed by an internal tank and/or by an external source.

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Additionally, the competition's rescue Labors were to deal with hazardous chemical situations. A respective protection system had to be provided, too, as well as precise manipulator fingers for delicate handling.
Detecting life under harsh conditions, in any weather and at day and night, necessitated a complex sensor suite, including a telescopic camera boom.

Schaft Enterprise Europe's Type-8FF was the most impressive design, standing more than 10 metres tall. It was also the most powerful – but also the most bulky type, since it was originally developed for more spacious European cities.
Beyond the standard requirements the "Florian", how the Labor was unofficially dubbed (after the Christian patron saint of firefighters), offered a huge array of extra equipment, including an extendable hydraulic crusher, an extra CO2 tank, a high performance water pump (the Type-8FF could be operated as a water manifold when it was not directly involved in rescue duties), a powerful searchlight array and a 2-ton-winch.

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Two prototypes were delivered to Japan and took part in the evaluation process, which encompassed both clinical trials as well as field tests that would prove the concepts and uncover strengths and weaknesses of the three designs.

In December 1999 the ARV-99 was chosen as primary Rescue Labor for the Tokyo Fire Department – and the rejection of SEE's Type-8FF was even more bitter as the CRL-98 was ordered into production, too – only as a supportive vehicle, but it was also promoted to private/industrial fire-fighting units in the Tokyo region. The "Florian" did not enter production for Japan, since it was deemed to be too large for the Japanese urban environment – but it was developed further for the European market, eventually entering rescue services in Germany, France and Great Britain.

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A final, rather disturbing note is that it is uncertain where the two Type-8FF prototypes ended up. SEE took them back into custody after completion of the competition process in early 2000, but there has been no official record or documentation that the vehicles actually left Japan. Rumor has it that they are still on private SEE ground in the Tokyo region.

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

General and technical data:
Code name: Type-8FF "Florian"
Unit type: fire emergency labor prototype
Manufacturer: SEE (Schaft Enterprises Europe)
Operator: SEJ (Schaft Enterprises Japan), proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department
Rollout: April 1999 AD
Number built: 2
Accommodation: pilot only, in heat- and ABC-insulated cockpit in front torso

Dimensions:
Overall height 10,50 meters
Overall width 5.40 meters
Minimum revolving radius: 6.0 meters

Weight:
Standard 7.05 metric tons
Full 8.81 metric tons

Armor materials:
none

Powerplant:
unknown

Maximum weight lifting capacity:
4.00 metric tons

Equipment and design features:
Visual and acoustic sensors, range unknown
Highly articulated manipulator hands
White and IR searchlights
2x water cannon, mounted on shoulders and on right forearm
Extendable hydraulic crusher on left forewarm
Auxillary CO2 tank, mounted on backpack
Autonomous water turbo pump for in- and external operation
Winch (2.00 metric tons)

Fixed or optional armaments:
none

Patlabor +++ 1:60 Schaft Enterprise Europe Type-8FF "Florian One" Rescue Labor, prototype proposed to the Tokyo Fire Department, 1999 (Whif/modified 'Brocken'Bandai kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

zenrat · July 12, 2015, 03:11:38 AM

Very good. well done Dizz.

NARSES2 · July 12, 2015, 07:47:54 AM

OK I've been watching this come together without the faintest idea of what the heck was what. However I can recognise a good model when I see one

I'm afraid the world of Mecha (or whatever it is) is not even on the outer edge of my radar. It's slipped past me completely. Getting old I suppose

kerick · July 12, 2015, 08:04:31 AM

Very impressive!
I've always wanted to do something like this to a MaK design.

Dizzyfugu · July 12, 2015, 10:40:56 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 12, 2015, 07:47:54 AM
I'm afraid the world of Mecha (or whatever it is) is not even on the outer edge of my radar. It's slipped past me completely. Getting old I suppose

That's easy to understand. It's an exotic, if not bizarre, realm - even if you are into the genre it's hard to get an overview of even the most major series where these "things" belong to. Outside of Japan it is hard to get hands on the kits, too, even though domestically it's a huge market. Very special - but one hope of mine is to demonstrate that there is more to the mecha genre than oversized robots that kick a$$, silly metal mayhem and shocking colors. There are some "universes"/series with a seriosu approach - Patlabor is one of these, and the Florian is supposed to be a worthy tribute build, beyond being a GB entry.

And thanks a lot to everyone for your interest and having a look at this strange build!