Neo Classic Space

We're not promising to have a bonus every day, but you never know! Right now there are so many great classic space themed models appearing the web that it's getting hard to choose which ones to feature! I challenge you all to keep me making hard choices.

Today was no contest, however. We just couldn't leave out Mark Kupietz (Serrater)'s LL-938 Supply Ship.

This model has it all - great part usage, fantastic design and a wild case of runaway greebles! If you don't recognise the canopy, it's the part that led to Pete Reid building his blue canary, without which we'd never have started off on this wild adventure in the first place. It's actually from a Duplo set. Well done for cramming two of them in!

For the Classic Space Federation, some things are just too important to trust to the air waves. That's where Chad Smith's Planetary Courier comes in.

As even the most highly-encrypted data transmissions have some risk of being intercepted and decrypted, the Planetary Courier fills an important role.  The Planetary Courier is capable of storing high volumes of data and transporting them swiftly to their destination.  Its massive data storage capacity, high-speed thrusters and powerful laser cannons require four large heat-sinks, seen under the main rear thruster.

Chad says: The Planetary Courier is an homage to the 6842 Shuttle Craft released in 1981.  This was one of my favorite childhood sets, containing my first set of 4x8 space wings.  In this MOC I have attempted to duplicate the classic lines of that sturdy vessel, and also evoke the look and feel of NASA’s space shuttle.  The model is built on a central SNOT “spine” with studs oriented in five directions.

Jordan (Sir Nadroj) has created a wonderful little hoverbike we just couldn't ignore.

I really love his box art, perfectly mimicking the old sets. The robot is an excellent addition.

Sometimes the Classic Space Federation need to get down and dirty, and when they do Kyle Vrieze's Mobile Scanning Unit is perfect for the job.

The mineral exploration division uses the Mobile Scanning Unit to explore the surface of new planets, searching for valuable minerals beneath the surface.  The Unit is equipped with an articulated scanning arm and grappler arm and a full communication and navigation suite.  Two-person teams alternate operating the MSU and manning the hand-held scanner.

Kyle has this to say: I was going for a modern take on Classic Space set 6901-Mobile Lab, a set I had as a child, with its articulating arm, scanning device and gray/trans-green color scheme.  Pete Reid obviously inspired the radar dish, and the little white barrel is a "Chucktainer", designed by Chuck Citrin.  The trans-green scanning device is a LEGO paper clip. 

Flickr user DARKspawn has built a fantastic planetary explorer we just couldn't leave out. We especially love the clever opening doors.

Pete Reid and Nnenn have colaborated to bring us the LL-989 'Wildfire' Starfighter...

An unusual prototype from Mars University, Wildfire is a nimble, one-man fighter with experimental drive-jamming technology. 

The guys have come up with an amazing design, with its four distinctive panels at the back. Are they soler sails, warp field generators or some other means of propulsion? Pete's cockpit is also an amazing piece of work, making use of a tran-yellow corner piece in a way its designers almost certainly never considered.

Pete notes... I’ve always admired the beautiful shapes and lines Nnenn creates. A while ago I asked him for a sketch that I could try and build from, to try and learn from him. He sent me several designs, and I chose the one I liked the most. He also provided the registration number, which is a stroke of genius.

Keeping Federation borders secure is the job of patrol craft like Mark Sandlin's LL-300. Often it's a matter of just having a visible presence. However, when that presence needs to be more than just visible, it's improortant to have a craft that's up to the job.

The LL-300 Patrol Craft was designed to patrol the edge of explored space. Its broad wing shape provides ample lift in the thin atmospheres of gas giants and terraforming planets. Equipped with two large drive engines as well as two smaller intra-atmospheric engines, the LL-300 is able to move quickly along the frontier to perform its mission duties. The small onboard rover provides the crew with mobility when they must venture onto a planet's surface.

We don't plan to have a bonus every day, but some people just won't keep still. Although they're not totally new, Thomas Öchsner's walker and speeder are too good to ignore, and Thomas brings them to life with his excellent photography.

Next on our road trip through the Neo Classic Space Federation is LL-138, Tim Goddard's scanning craft.

Outfitted with a bewildering array of scanning technology, the LL138 is one of the first ships to arrive in newly discovered systems. It features spectrophotometers, gravimeters, atmospheric and climate sensors, to name but a few. It also has a cockpit designed to allow great views of new planetary surfaces and carries equipment for some more direct measurement of local geology such as the scorpion autonomous scanning robot and a rock penetrator sonic drill.

We really love the unique and distinctive shape of the ship, and the up-sude-down construction to give the pilot/surveyor a clear view of everything below. Here he is doing a close-up inspection on an alien world.

It seems that Nnenn has got the Classic Space bug, and has already slipped out his second model of the month, his Mobile "Research" Platform. Somehow I missed it yesterday, but I thought it too good to leave out of our celebration.

The Federation scientific community was incensed when the term 'research' was applied to a military reconnaissance vehicle. But General Haak insisted sample gathering qualified the name... even though it was mostly of alien species.

We can't help wondering how many more Nnenn will manage this month...