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A general review of Blacktron offensive capabilities revealed the lack of a long-range reconnaissance solution. This situation was deemed critical by the review committee and a solution was immediately sought. Blacktron aerospace engineers first attempted to modify the venerable Invader platform, but changes in fuel, speed, and armor requirements quickly doomed the project. Requiring the craft to enter and leave planetary atmospheres numerous times during a flight cycle ultimately eliminated the Invader frame from consideration when combined with the other requirement changes.
Designing a new airframe was deemed the only reasonable option. Years were spent designing and testing numerous prototypes, but progress was made. The end result of these endeavors is the Hardened Observation Craft. The HOC sports four low gravity engines, one hybrid gaseous atmosphere/low gravity engine, and retrorockets facing outward from the bottom of the craft. A fixed medium laser is attached below the cockpit and a rotating heavy laser provides 360 degree coverage from the aft of the ship. A cargo mount is provided below the heavy laser and a sensor array is positioned just forward of the laser’s position. Armor across the craft varies, but generally the hull enjoys a medium range of protection while the engines and struts are more lightly armored.
Attached are images of the HOC being prepared for takeoff, a top view of the ship, another view of the launch bay, and details of the launch bay with refueling platform, tool cargo container, in-flight repair drone, folding access ladder, refueling robot, and maintenance robot.
Top view of the ship
Another view of the launch bay
Details of the launch bay with refueling platform, tool cargo container, in-flight repair drone, folding access ladder, refueling robot, and maintenance robot.
Hey Dan, that’s pretty cool. I only know enough about Blacktron to recognize that you’ve conformed to the color scheme. Are there also certain building techniques that you incorporate to have your ship fit the Blacktron style? Did the space theme have the first official LEGO sets to use SNOT construction? (For the sake of argument, lets not count headlights on small cars.)
Even though it was such an early theme Blacktron did have some significant SNOT influence. The Alienator and Invader are the two sets that demonstrate this, although it is more likely by accident than design (what I’m talking about specifically is the usage of castle walls as cargo bay coverings which make large portions of the vehicle smooth). I was actually inspired by Rich’s starfighter builds and a Blacktron I minifig I had brought to the event haha. The robots are a shout out to classic Lego Space since so many sets came with them.
I’m really pleased with how this turned out!
Pretty rad build, Dan! I’m going to go ahead and claim some credit, too, for finding all those critical pieces without which this project would never have gotten off the ground…
from what I remember, at least 2 of the blacktron sets were modular…your model would lend well to coming apart in sections too…
The Alienator, Invader, Battrax, and Renegade all had detachable sections. If I remember correctly they even advertised this feature on the Renegade’s box or instructions. The cockpit could benefit from being detachable!
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