Jazz

Front View Rear View
Side View Original kit
Comparison shot with original Jazz toy
Nifty Action pose

I actually started Jazz the same time as Starscream, but being the more challenging of the two, Jazz got pushed aside until later. Oddly enough, I used the same base kit(Gundam Airmaster Burst), for Jazz as well. This kitbash also marks my first attempt to really work the feet into the design(instead of them just hanging out the back), as well as trully concealing the fists.

Body:
I usually don't start here, but this time I did. I began with the built Airmaster chest and molded Jazz's chest onto it with putty, keeping the rotating gimmick working. Using a combination of putty and and styrene, I built Jazz's back/car body, making sure that his chest/hood section would meet up correctly. The waist is a styrene frame over the center section of the Airmaster's waist peice.

Head:
The Airmaster has a great head to work with, it's already very Transformer-ish. I, as usual, carved down the orginal Gundam face, and then added the small nose and visor(which completely conceals the nose, grr). The top crest was carved down a bit, and the "horns" were made from a spare Gundam head antena.

Legs:
The biggest challenge lay here, and getting the legs right was integral to the final product. I decided very early on that the lower legs would have to slide up and over the thighs, the problem was figuring out how to do it, and after two failed designs, I found one that worked. I built a small block onto the lower knee peice, this block was the same width and thickness of the thigh, and had a polycap peg sticking out on either side. Then I built the lower leg frame around that, opening a channel on each side that let the knee block slide up and down. Here is an inside view of it. After I got that part out of the way, I went on building up the leg. I added another layer of styrene to the sides of the legs to thicken them up a bit, and on the outer sides, I added channels where the hands/lower arms would slide into for vehicle mode. I used more putty for the rear vehicle parts(cabin and sides) and kneecap, while the silver "leg plates" are styrene. The two rear cabin halves originally fit togther better, but now there is about a 1/2 mm-1mm gap between them. Oh well. The feet were quite easy and, I think, look really nice...very Transformer-like. I used the Airmaster feet, and cut off a great deal of the front part. I built the new front sections from styrene, and made them resemble the original Jazz'a spoiler, as they would become the new spoiler in this one's vehicle mode.

Arms:
Like usual, pretty easty here. I sanded down and squared off the lower arms and added some styrene panels to them. The upper arms are the original Airmaster arms underneath more epoxy putty. I left a hole open in the right arm so the gun could attach there in vehicle mode, or in a stored position in robot mode. BTW, the gun is just Airmaster's, with the trigger removed to fit in the hand better.

Jazz's Preview pic : Still needed a good amount of work here

Painting&Details:
Most of the detail lines are scribed right into the putty/plastic(tho I'm still not very good in that area, not as easy as it looks), while others are simply drawn on(with Gundam marker of course). Paints are all basic colors except for the gun, which is a dark silver mix of my own, and the windows which are a really nice looking dark pearly blue mix of my own. The Autobot logo this time is one of Delta-Star's repros(gasp!).

Transformation:
Remove head and rotate chest up. Rotate the feet around, posistion the arms correctly, and slide the lower legs up, attach the gun. Now go back and fiddle with everything until meets up properly:)

Vehicle mode:
Top View Side/top View
Front 3/4 View

There is no straight side view...cos well, it really looks crappy that way. The best way to look at it is from the front(kinda looks like a boat from the side and top), and on my scanner, that 3/4 view is the best front view I could get. I like it tho, it's the look I'm trying to go for(sleek, Cybertronian, etc...) while still keeping with Jazz's design.

BONUS!
Gerwalk Mode:
Front View Side View

Yes a Gerwalk mode, perhaps it just my recent rekindled insterest in Macross, but I had to put this up as well. I discovered it by accident; while working on him, I pushed down too hard, and he collasped in my hands, revealing a very nice Gerwalk imitation. I'll most likely go back with my other creations and find one for them as well:)

Well that's it, my sixth in the series, and a worthy addition I must say. In my original design, i planned for the chest to open up, and the head to store inside in vehicle mode, but space limitations nixed that idea. I'm really pleased with his the way he turned out; the bulky, boxy legs really go well with his design, topped off by the big feet as well. Plus he's a prototype in a way for Hotrod, whenever I get around to making him, his arm and leg designs will be based directly off Jazz's(with outer cosmetic differences of course).