Adventurers - Pippin Reed's Island Hopper Seaplane - real world MOC

[Murdoch17]

This is a seaplane based off the 2008 Indiana Jones set 7628 (Peril In Peru), along with inspiration from 2000 Adventurers set 5935 (Island Hopper) thrown in for good measure.

The idea behind this model is to depict a updated version of one of my favorite classic LEGO themes: "Adventurers".

Anyway, this model has a story:

Built in 1920 by Seaplane Solutions Incorporated for Aero-Sea Cargo Limited, a trans-Mediterranean shipping service headquartered in Alexandria, Egypt. Eventually, the main pilot (Harry Cane) realized what his usual cargo was: stolen Ancient Egyptian artifacts and sometimes even whole mummies in shipping crates. Knowing the Authorities would do nothing unless proof was given as to what was happening, Harry decided to fly his plane straight to the police with a stolen mummy inside. Needless to say, the police took the plane and the mummy and shut down Aero-Sea Cargo Limited. They tried to arrest the hook-handed owner, but he had fled the country. For his bravery, Harry got to keep the plane, and made a new friend: Johnny Thunder who was near the police station at the time of the arrests, looking for clues to a certain Ruby. Johnny went up to Mr. Cane and congratulated him, whereupon they became fast friends. The plane was not used in the search for the Re-Gou Ruby, but was used in the Dino Island fiasco in 1923, when it was piloted by journalist & accomplished pilot Pippin Reed, who latter went to work with Harry Cane and the Adventurers.

The plane has a interior that seats eight people: 1 pilot and seven passengers, and the roof / wings can come off to seat mini-figures inside, as seen here.

The rear of the plane makes use of a Toy Story 3 printed 2 x 4 tile for a registration number.

Miss Pippin Reed (pilot)

This former lead reporter for Adventurer Times was reporting on a Dr. Kilroy's 1920 discovery of a copy of the Book of the Dead when she met Johnny Thunder at a dig site near Cairo, Egypt. They have been good friends ever since, even though Ms. Reed happens to be an better aviator than Johnny. She currently is employed by Harry Cane as one of his best pilots. She usually files the Island Hopper on cargo runs in the Europe and Africa, but has known to take the plane as far away as the Pacific Ocean / Dino Island.

Builders Notes:

The 2008 Indiana Jones set features a DC-3 airplane and was set in 1957 (The year of Crystal Skull's plot). The colors were wrong for the Island Hopper, not to mention the design was wrong for a seaplane and the date was 30+ years after Johnny Thunder was around. (Here is the Brick-Link link for this set: http://www.bricklink...em.asp?S=7628-1 )

This is the original Island Hopper from 2000. (Brick-Link: http://www.bricklink...em.asp?S=5935-1 ) It was sorely out of date, and used "illegal" techniques for it's engine design.

Seeing as both planes were out of date and had their fair share of bad points, I combined the two bad planes into one good one. I added a new tail to the DC-3, and redid the roof / windows. I then added a higher wing mount to it and put floats on the wings. The cockpit had to go, and seeing a better option in using new parts to achieve the same effect as the 5935 set's nose.

This part solves the nose problem while keeping a nice vintage profile when combined with this part.

EDIT 10/30/16: Added real life pictures of the completed model. I hope you all like them!

EDIT 3/1/18: added newer real life pictures with the slimmed-down and more colorful version ,as seen in the newest pictures. 

Comments, Questions, and Complaints welcome!

Edited March 1, 2018 by Murdoch17

[dr_spock]

Nice work. The tail seems a bit short for a plane of that size.

[Murdoch17]

Nice work. The tail seems a bit short for a plane of that size.

Thank you. As for the the tail, I wasn't sure what size would be "correct" for this plane, so I guessed.

Edited December 6, 2014 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

The plane has been finished!

The Island Hopper features removable wing tips from a connection point just beyond the engines.

Two of this part go on the tail section. Link to Bricklink: http://www.bricklink...sp?P=87079pb006

Also, the nose cone is removable to access the inside of the cockpit, which features this piece as controls (link to Bricklink: http://www.bricklink...asp?P=3039pb045 )

Pippin Reed can also be seen in this picture, as the third from the right, with the Lone Ranger pistol.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

The first post has been updated with new pictures and new LDD file!

Not only is this proof that I do "swoosh" my Lego planes / spaceships, but it makes an awesome Adventurers-themed desktop background!

I call this picture "A Sinister Encounter". If you must know why, please see this thread: http://www.eurobrick...howtopic=113860

EDIT: Can a mod please change the title to the following: Adventurers - Island Hopper seaplane - real life - 5935 MOD

Edited August 31, 2015 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

sorry for the BUMP,  but the first post has been updated for the first time in a year.

The LDD file and real life pictures should be up soon, as I ordered the parts earlier today.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

I finished the plane yesterday ,and just uploaded the new real world pictures. i hope you like it, because here is a peek at the whole setup.

Here we can see the Adventurers home base with the seaplane called the "Island Hopper", the large tramp steamer "Eastern", and the smaller tugboat "Gulf Stream".

 

Enjoy!

[Murdoch17]

Here we can see the Adventurers home base "Wayfarer's Wharf' with the seaplane "Island Hopper", the tramp steam ship "Eastern Star" and the bi-wing float-plane "Thunder Blazer".

Edited March 1, 2018 by Murdoch17