Doctor Sinister

At least 9,000, maybe more. Dr. S.

I thought some might like to see the pictures of my latest creation, the result of 7 months of planning and brick acquisition. This is the ISS Europa, a LEGO Neo-Classic Space starfighter carrier measuring over 100 studs long, with four auxiliary craft, an illuminated hangar bay and a crew of 17. Please check out the video to see a demonstration of all the working features, or view the entire imageset on Flickr to see the development of this creation and explanations of the concepts behind the design. Flickr images. I will be bringing her to some shows in the UK this year and probably next. Dr. S.

Thank you sir. Dr. S.

Hmmm, don't recall setting one actually. It's been a while since I posted a review here, was I meant to? Dr. S.

No, it snaps into place. Oh, and thanks for the Emperor Eternal reference. :-D Dr. S.

Done. Here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=36489 Dr. S.

INDEXED I found two of these today in my local TRU - £29.99. Been a while since I did a review, but without further ado... The box: The contents - three bags, a hosepipe thingy, a sticker sheet and two instruction books. Book 1 deals with the 4x4 car: Yum, new pieces - 1x3 tiles: Nearly there: Ta-daaa! About 5 minutes work this bit: And onto book 2, bag 2 - look at these new pieces: And so we start to build the helicopter itself: We have a MAJOR colour-matching issue here: Yes, I apply stickers. So sue me: And onto the third bag. Now this just looks like a bomb from this angle: Building the engine for the chopper: The underside does at least have some thought given to it with that spotlight: Rotor blades are nicely offset from centre: Here's that red thing again: Just a big bucket really: For sale - lots of 1x1 trans-blue cylinders: Splosh! It hooks onto the rear: And here is the finished chopper: The fine crew: The whole set: I do like helicopters, and this is a nice one, but the huge pieces make it far too light to make me think it's LEGO - does that make sense? It's not as swooshable as it could be because it's not got enough weight to it. I'll give it 3.5 out of 5 though. And the Jeep is lovely. Dr. S.

Okay (not ok-ey)-dokey. Dr. S.

I just found set 7206 in a UK TRU. £29.99. Has this been reviewed yet? Dr. S.

Compact was the aim - I think lengthening the distance would cause it to be more unstable, as a build. I was also trying to partly emulate the appearance of the Dragonfly (referenced in the opening post). Dr.S.

The ECS-17 Moth Starfighter is a blindingly fast and heavily armed one-man ship from the same manufacturer as the CW-1 Dragonfly Gunship and using many of the same components. Like the Dragonfly, the ship is capable of VTOL operations. Mounting no less than 8 medium plasma cannon and two small concussion missile launchers, the Moth is a deadly opponent in combat, although it has a complete lack of any kind of shield and only light armour plating. The Moth is equipped with four heavy thrust Magnadyne Engines, four smaller secondary thrusters and four VTOL boosters - two on each side. The Moth also features a unique control mechanism - there are no control sticks or buttons, the pilot simply interacts with electro-magnetic fields generated inside the cockpit to operate the craft, allowing for instant reactions from the thrusters with every slight movement from the pilot. This can be disconcerting for new pilots unused to having to instruct the computer that they are merely picking their nose, not intending for maximum boost. Some Moths have inevitably found their way into the hands of private collectors or thrill-seekers, not to mention the criminal fraternity. Dr. S.

Continuing a tradition, the 2010 Tabletown Wall Calendar is finally here! Download it here: http://www.tabletownonline.com/Resources/2...wn_Calendar.pdf This year's theme is "Calendar Minifigs" - based of course on the true story of the real Calendar Girls, ladies who bared (nearly) all in the name of charity. http://www.seecalendargirls.com/ The calendar is intended to be printed and so the pages appear sideways on the screen, but you can get a full preview of the images in my Flickrstream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/doctorsiniste...57622358383013/ As with all my calendars, this is a completely free, not-for-profit publication and no copyright infringement is intended. If you enjoy this calendar, I would strongly urge you to make a donation to the charity supported by the REAL "Calendar Girls". Visit http://www.lrf.org.uk/ for full details. Dr. S.

The Provider Class Troop/General Army Transport lorry uses the same cab and chassis design as the Replenisher Class Tanker and the Conveyor Class Transport and is used to ferry goods and supplies to and from bases and the front lines. Webpage with full set of images: http://www.tabletownonline.com/provider.php The whole logistics fleet together. From left to right, two Provider Class Haulers, two Replenisher Class Tankers and two Conveyor Class Transports. Dr. S.

The Conveyor Class Troop/General Army Transport lorry uses the same cab and chassis design as the Replenisher Class Tanker and the Provider Class Hauler and features a rear troop section that can be completely sealed to avoid NBC contamination and protect the troops inside. Webpage with full set of images: http://www.tabletownonline.com/conveyor.php The whole logistics fleet together. From left to right, two Provider Class Haulers, two Replenisher Class Tankers and two Conveyor Class Transports. Dr. S.

