Buffalo Launchers

Back from amazing holidays, back to work, back to some Machinder projects.

Here's the final images of the launcher replica I've build for the Taihou Buffalo.
For the K7 and C3 I was not able to do the launcher as accurate as the original mainly because of the fact that the original toys were made of vinyl and the launchers were push into them and stayed in place because of their shape, not possible with a 3D print as it's rigid.

For the Buffalo it was different as they fit on the shoulder, so they can be more accurate for the shape. But the challenge here is that I've never see those launchers in real and I have no idea how they were build and how the spring and the mechanism was put in place.

I've decide to separate the tube in two at the colot connection and design some plug to hold the pieces together, I just have to push the back into the front and turn it by 90° to lock it.

Here's a pict of the whole launcher open.

 

You can see the connection part. I've decide not to paint it to avoid the fact that it might be difficult to connect after.

And here's two picts on the shoulder of the Buffalo. He's now ready for battle and look way more cool like this.

I still have to do the little red rubber on the back of the lever, but for the moment I'm fine like that and what I'm really happy is that they actually work fine.