After one year of work, maybe 100 hours alltogether, I present to you the most sophisticated LEGO spaceship in existence, as far as I know (don't hesitate to corect me if I'm wrong).
It's the drophip the space marines used in the movie Aliens (2 for the non-initiated). There are other recreations of that ship on the web. Most are more resemlant than mine regarding the scale.
This ship is aproximatly 130 studs long. So think of this as a UCS version with super stong blindage.
I have always loved that ship not only because of its main design but mainly because of the missile deloyment system. Which is so cool ;-)

This is how it started:

As I was thinling about my next ship, I wanted to improove one level.
-On the OSF 101 I have improved my structural building skills. It's almost 2m long and doesn't bend nor break. And there^s no glue, no iron... and no wood (ah ah Mr Kelso).
-On the OSF 202 I started to trick with LEGO lights which just came out (after many years of absence) and I also improved my general skills with all the difficulties of the weird angels on the front.

I wnanted to add cool motor fonctions on my next ship as the next logical step. And I started to be interested with the NXT set, the one with the robot.
In my mind it all came in a second (kind of): alien dropship+LEGO+NXT=OSF 303.
I made some checkings on the net and in general I have been amazed: LELO sells a robotic set and most people build robots with it. Only a few people have created interesting things such as dioramas or an impressive ferrari truck.
Also most of these creations look hugly. Techical hugly I mean. Like it's all naked. Beuark.
And also I have noticed that you can count on 1 hand the number of people how have integrated a NXT computer on... a spaceship.
How wants to go in space in a ship without any computer inside whatsoever ? Even the russians aren't that crazy.

With all that in mind I started to build. First on the structure and the mechanic and the NXT and the programming and electronics and stuff like that.

This is what came out of my drawing bord:

The ship will have: 1 NXT with rechargeable battery, 3 servo-motors, 2 touch sensors, 1 sonic detector, 1 IR transmiter, 2 IR receivers, 2 XL motors, 3 L motors, one rechargeable battery, 14 LEGO lights parts (28 bulbs in total) and many extension cables.
-The sonic detector on the tail measures the distance between the groud and the ship. If the distance goes further tahn 80 cm, than the landing gear comes in automatically using servo motors B and C (one for the 2 "legs" on the front and one for the back one.
-with the press off a switch, located on the back of the tail, the bridge located on the bottom opens or closes using servo motor A.
-With the press of the other switch of the back of the tail, both missiles displays will open to revel all 24 missiles protected otherwise by the heavy blindage. This is controled with 1 IR reciever connected to two XL motors and 2 L motors through the IT link sensor connected to the NXT.
-The positions lights (4 on each side) will blink in alternance. This is done through the 2nd IR receiver.
-With the press of a switch, also on the tail, the light on the cockpit and on the front will light up (10 bulbs in total).
-With the press of the 2nd swith on the side of the tail, the cargo lights up.
-With the press of the 3rd switch, the hooker will come up or down to tract stuff inside the ship. This is done through a L motor.

It sounds easy like that. It only took me a few days to come to this. But it was hell. Took me a year.
But I'm sooooooooooo proud of her taht I show you these pictures already. I'll show movies later on the proove it's all working. And that it's really the most sophisticated LEGO starship ever (with only genuine LEGO parts).
I just want to add ad this point: like all I do it's minifig scaled. With two pilots on the cockpit. But there is also a refectoire with a table which folds back in the wall, a separated room with two superposed beds and a table, a toilet room, and a sas to access the cargo.
The cargo has a double layer blindage and all together it's a tough ship made to take strong punishment. It's purpose is to punch through the atmosphere from orbit as fast as possible. The shape of the ship has been designed specially to resist such temperature and pressure. Once in the atmosphere, it uses it's powerfull engines to attack the objective by surprise starting with anti-air capability. Then it lands a few seconds, drops the cargo and goes back in the air for cover and recuperation.
It's a killer. Every colony's nightmare. And it's all mine...


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