When the first SW LEGO sets came out, I bought my first one from Smiths - so they have been known to stock it in the past. Thanks for the tip-off. Hopefully it will go some way to alleviating the loss of Woolworths as regards finding LEGO on the high street. Dr. S.

It's not really a Duplo piece, but it is big. Regular studs though. You can see it here: http://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?q...ple+Curved+Ends Comes in plain green as well. Dr. S.

We tend not to spend TOO much on making these things indestructible - new troops are easily conscripted. Dr. S.

They are the same lights on most of my more recent vehicles, I like a bit of consistency across the fleet. I disagree, there are taps there for accessing the fuel and the shape broadly follows the line of a typical tanker. What would inverted slopes add? Not a lot. Fuel is fuel! Dr. S.

Once again, members of the Brickish Association will be holding a weekend event at the STEAM museum in Swindon, England where you will be able to come and see lots of fantastic LEGO creations and meet the builders - including me! There will be plenty to see and do, making it a fabulous day out for all the family: * Lots of models of all sizes built by LEGO fans such as railway layouts, buildings, space craft, cars, trucks, aircraft and much more * Interactive Building - help create an all-new giant LEGO mosaic from 100,000 bricks! * Building Workshops - enjoy short presentations by LEGO experts on the latest LEGO building software and techniques for you to try at home * Visit the LEGO Shop and other independent LEGO traders for some great deals on some exclusive LEGO sets not available on the high street * LEGO play tables for the children (and sofas for the adults!) * Competitions - win LEGO prizes * Brick Cafe - to keep you refreshed in first class style Read the full details hereand see an exclusive video of the event .Dr. S.

The Replenisher Tanker is the standard tanker transport for the Tabletown Armed forces, able to swiftly supply large quantities of fuel of all grades to the front lines. Dr. S.

As with my earlier book (Grunts, Volume One), I have now published, online, two volumes of The Astounding Pizza-Man, for anyone who might be interested. Prices are a little high I'm afraid, but out of my control. Volume 1 is here: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/814041 Volume 2 is here: http://www.blurb.com/my/book/detail/814048 Dr. S.

And the pilot of one particular Dragonfly: Meet Col Stiehl, licenced Bounty Hunter, Mercenary and professional killer. Having secured his Bounty Hunter's licence through...less than legitimate means, Col is on permanent contract to The Mob and is, more often than not, usually found cruising the space lanes attempting to track down Jek Tranter and his ship, The Ladybird. Col flies an early Dragonfly Gunship that he acquired through the black market in an illegal arms deal. Hailing from a Germanic family on the inner colony world of PhrankPhurt III, Col, is an ex-Marine. However he was Court-Martialled six months into his service after the mysterious death of his CO with whom he had fallen out during a mission. Following this, he served two years in a harsh military detention facility before escaping with the help of his current masters - along with all record of his existence in the service...The Mob has friends in high places. Operating on the fringes of the law, Col has a violent temper and with this in mind, it is important to remember that Col is his NAME, NOT a rank. Indeed, Col never got above the rank of Gunner in the Marines, and any mistaken referral to him as "Colonel" will instantly remind him of his under-achievement in this regard and send him into a flying rage which may well result in the death of anyone who happens to be nearby, in any adjoining rooms, buildings, districts or cities. Despite the extensive body armour he wears, Col has suffered a great many injuries in his work for The Mob and currently sports cybernetics in his left arm, left leg and right eye as well as an artificial heart after his previous one was removed by an upset client. Col is generally armed to the teeth and is regarded as VERY dangerous. DO NOT APPROACH. Dr. S.

Thanks. The name was the final thing to be decided, I have a tradition lately of naming ships after insects (Ladybird, Locust, Grasshopper) and as this was blue, I picked Dragonfly. Dr. S.

The CW-1 Dragonfly Gunship is a heavily armed VTOL attack craft equipped with 4 heavy plasma cannon, two light plasma cannon and two medium-range laser cannon and is capable of operating within planetary atmospheres and the depths of space. This one-man vessel is typically deployed from ground bases but modified variants can be found on board larger capital ships. A typical Dragonfly Squadron consists of 6 craft. The vessel is highly maneuverable, and although there has been criticism of its lack of missile armament, it is well-loved by its pilots for its ability to engage enemy fighters as well as ground targets. Many early Dragonflies have found their way into the hands of mercenaries and bounty hunters. Its large rear section can easily be modified to accommodate a small hold area suitable for prisoner transportation. As you will see from these images, the Dragonfly's wings and engines rotate to allow for vertical landings and take offs. Weblink (full set of images - 2 pages). Dr. S.

Here is a pair of tutorials I made on making a LEGO comic strip, using one of my own strips, "Grunts", as an example. Part One - taking the pictures. Part Two - post production. And here's the comic that came out of it: Dr. S.