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!
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!
During the three years in which I have been watching the internet for classic Lego sets, I have amassed a rather impressive haul for the amount of effort put in. I have managed to acquire over a dozen classic sets from seven themes, including Blacktron II, Aquazone, UFO, Arctic, Fright Knights, Rock Raiders and Ice Planet 2002. Altogether, I have only suffered two disappointments and had a few pleasant surprises.
The entirety of my Ebay collection
I now own over half of Blacktron II, including the Aerial Intruder (6981), Super Nova II (6832),
Galactic Scout (1694), Two-Pilot Craft (1479), Allied Avenger (6887), Alpha Centauri Outpost (6988),
and Space Landing Pads (6710). The Alpha Centauri Outpost was missing 36 pieces when I got it, but I
have cut that number down to 20 through yard sale visits and scrounging in my own collection. I plan to
round out the rest through Bricklink.
I picked up the Alien Avenger (6975) and Interstellar Starfighter (6979)
during the summer of 2013. Both are often pricey, the Avenger because of
its high ratings and the Starfighter because of its coveted Micromotor.
Though I have seen both go for over a hundred dollars, I paid less than that for
the two of them together. If you wait patiently, the good deals will come. The
Starfighter even came with the original packaging, which is much sturdier than
what is used today.
The Crystal Explorer (6175) from Aquazone was missing nine pieces,
which I plan to round up on Bricklink with the Alpha Centauri Outpost pieces.
The Witch's Windship (6037) was my biggest surprise; It was listed as "complete",
but when it arrived I found it was still factory sealed, after more than fifteen years!
All in all, I have found many of the sets I once thought I would never own, with few casualties. Still high on my list are the Arachnoid Starbase from Insectoids, the Ice Sat V from Ice Planet 2002, the Neptune Discovery Lab from Aquazone, the Night Lord's Castle from Fright Knights, and most importantly the Mega Core Magnetizer from M:Tron. In the meantime, I wait patiently and enjoy the ones I do have.
Be sure to watch out for my upcoming post on tips for buying Lego on Ebay. Happy Building!
As I sat in front of a pile of recently dismantled Blacktron II pieces, I wondered what to build. Then, thinking of a vehicle from Star Wars, I got to work. The ship that popped into my head was a B-Wing, an advanced fighter used by the Rebellion in Return of the Jedi. The B-Wing's cockpit is mounted on a complex system of gyroscopes, which keep the cockpit level no matter where the rest of the ship is. This allows for some very impressive maneuvers, if the pilot can withstand the strain. The idea of the gyroscopes is what got me started on my newest creation, the Asteroid Raider. This ship is built according to the Blacktron II color scheme, and it includes the signature globe cockpit of that theme. Rather than make the entire cockpit swivel, (which probably would have been much easier), I decided to make only the pilot move. That doesn't seem too hard, but it took a few hours' work to get the minifig pilot to spin without hitting anything.
Released this past year, set 10227 is the largest and most
detailed B-Wing Lego has ever produced. Note that the
cockpit is mounted on a turntable.
The Asteroid Raider employs all signatures of Blacktron II, incorporating the colors, shapes, and the famous cockpit. I even took care in naming it according to the Blackton/M-Tron title formula, a two-word name with the second ending in -er/-or. Unlike actual BT2 cockpits, which are detachable, the Asteroid Raider's cockpit is fixed, so that its main mechanism can operate uninhibited. The pilot's seat is mounted on an axle, which runs through the length of the ship. The axle is weighted at the aft end by a magnetic coupling. (I know that belongs in M-Tron, but it was the best available weight). The weight keeps the pilot's seat level at all times, rotating freely within the round cockpit. The main body of the ship is built around a 9V battery box, so I threw some blinking lights on it just for fun. The wings are mounted on hinges, so they can be bent down when the ship is upside-down to create an entirely different design. In an effort to make the bottom of the ship look interesting, I accidentally prevented it from sitting level on a landing pad. I'm currently working on some retractable landing gear to even out the front end, but until then, enjoy!
In this picture, the ship is at a diagonal to the pilot,
demonstrating the rotation capabilities.
The body of the ship can be flipped over and the wings
bent to create a different fighter. The pilot reliably follows
the movement.
I put a makeshift jack under the ship so it would stay level.
