[BSBA] Cat A - Benny's Space Groomer

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

Hello!

First off, thanks for this contest, the idea is just perfect! Being a 1980 something space guy myself, Benny of course is my favorite character in the movie... Spaceship!

I like what they did with 70831 Emmet's Dream House Rescue Rocket! so I went for something similar. I chose set 60222, snow groomer as a base, because it has nice technic parts (those caterpillars definitely are spaceship material! ), old school colors, and even a canon!

So there was this snow groomer, just lying around...

Then my 1980 space guy came along...

And built himself a nice Space Groomer !

He kept the original cabin, since it was cosy and already had featured cupholders.

However, he took the time to seal the cockpit; it's cold up there...

The fearsome front facing space snow canon.

Those thrusters definitely should pack enough boost.

Having enough room for the jetpack is a must have on a decent spaceship.

For Intergalactical Spacecraft Identification purposes, top, bottom and gear up/down views:

And there we are; a bennific spaceship based on a snow groomer.
I tried to use as many parts as I could from the original set and not add too many. The model is tough and can be grabbed carelessly by the thrusters, cabin or landing pod.
The canon is operated by the 2x2 round black brick visible above, which lands on the fingertips when holding the spaceship by the thrusters.
The landing pod's movement is stopped in the position where the model is perfectly balanced so it is quite reliable. But weird. Which is fun!
The spaceship features variable sweep wing, ejecting canopy and heated cupholders.

 

Backstory:

It was winter, my Benny was on holidays in the mountains when he was called on mission and had to build a spaceship urgently. Looking around, he saw this Snow Groomer and immediately spotted the Technic parts, in particular the beams. A spaceship needs the best technology available to be big, light and sturdy, Benny knows it. He's been using Technic beams for a long time now..

When he took the snow groomer apart, he stumbled across this part:
...which reminded him a lot of that one: 

And of the biggest and most awesome Classic Space set he ever had, 6985 (he's the one taking the photo below):

Then it struck him: since he could not work with his favourite white/blue/grey/transparent yellow palette, he was going to include references to that glorious ancestor in his new build. In addition to the compulsory pair of big thrusters and some antennas in the typical Classic Space style, he chose to use that bracket to create a similar side line:

He doubled the roof piece in an attempt to mock-up the original double canopy looks:

Of course, the front laser canon and the forward facing cones had to be evoked too:

And a pair of winglets on both sides of the cockpit:

Of course, pipes had to be added too. A spaceship needs pipes:

In the back, a pair of stabilisers and integrated transparent red bricks:

And finally, a couple more fins on the back seemed absolutely necessary (as long as a discreet touch of blue):

With all that tribute to his favourite Classic Space model, my Benny was happy to fly his Space Groomer into new adventures!

 

Thanks for watching!

Edited April 15, 2019 by 1980SomethingSpaceGuy
Updated pictures after slight cosmetic modification

[Dorino]

Really cool! :)
This might be most interesting contest ( at least for me)

[koalayummies]

Excellent work! The use of the track pieces for engines and stabilizer mounting points is brilliant. Looks like it would be a very quick spaceship and who wouldn't want to fly to a warmer planet.

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

On ‎27‎.‎03‎.‎2019 at 4:07 PM, Dorino said:

Really cool! :)
This might be most interesting contest ( at least for me)

Thanks! You bet it is for me too  

On ‎28‎.‎03‎.‎2019 at 12:48 AM, koalayummies said:

Excellent work! The use of the track pieces for engines and stabilizer mounting points is brilliant. Looks like it would be a very quick spaceship and who wouldn't want to fly to a warmer planet.

Such a nice compliment from you means a lot! Thanks!

My idea of Bennyfying things is to re-use the most significant parts of the original model; in that case the red slopes, black Z-shaped structures, plates from the plow for the wings, the canon's carriage for the landing pod, etc. but of course the tracks too. I had that in mind when I chose to order that little set for the purpose of this contest. But it was only near the end of the design/building that I added those stabilizers on top of the tracks! I'm a pretty old school builder: I make do with what I have at hand; no CAD, no parts order.
I liked this build a lot because it fits my approach: brand new set as a base, only few parts to add; immediate fun. I'm looking forward seeing the other entries! 

[Space Police XVIII]

Nice start to the contest, and nice build!  Those thrusters are great.

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

On 4/1/2019 at 2:35 AM, Space Police XVIII said:

Nice start to the contest, and nice build!  Those thrusters are great.

Thanks!

- Edited main post to add back story.

[rodiziorobs]

The Bennification is quite complete! And I love that you took time to include homage to the classic set. GL in the contest!

[1980SomethingSpaceGuy]

On ‎10‎.‎04‎.‎2019 at 4:03 AM, rodiziorobs said:

The Bennification is quite complete! And I love that you took time to include homage to the classic set. GL in the contest!

Thanks! With a small model to work on and thus not a lot of parts, I wanted to make the most of them! À propos…

- Edited main post to update pictures after a small upgrade: