WOW, WHAT A PROJECT THIS WAS. IT ALL STARTED ONE DAY WHEN JFAK075 HAD PICKED UP A MATRIX MECH AT GAMESTOP AND I HAD ASKED TO SEE IT. THE TALK AROUND THE LOWER LEVEL WAS ALL ABOUT HOW NOT MECH LIKE AND OPEN THIS THING WAS, SO EACH OF US SET OUT TO FIX THAT. (COME TO THINK OF IT I DUNNO IF JOHN HAD EVER POSTED HIS) BUT ANYWAY MY GOAL WAS TO COMPLETELY ENCLOSE THE PILOT AND AND VITAL COMPONENTS AS WELL AS BEEF UP THE ARMAMENT PACKAGE.

    CONSTRUCTION STARTED BY REMOVING EVERYTHING BUT THE SEAT FROM THE BULKHEAD BEHIND THE COCKPIT GIVING ME A CLEAN SLATE TO START WITH. THE 1/8 IN PLEXIGLAS CANOPY WAS THEN CONSTRUCTED, AND THE BASIC SHAPE OF THE COCKPIT WAS BUILT AROUND THAT FROM SHEET BALSA WOOD. THE COCKPIT WAS ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 2 PARTS THAT WRAPPED AROUND SOME OF THE EXISTING FRAME FOR A STURDIER FINISHED PRODUCT. THE COCKPIT INTERIOR WAS THEN ADDED USING MORE SHEET BALSA FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, ARMRESTS, FLOOR, AND INTERIOR WALLS. DETAILS WERE ADDED FROM PARTS CUT OFF OF THE DISCARDED PORTION OF THE MECH, INCLUDING THE CONTROL STICKS, KNOBS, SWITCHES AND FOOT PEDALS. THE HUD (HEADS UP DISPLAY) WAS CUT FORM A PIECE OF PACKAGE BUBBLE AS WAS THE SCREEN COVERING THE CHANGEABLE COMPUTER DISPLAY AND THE INSTRUMENT BEZELS. AT THIS POINT THE MECH LOOKED TO BOXY, SO THE FRONT WAS BULGED OUT AND THE SENSORS WERE ADDED FROM A VARIETY OF 12INCH FIGURE SCOPES AND FLASHLIGHTS, AND THE SIDE AMMO CANASTERS WERE EXTENDED ALTHEWAY TO THE FRONT OF THE MECH.

    THE ARMOR IS ALL SHEET BALSA AND WAS PAINSTAKINGLY BUILT PIECE BY PIECE TO ALLOW ALL THE CABLES AND MECHANISMS THAT WERE PART OF THE ORIGINAL FRAME TO PASS THROUGH THEM AND MAINTAIN A FULL RANGE OF MOTION THEN DUPLICATED FOR THE OTHER SIDE. THE REAR THRUSTERS WERE TAKEN FROM A BBI LITTLE BIRD AND SET IN A BALSA MOUNT WITH PTE DRUMS AS A FUEL TANK UP TOP.

    THE ADDED ARMAMENTS INCLUDE A CHIN MOUNTED ROADBLOCK MINIGUN IN A PTE MOUNT FROM THEIR GRENADE LAUNCHER. A PTE GRENADE LAUNCHER WAS ADDED TO THE RIGHT ARM WITH THE CANISTER MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE OF THE FOREARM. THE LEFT ARM GAINED A ANTI-TANK/MECH CANNON WITH A BOTTOM MOUNTED LONG RANGE CAMERA SCOPE AND 60 ROUND CLIP MADE FROM A 1/6 SCALE SNIPER RIFLE AND SOME OTHER 1/6 SCALE PARTS. ALL OF THE GUNS WERE THEN WIRED IN WITH ELECTRICAL WIRE TO SHOW THE WIRES USED TO OPERATE THEM AS WELL AS WIRING TO CONNECT THE CAMERA SCOPE AND ONE RUNNING TO THE SERVO MOTOR TO MOVE THE MINIGUN. I ALSO ADDED A BELT FEED INTO TE MINIGUN CUT FROM A GRENADE POUCH STRAP, AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPER ON THE FRONT OF THE CANOPY.

    FINAL DETAILS INCLUDED NON SKID STRIPS ADDED TO THE LEDGE ON THE SIDE OF THE COCKPIT, AND LIGHTS MADE OUT OF DOWELS THAT WERE CUT IN HALF, A PIECE OF PACKAGE BUBBLE PAINTED SILVER AND HARDWARE CLOTH CUT AND BENT AS A PROTECTIVE GAURD.

    ALL OF THE ARMOR WAS THEN PRIMED TWICE AND PAINTED WITH SOMETHING LIKE 6 COATS OF BLACK TO TRY AND HIDE THE WOOD TEXTURE. AFTER ASEMBLY THE MECH WAS DRYBRUSHED WITH  4 COLORS (ALUMINUM, 2 BROWNS, AND BLACK) AND THE FEET AND LEGS WERE GIVEN AN ADDED SPLATERING OF "MUD"

    I KNOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA SAY HOW IS THIS A COBRA MECH WITH NO BLUE, OR COBRA SYMBOLS, BUT THE PLAIN APPEARANCE WAS INTENTIONAL TO GIVE IT A DARK AND LOW VISIBILITY OF AN APPEARANCE AS IS POSSIBLE FOR SOMETHING THIS BIG, WITHOUT DESIGNATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR IT TO BE IN BY DOING A WOODLAND DESERT OR URBAN CAMO SCHEME.

    THIS CUSTOM WAS FINISHED BACK IN DECEMBER, BUT I BELIEVE THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION WAS SOMETHING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 3 TO 4 WEEKS.