Today, I have taken the time to pay homage to one of my favorite Lego space factions: Blacktron. This faction covered two themes, one in the late eighties and another in the early nineties. The Blacktron have been defined as theives who steal technology from other factions, helping to secure their own domination. The first of the two themes, simply titled Blacktron but usually referred to as Blacktron I or BT1, revolutionized Lego space and has been named the first truly "themed" series of space sets. Blacktron I featured intimidating minifigures, sleek shapes, and interchangeably modular designs, all glued together by a striking color scheme of black, yellow, trans-red and trans-yellow.Many ideas pioneered by Blacktron I are still used today, such as smaller vehicles detaching from larger ones, etc. To this day, Blacktron I sets are very popular and therefore expensive and hard to come by. Regrettably, I do not own any as yet but I plan on collecting them all eventually. Pictured below are the Battrax, the Renegade, and the Message-Intercept Base, some of the most acclaimed Blacktron I sets.
The Renegade isn't huge by today's standards, at only 313 pieces,
but it's by all means a work of art.
The Battrax is a mean four-wheeled machine that is still
highly sought after today.
The Message Intercept Base features a dome that
can open using a mechanism similar to that of the
Futuron Cosmic Laser Launcher.
Blacktron returned in 1991 with Blacktron: Future Generation, which is usually referred to as Blacktron II or BT2. Unlike Blacktron I, its "sequel" had a color scheme of black, white, and trans-neon green, which added to the notion that it was an "upgrade" of Blacktron I. This newer series is often slandered as a set-by-set rehash of its predecessor, but I think this theme needs to be appreciated for what it is, not insulted for what it could have been. Blacktron II shared the idea of interchangeability, since some vehicles had futuristic, spheroid cockpits that were very similar and compatible with one another. Unfortunately, only four of the dozen sets had these cockpits, making the others incompatible. Blacktron II minifigures wore a new logo, a green letter B inside an octagon, emblazoned on their chests. While the new logo and design made the minifigures seem slightly less formidable (you can see their smiley faces through their visors), they still have a great design and excellent play value. Unlike Blacktron I, Over half of Blacktron II sits upon my shelves, hopefully to be joined eventually by the rest of both themes. Two of the most popular Blacktron II sets, the Aerial Intruder (I have that one) and the Spectral Starguider (I really need to get me one of those) are seen below.
The Spectral Starguider is impressively designed, including suspension, steering
and the ability to form an aircraft from the cockpit and the top-mounted engines.
The Aerial Intruder sported two spheroid cockpits
and a cargo ramp for deploying two buggies.
The Blacktron Intelligence Agency
The Blacktron Intelligence agency is a monstrous Blacktron I layout built by Brian Darrow in Indiana. The BIA was a massive undertaking, being under perpetual construction for almost a decade. At its peak, it included at least 78 trans-yellow quarter-dome panels,(worth 20-30 dollars each) and over 1600 minifigures from various themes (mostly Blacktron). It measured almost forty feet long and had over 245 feet of monorail track. Each one of those numbers is amazing, as the quarter-domes, vintage minifigures, and monorail tracks are all very expensive. I cannot go in-depth enough to do this project justice, so you can visit the creator's MOCpages site here for additional information and images. I have also included a video tour done by Joe Meno in 2007. It effectively captures the scope and grandeur of this amazing piece. Regrettably, the BIA no longer exists, as it was dismantled and auctioned off in chunks almost two years ago. This means I will never see it in person, but it has been immortalized on the internet. In fact, it has inspired me to build my own layout of epic proportions, which is already four years into the design process. It will likely be posted in the distant future.
Evidence of Blacktron
Both Blacktron themes were released in conjunction with a "civilian" theme and a Space Police theme. Unfortunately, with the release of Space Police III in 2009, there came no Blactron III. This does not mean there were no hints, however. The minifigure named Rench, who was included in the Raid VPR (5981) wears a modified BT1 uniform with a BT2 logo on it. The "Space Villain" minifig from Minifigures Series 3 also wears the Blacktron II logo, whilst his armor and weapons match the BT1 color scheme. Most interesting of all is the upcoming "Evil Mech" minifigure from the new Minifigures Series 11, which wears a Blacktron I logo (not the BT2 logo) on its armor. Be sure to look out for it upon its release. While it is uncertain as to whether there will ever be an actual Blacktron 3, we can always enjoy the classics.
