| |
Ever since I got my first Mobile Lab (6901) and Galaxy Explorer (497/928) as a
child, I always wanted to build the Explorer in the Lab’s colors. Finally,
after--what?--more than a quarter-century, I’ve achieved that long-held dream.
:o)
This Galaxy Explorer often supports both the Mobile Lab and the Alien Moon
Stalker (6940), and is also teamed up with the Lunar Scout (1580), the
unmentionable (er, unnamed 1968), and the Gamma-V Laser Craft (6891).
Since trans-green 4 x 10 plates haven’t ever been made, AFAIK, I had to get a
little innovative to meet this one key Galaxy Explorer element. I used a bunch
of trans-green 1 x 2 plates and stuck them together via some gray-plate “welds”.
This lowered the ships’ ceiling, but I left a space so that the pilot still had
room to stretch (seen in the photo below). Also, because of the general 2/3
thickness of the canopy, I had to redo the hinge mechanism. I opted for some
technic 1 x 2 bricks and friction pins. This method works rather well, though
there’s a little less space in the cab, and in the rear storage area.
-best,
Wolf
PS. Yes, indeed, the colors of Ley’s suxxorg inspired me to post this recent
creation here.
|
|
| |
Whoa, hey that's great! I had some of those sets as a kid, and wow, look at all
those trans green 1x2 plates! Nice!
|
|
| |
In lugnet.space, Wolf Read wrote:
| |
Ever since I got my first Mobile Lab (6901) and Galaxy Explorer (497/928) as
a child, I always wanted to build the Explorer in the Lab’s colors. Finally,
after--what?--more than a quarter-century, I’ve achieved that long-held
dream. :o)
|
Great work. I love being reminded of the space sets that first got me into the
theme, as some of the recent posts here have done. ...Still have a couple of
X-1 Patrol Crafts myself, kicking around still assembled since days of old...
But one thing I never understood: How the heck do the space guys fly using only
a steering wheel?
-Hendo
PS Forgive me if such a question has been discussed before; I have a habit if
missing/forgetting such things.
|
|
| |
In lugnet.space, John P. Henderson wrote:
| |
Great work. I love being reminded of the space sets that first got me into
the theme, as some of the recent posts here have done. ...Still have a
couple of X-1 Patrol Crafts myself, kicking around still assembled since days
of old...
|
Thank you. And, yes, I too like the X-1! They are simply cool-looking. I’ve got
a couple on my file cabinet, one I made in all white (I like playing with color
too much).
| |
But one thing I never understood: How the heck do the space guys fly using
only a steering wheel?
|
I’ve often thought of this. I suppose one can imagine them using a steering
wheel in combination with pedals. Or, imagine the steering wheel’s column is
movable to allow for pitch control, like on modern aircraft, but with the right
computer/electronic support to account for vacuum conditions. This could be
simulated with a hinge-brick, btw, that works pretty well. Often, in MOCs, I
tend to do away with the steering wheel and leave the piloting to the computers.
:o)
-best,
Wolf
|
|
| |
In lugnet.space, Wolf Read wrote:
| |
In lugnet.space, John P. Henderson wrote:
| |
Great work. I love being reminded of the space sets that first got me into
the theme, as some of the recent posts here have done. ...Still have a
couple of X-1 Patrol Crafts myself, kicking around still assembled since
days of old...
|
Thank you. And, yes, I too like the X-1! They are simply cool-looking. I’ve
got a couple on my file cabinet, one I made in all white (I like playing with
color too much).
|
Playing with color can be fun. It is Futuron, not true Classic, but I do have a
copy of the Stardefender 200 that I built in the Blacktron I color scheme.
| |
| |
But one thing I never understood: How the heck do the space guys fly using
only a steering wheel?
|
I’ve often thought of this. I suppose one can imagine them using a steering
wheel in combination with pedals. Or, imagine the steering wheel’s column is
movable to allow for pitch control, like on modern aircraft, but with the
right computer/electronic support to account for vacuum conditions. This
could be simulated with a hinge-brick, btw, that works pretty well. Often, in
MOCs, I tend to do away with the steering wheel and leave the piloting to the
computers. :o)
|
Yes, now that I think of it, a single control, if it could move in three
dimensions, would work much like the control stick that many aircraft of the
early 20th century had. This simplicity meant many safety and navigation issues
were left perhaps too much in the hands of the pilot, but at the same time it
was relatively easy for a novice to learn how to fly the machine.
