Could somebody please tell me how the two front tires of the Tumbler combined to form the bat-pod? Was there a robotic arm that attached the front right tire to the rear? Also, how did those two gunners/grapplers appear on the front of the Bat-pod? Did it also slide from the center viewport?
Also, was this escape system originally included since Batman Begins? Or was the bat-pod something Bruce asked Lucius to install? In Batman Begins, I originally thought the escape system would comprise of a vertical ejection system much like in modern jet fighters.
The left tire spins to create ejection force. Once the guns and lights lock into position the left front arm and wheel lunge forward. The canopy that shields Batman as he's in the floorboard position flies off as he continues to move forward. The right front tire rotates and locks into position forming the rear of the Batpod. This locked position is depicted as a slight skidding in the film as the Batpod forms its final shape.
Debatable. It seems that it was not included in BB. I say this b/c the steering controls on the Tumbler in DK hare wires which are not present in the Tumbler in BB. These wires are the brake wires for the Batpod. So I think the idea for the Batpod was strictly formed during DK and then adapted to the Tumbler's function as shown in BB (ie. he goes into the floorboard position so he's in the batpod position already).
Thanks for the info! But I'm still confused. Does anybody have any visuals of that scene? Illustrations? When I was watching it in the theatre, that scene had poor lighting (or perhaps the theatre had a worn out projector).
Yeah I saw the film in a few theaters and in some showings I could barely make out what was going on. In better lighted ones I could see it much more clearer. It'll look very clear on the DVD.
It seems that the front wheels are connected in a U-shape since there's no center axle. So if you can imagine the front tires in a U-shape with the open section of the U as the front end of the Tumbler then picture the left side of the U bending and rotating out making the U into an almost straight shape you can get an idea of how the Batpod forms.
Hope that wasn't too confusing.
Wow. I never knew the Tumbler was so complex!
At least the Bat-Pod coming out of the Tumbler wasn't as extreme as the Bat-missile from Batman Returns.
Here's my very poor drawing of how the Batpod forms. The yellow line represents the mechanicals of the front tires as they are in normal Tumbler mode. The red lines represent what happens to form the Batpod. If you can forgive the poor quality it should give you an idea of what happens:
During the tunnel chase, was Batman able to have the Tumbler jump without him going into the "lower front portal" position? The quick editing of this sequence made it hard for me to accurately visualize what was going on.
Also, why is the front portal needed in the Tumbler? Couldn't the driver just operate the guns and "jumping" from the regular driver's seat?
However, the forward position seems to be some sort of combat mode where Batman can fire and jump the Tumbler as well. The way I understand it is he goes into combat mode so that in the event of catastrophic damage he is in the Batpod eject position.
Debatable. It seems that it was not included in BB. I say this b/c the steering controls on the Tumbler in DK hare wires which are not present in the Tumbler in BB. These wires are the brake wires for the Batpod. So I think the idea for the Batpod was strictly formed during DK and then adapted to the Tumbler's function as shown in BB (ie. he goes into the floorboard position so he's in the batpod position already).
Somebody get this man a beer!That part in "BB" when Batman fired those rockets to blow part of that wall up...when he was in that "firing mode", he was lying down and in a different position than driving.
It would be neat if that part somehow broke off from the car and split out from the Tumbler and was a bike.
No, I don't know where the wheels and all come from. I'm just saying it was a cool look, and a neat way to ride a bike (lying down frontways, almost like you're flying).
Might eat a lot of bugs and road debris, though.