Defender story - updated 01/04/01

Hey, my name's Dave K and this is my first foray into the whole online Lego community!

I've been into lego since as long as I can remember, but was "too cool" for lego during
high school and stopped collecting.  I regained my senses this Christmas when my fiance bought
me a mindstorms set.  My favorite theme has always been space, and I collected everything from
classic up through M:Tron and Blacktron II.

Anyway, I've always loved building transformers, and this is my crowning achievement -
the Futuron Defender.

Construction
This behemoth transforms from a starship into a giant robot.  He carries two crew members, and
has two light and sound boxes.  The transformation happens entirely with hinges, there is no
"taking apart and putting on somewhere else" going on here, which I always thought was kinda cheating.
His arms a little flimsy, but other than that the construction is rugged and stiff.  He's only
fragile when in the middle of transforming, which you could consider to be his real-life weakness.

Specs
Two pilots operate the Defender, a pilot and a gunner.  The pilot oversees navigation in starship
mode and in robot mode during space combat.  The gunner operates weaponry and drives the Defender
in robot mode during ground combat.  Transformation occurs in 10 seconds.
Hip joints are fully posable, and knees have about 30 degrees of rotation.  Shoulders are fully
posable, and elbows have 180 degrees of rotation.  One arm has a giant laser cannon and the other
has two gripper claws.  (This may change into minifig legs, I've seen it done with mechs and it's
the best technique for robot hands I've ever seen... but anyway, this is what I came up with before
I ever saw that.)  His head rotates 120 degrees.  The giant engine that propels the ship becomes
the robot's backpack, so he's capable of high speeds in robot mode too.  His loose joints make him
quite agile for his size, but they are also his most vulnerable points.  His considerable agility
in robot mode makes him a formidable foe against smaller mechs, while his trememdous firepower and
defense systems allow him to easily best slower mechs and heavy artillary.

Propulsion
Giant superfuel engine sends the Defender cruising at speeds approaching those of the fastest light
attack craft in space, while rear thrusters provide ultra fine positioning control in dogfights -
both in space and in planetary atmospheres.  In robot mode, the main jet becomes the robot's backpack,
and the thrusters, in the robot's feet, provide fine positioning.

Weaponry
Laser Cannon on arm (under wing in spaceship mode) - most powerful weapon.  Pulverizes large foes
in a single hit, but has a 30 second recharge time.
Ion cannons on head (becomes turret behind cockpit in spaceship mode) - most versatile weapon, 
especially in robot mode.  Deadly accuracy is assured by a literal "what you see is what you hit".
Rapid firing, good for small or fast targets.
Rockets under wings - available only in spaceship mode.  When the enemy has cloaking or shielding
that dirupts energy weapons, good old fuel rockets do the trick.  Independent on-board computers
make them smart, mean, and accurate on the fly.  Typically fired first in a combat situation with
multiple enemies.
Various laser cannons - smaller laser weaponry, mainly for defense against smaller enemies and enemy
missles.  These defense weapons are automated, so the gunner can focus on the offensive front.

Weaknesses
The Futuron Defender sacrifices heavy armor in exchange for speed, agility, and the ability to 
transform.  While the engines, drive mechanisms, and cockpits are heavily armored, the shoulder and
hip joints of the robot are not, and can be severely damaged if hit properly.  Even more vulnerable
are the joints that actuate the Defender's transformation - but they are only exposed during
transformation.  Since transformation takes place over 10 seconds, the pilots usually decide which
mode is more appropriate for the given combat situation and then transform before entering the battle.
The Defender relys on its automated laser cannons for defense against joint attacks and during
transformation.

Click on the .gif image defendert.gif to see an animation of the Defender's transformation.