TheShadowDeamon

Hello everyone, this is my first entry on eurobricks, I hope you like it. I decided to enter it as I was already working on it when I discovered the contest. As it's an ongoing project I will continue to upload pictures as I take them Important note- Some of the older pictures may show power functions, as I was experimenting with using an Sbrick to control the phneumatics. To be able to enter this model, I have replaced them with a manual system. Here is the link to the photos: http://bricksafe.com/pages/TheShadowDeamon/ss-tropeadore-tc10 Having been inspired by the Lego models at the 2014 Brickfest convention, I decided to create a display spaceship. So far, I've done the central weapon ring which has 72 spring loaded launchers attatched to tracks to rotate them round into launch position, all of the frame sections and I am currently putting the exterior hull and detailing on. Each section features openable spring loaded hull allowing various rooms to be slotted in (bridge, hangar, engineering, airlock...ect - I've also decides to have some sci/fi jokes; redshirt being attacked by an alien, stormtroopers & vader boarding through the airlock, the TARDIS landed in the cargo bay, Viewport room with a double-decker couch). It will eventually be white all over with dark red highlights (Inspired by the S.O.E. Ships from EVE Online). This is the first SHIP (Super Huge Investment In Parts - anything 100+ studs long) I've ever made and is 157 studs long, 61 studs wide and 47 studs tall testing the shuttle bay doors (with sound effects) - The Phneumatics use came around when I started to consider how a real life spaceship would apply reverse thrust to slow/stop/back up. Most ships in books/movies will either: 1- Flip the entire craft 180' so the main engines can then be used to change velocity eg - the reavers from Firefly 2- They have dedicated engines pointing in the opposite direction to the main ones to slow down. - the SSV NORMANDY from Mass Effect After some thought, I was inspired by the impeller nozzels on the British channel ferries and the engines on General Grievous's command ship from Star Wars 3 (watch the movie to see how the regain altitude the first time it nearly crashes). The same principle is also used on jet airliners to help slow down. The ferry impeller nozzels also inspired me to mount the engines on gimbals to allow vectored thrust, improving the ships manoverability. The original prototype engine gimbal test - the developed engine, testing the nozzles - This was the original pneumatics control system, motors controlled by Sbrick powering small actuators attatched to the valves. However it was extremly cumbersome and difficult to work, Overall I considered it a useful failure to learn from and replaced it with a manual joystick - Engines fully constructed and mounted, using the manual joystick to control them - and another view - This project has been taking me longer than expected, as I've had to buy a lot of parts a few bits at a time. If you put all the construction time together then its taken around 1.5 months of a couple hours a day Future development: Overall I'm satisified with how the pneumatics turned out, however the engine baffles have a lot of friction and tend to stick (as seen in the video). So I'll be modifying them to prevent that happening. I'll also need to check the hoses as some of them are old and there's a leak somwhere I'm also investigating the viability of having a smoke machine piped into the engine with some flexi-hoze, thankfully the gimball have a nice hole though them so minimal modding will be needed. Finally, I'll need to build a proper stand to support it as the slapped together cradle of large tyres to hold it is unsuitable for long term use and it also blocks the lower hull opening.