...One could move along with that logic and consider the Classic Space craft to
be parallel - early pioneering in the technology, wherein the controls were kept
simple to allow new pilots to learn quickly. As the small “open canopy” craft
might be designed only for space or lunar transport, that meant complex
computers were only required in the larger vessels that would need the
computational features for entering and exiting a planetary
atmosphere...Interesting...
-Hendo
|
|
| |
In lugnet.space, Eric Sophie wrote:
> Whoa, hey that's great! I had some of those sets as a kid, and wow, look at all
> those trans green 1x2 plates! Nice!
Thanks!
And I wish to note that I've been impressed with your creations. Given my bias,
the Sky Math hovercraft is my favorite (though the Mantis is up there). Any
chance of my getting building instructions for the Sky Math? I think I could
kludge one together, but I'm not sure about how the bottom's put together...
-best,
Wolf
|
|
| |
> And I wish to note that I've been impressed with your creations. Given my bias,
> the Sky Math hovercraft is my favorite (though the Mantis is up there). Any
> chance of my getting building instructions for the Sky Math? I think I could
> kludge one together, but I'm not sure about how the bottom's put together...
>
> -best,
>
> Wolf
Dear wolf
Thank you for saying something wonderful to Eric. You must be special.
luv
Roc
|
|
| |
In lugnet.space, Wolf Read wrote:
| |
In lugnet.space, Eric Sophie wrote:
| |
Whoa, hey that’s great! I had some of those sets as a kid, and wow, look at
all those trans green 1x2 plates! Nice!
|
Thanks!
And I wish to note that I’ve been impressed with your creations. Given my
bias, the Sky Math hovercraft is my favorite (though the Mantis is up there).
Any chance of my getting building instructions for the Sky Math?
|
LOL, wow, the Sky Math, that name still cracks me up. I remember when I came up
with that name, I thought “the Math involved to get that thing to work
(ant-levitation) must be sky high!” Or something to that effect, lol.
That was one of my favorite ships I had as a kid. I swooshed it.
| |
I think I could
kludge one together, but I’m not sure about how the bottom’s put together...
|
Well, when I built the hover craft, I was very influenced by the Classic Space
ships of yesteryear. Carrying over the black and yellow wing stipes like it was
part of the fleet.
The fun thing about that little ship was it used one of those (H-frame style)
plate car bodies and then the short wings were stacked on top of it.
This was the closest image I could find,
4x10 car body/undercarrige
but the part has the 2x2 depression in the center for the driver and does not
have the brick height at the bottom. (can anyone provide the proper link, I’m
not that good with the parts ref.)
Thanks!
-eric
|
|
| |
In lugnet.space, Eric Sophie wrote:
| |
This was the closest image I could find,
4x10 car body/undercarrige
but the part has the 2x2 depression in the center for the driver and does not
have the brick height at the bottom. (can anyone provide the proper link, I’m
not that good with the parts ref.)
|
This one maybe?
HTH
I’ve used the above part many times when making my original fire trucks and
other Town vehicles. Now I wish I had gotten into 6 wide instead of being tied
into 4 wide by TLC. Oh well.
|
|
| |
| |
In lugnet.space, Bob Parker wrote:
| |
In lugnet.space, Eric Sophie wrote:
body/undercarrige> but the part has the 2x2 depression in the center for the
driver and does not have the brick height at the bottom. (can anyone provide
the proper link, I’m not that good with the parts ref.)
|
This one maybe?
HTH
I’ve used the above part many times when making my original fire trucks and
other Town vehicles. Now I wish I had gotten into 6 wide instead of being
tied into 4 wide by TLC. Oh well.
|
Hey, yeah, I have some of those elements. They’re a critical part of 6890
(Cosmic Cruiser). Cool. I may take a stab at the Sky Math this weekend...
Six-wide is fun, but my daughter definitely likes the little 4-wide vehicles,
especially the pizza delivery van from 6350. :o)
-best,
Wolf
|
|
|
