The Stellar Striker: A Lego M-Tron MOC

As with most of my models, this one has a bit of a back story. Unlike my other ships, which I build out of sets and then disassemble, all of the parts for this one came from a yard sale. I'm experimenting with buying lots of random pieces from yard sales and other outlets, so I can have a sort of stock resource for building permanent creations. That way, I won't have to worry about taking them apart to reorganize sets. This ship was one of the first of such models, a permanent creation which I will one day use to help fill a large layout I'm designing.

When I returned home from my first major yard sale acquisition, I dumped out my haul to assess my new inventory. I had scored several pricey minifigs (Davy Jones, for one), and a large pile of pieces that I thought were interesting or useful. Then, I decided I should take advantage of this new resource by building something. I enjoy "winging it" when I build, so I dove right in and started putting things together. This was one of the products of that endeavor, and my personal favorite.

This is the first ship I have built in the red, black, and trans-neon green of M-Tron from 1990. It is one of my favorite space themes, but I haven't worked much in it due to lack of resources.

The finished product. All of the pieces came from the same yard sale except the M-Tron pilot, which I had on hand.

As seen here, the front section is built around the base of a cannon from
a pirates set.

I accomplished a visually interesting shape with the diamond-shaped front
and curved rear.

I was satisfied with the result, so I used some of the remaining pieces to build another vehicle to go with it. This time I had to use the central piece with the logo from my own collection, but I didn't need it for anything else, so I can keep that one assembled too. This one has no name as yet, but it doesn't really need one.

It has enough trunk space to hold a few tools and one of the
signature magnet-topped boxes of the theme.

I had lots of fun with both of these models, and I plan to hit many more yard sales in the future so I can build more permanent ships. In the meantime, you might want to look out for Lego at yard sales in your neighborhood. It can be a great way to boost your collection in a cost effective way. Happy building!

The Cosmic Conqueror: A Blacktron II MOC

Having recently seen the Lego Movie (and yes, it is as good as they say), I kept thinking about Classic Space astronaut Benny's incessant exclamations of "Spaceship, spaceship, SPACESHIP!!!". So, as a result, I decided to go with it and build a spaceship.

 However, since my Classic Space collection is lacking (working on it), I decided to use Blacktron II since my resources were more extensive. Blacktron II is one of my personal favorite Space themes, and I had a wide pool of pieces to use from my various sets. I dumped out my entire BTII collection: the Galactic Scout, Super Nova II, Two-Pilot Craft, Allied Avenger, Aerial Intruder, and Alpha Centauri Outpost. After two days of building on and off, I decided it was finished, naming it the "Cosmic Conqueror" in accordance with the Blacktron II name formula of a space-related adjective followed by a somewhat menacing noun. I must admit, I surprised myself with the results.

The minifigure is provided for scale. The ship measures eighteen inches long
and fourteen inches wide. I used the large windscreen panel to accommodate a larger cockpit.

A front view

An overhead view displays the triangular shape common among classic sets.
I departed from the spheroid-cockpit design that was characteristic of Blacktron II
because it was impractical for a ship this size.

 For this ship, I started with a sturdy, multi-layered base and worked my way up. I used several unorthodox connections and unusual angles to get the desired effect. As a result, I have plates, antennae, and even monorail supports sticking out on interesting diagonals.

The Cosmic Conqueror has seating for five: three in the main cockpit and
two others in small side cockpits.

One of the side cockpits

An underside view shows the jets and landing gear. The wheels of the landing gear
stick out only just beyond the jets, so it rolls freely but preserves the image of the
underslung jets. Notice also the hollow spaces on either side of the "spine" of the ship
near the back. These make the ship very easy to pick up and hold, which is a plus.

This shot shows the impressive array of engines I managed to stick on the back. The top engine of the central triangle
formation is suspended by robot arms, making it adjustable.

This gives a better view of the positioning of individual engines, including the
sideways faceted panels.

These shots display the lights from the 9V brick that came with the Alpha Centauri Outpost. Whenever I build a
sufficiently large Blacktron model, I can't resist incorporating the lights.

This angle provides a good view of the many components jutting out from
the heart of the ship.

I enjoyed building this one immensely. It's the largest spaceship I've ever built, and, I have to admit, one of the most well done. It's extremely sturdy, interesting to look at, and stays true to many signature qualities of Blacktron II. If you've never tried a large spaceship before, I recommend trying one to see what you can do. In the meantime, Happy Building!