11 March 2017

NEXOGON: Space Marine Drop-Pod

Posted by Admin
A new build for our parts festival from Duncan Lindbo (donutsftw on Flickr) today, using LEGO® NEXO KNIGHTS™Combo Power Shields (Design ID 27255) to fill an awkward gap.

Is it a meteor? A comet? No, it's a space marine drop-pod!


Every since space marines became a staple of science fiction, they've needed a way to go from orbit to the ground quickly. Drop-pods do just that; they're simple, no-frills re-entry vehicles that let a squad of marines be deployed almost anywhere within minutes.

In this particular build, I've used the Nexogons as the hatches on the drop-pod. They're key to creating the pod's pyramidal shape when closed; and when open, the Technic hole in the center provides an attachment point for some heavy weaponry.

Here's a breakdown for you.

I'm pretty sure the technique I used to attach the 2x2 round plate in the center of each door is legal... The pins certainly seemed to snap in with a satisfying click.


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11 comments:

  1. Great job! I love the color scheme and the overall design. I like using the center connection point as a weapon mount point.

    I'm not sure if this was intentional, but this reminds of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft:

    http://www.seti.org/sites/default/files/Dragon_landing_on_Mars_0.jpg

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    1. Thanks! This wasn't directly inspired by any particular real or fictional craft, but there's only so many ways to build a simple re-entry vehicle, so there's bound to be some similarities between designs.

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  2. Looks awesome! Though, are you sure the gray pin in the Nexogon is legal? Because in the pics, it clearly doesn't pop out to the other side. However, TLG could have put an additional groove in there, so pins can go both ways. If so, that's awesome!

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    1. Looking closely at the Nexogon, there does appear to be a separate lip so that a pin can be inserted from the top or bottom, and click in place.

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    2. Oh, that's awesome! Thanks! BTW I forgot to mention that this reminds me of something in this set (you'll know it when you see it): http://brickset.com/sets/7738-1/Coast-Guard-Helicopter-Life-Raft

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    3. Haha! Actually I happened to find my hexagon clips the other day - couldn't find them when I wrote my original Nexogon post. They are extremely close to the size of Nexogons, so I'm hoping some of our parts festival builders will exploit this!

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  3. It has been noted quite a while ago that the hub is one brick thick, which is 1/2 plate thicker than the width of a beam or brick. It stands to reason that _something_ screwy has to be going on with the hub for it to be compatible with Technic pins. Two easy ways to tell if your connection is legal is to attach the half-pin first, and then add the plate and tile after you know it's seated, and to see if the entire assembly rotates freely afterwards.

    But my question is...does everything depicted actually fit inside that thing?

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    1. Alright, I should be getting one or two soon, so I'll let you know if it seems legal.

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    2. The assemblies do rotate freely, and as I noted above, there appears to be a ridge/lip that allows you to insert a pin from the top or bottom, so I think it's a legal connection. But even if it isn't, it seems too useful not to use...

      Everything does fit inside, provided the heavy weaponry is removed from its mount, and tucked in the center, with a marine facing each door/flap. It's certainly not a comfortable ride though!

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  4. Great model! The Nexogon adds a great Sci-Fi texture. I wish I could build things with the new part, but I don't have it. I need to try Mecabricks.

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    1. I'm finding Mecabricks nice and easy to use. I'm yet to try Stud.io though

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