RJ-PLS01A PALASO

The RJ-PLS PALASO is an A.I. controlled high mobility unit designed for medium to long range hit-and-run operations or mobile support scenarios.

Compared to conventional tanks and long range manned weaponry that have difficulty crossing rough terrain, the PALASO’s legs allow it to quickly and easily travel through the harshest of elevations. Once it gains a strategic elevation advantage, it unleashes it’s barrage of missiles and can quickly move to avoid enemy detection or perform sweeps along enemy lines.

Included in this series is the RJ-PLS01A PALASO and the RJ-PLS01B PALASO High Spec B.

My entry for the LEGO Mecha Skill’s Mecha Telephone Game over at Flickr 🙂

Build Notes:

The concept is basically a hybrid of a Metal Gear and a Mechwarrior / sentry mech, having a huge lower body with reverse joint / chicken-walker legs. I wanted this to be piloted remotely or via A.I. so the cockpit area houses that central control unit (but could easily be swapped out for a minifig pilot if I really wanted to).

Breakdown Images:

Work In Progress Notes:
This whole build started out with the core/central unit design with the transparent cockpit cover. I wanted to make a nest of sorts for the AI processing unit to sit in but after an initial build, I decided to redo the design, giving it a sleeker and meaner look.

The waist area came next which needed a small anti-personnel Gatling gun mounted on it. Also wanted this area to have a more mechanical look with pistons and hydraulics in here.

Then came the hardest part of the build which was the leg design. While I was pretty happy in the initial build leg design (linked above), I felt that it lacked some detail so added more to it like the drone arms connected to plate with bar. I also decided to completely overhaul the feet design to something more industrial-looking.

Check the gallery below for all the WIP pics of the build
Note: The shoulder missile design was swapped to a more economical build but the concept was retained (having the missiles concealed / housed inside a launcher with flaps).

The cockpit / core area being redesigned

Now with the arm mockup. Initially, this build had long lanky arms but decided to scrap that.

Reworking the legs at this point

Waist back part still unfinished but decided to not to detail that too much.

Loved the legs so much that built another set of it. At this point, the extra arms were still connected to the waist.

An early build with the other missile shoulders design.

A height comparison with my usual mech scale

I have yet to upload the other version but since that has just minor details, I might just add it to this post 🙂

For those interested in LEGO mech building, I put out an eBook over at Amazon Kindle a while back called Mech Wars Instructional Primer. If you’re looking for a resource that could help you start or even improve your mech building skills, you might find this eBook useful