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!

Airplane Meets Cement Mixer

Due to the upcoming premiere of The Lego Movie, I have attained a fascination with the associated sets. The ones I am particularly interested in are the ones that rebuild into other things: the Ice Cream Machine (70804), the Trash Chomper (70805), and the Castle Cavalry (70806). These are perfectly regular sets, being an ice cream truck, garbage truck, and castle-- that is, until they are rebuilt into some rather extravagant flying machines.

The Trash Chomper (70805)

The Ice Cream Machine (70804)

Castle Cavalry (70806)

I was interested by the idea of rebuilding ordinary things into ridiculous aerial vehicles, so I reached for the one vehicle I could not possibly picture flying: my Cement Mixer (60018). By this point, I knew it was pretty much going to turn out awesome or completely stupid. However, being myself, I strive for the former.

The fateful Cement Mixer (60018-1)

After about an hour of fiddling with the limited array of pieces, I eventually came up with something I liked. I managed to build something that might pass as flight-worthy, while preserving the ability of the drum to rotate. I turned the wheels sideways to make jet engines, a concept I was first introduced to by the MX-41 Switch Fighter (7647) back in 2008. I couldn't resist adding a rotating turret, too. I myself was impressed by the end result. It was difficult due to the somewhat narrow palette of parts to choose from, but despite that setback, it turned out just fine in the end.

An Isometric View

Example of the turret rotating

Overhead view

All in all, I count this one as a success. It looks pretty good, and it was lots of fun to build. Sadly, due to my limited City collection (I mostly work in Space and Castle), I don't have any other vehicles to try this with. I do, however, have lots of resources to do something like the Castle Cavalry. In fact, I'd love to see what I could do with the monstrous Trolls' Mountain Fortress...

Anyway, this one was really fun, and I recommend trying something like it to see what happens. In the meantime, watch out for the new sets (and the movie, of course), and Happy Building!