Need idea or suggestion on Omega ship's rotating section

[Lego Otaku]

I have looked around but did not find any good information that explains how one could build an Omega ships with rotating section in the middle while keeping the front and back fixed and sturdy. Many of the Omega ships I've seen shows the section but none indicates if it actually rotates or if it's fixed.

I would like to have the rotating section driven by a motor, maybe have a medium motor + IR control + battery in the section with battery on one side and the rest on other side to counter balance.

Any idea how to do it? Here's a youtube video of a ship to give an idea how it looks:

Edited April 11, 2012 by Lego Otaku

[Christoph]

Cool project!

I suggest the use of one or better two turntables

pic from bricklink

I recommend that you do not put the motor and the battery box in the rotating section. For stability reasons I would put them in the main structure.

For example, you could connect the black part to the main structure and the gray part to the rotating section. A rotating gear could then drive the gray part from within.

Good luck!

[Si-MOCs]

I had actually thought of this problem in-depth as I have long wanted/planning on building a similar ship with a rotating section.

The approach I would go for would be to essentially build 2 pillars where the bow and the stern sit, then have a motor drive a the rotating structure - using what Christoph suggested.

Though if you're are SHIP building purist - where a SHIP has to be able to be picked up off the table... it would be slightly harder...haven't exactly figured out how to get that working :P

[Lego Otaku]

I had thought of using the technic turntable but the narrow opening makes it hard to build a strong and secure connection with both front and rear section of the ship. I'm not planning to make it swooshable but still it needs to be able to hold up itself while the section spins.

[MstrOfPppts]

Last years T-6 Jedi Shuttle has something similar done with its wings. I think if you used 2 of the big Technic turntables and connect the front and the rear with 2 rows of unaligned Technic bricks connected with pins and reinforced with plates on top and bottom, should be enough. But it all depends on how long the middle section is. Anyway only the small part going through the turntable has to be so thin, the rest of the connection can be wider - so it fills the whole turning part ... that would be an awesome ship!