(MOC) Space Police Modified Baracuda tcx17 Cruiser

[Tereglith]

Even during times of interstellar peace, backroad hyperlanes attract the attention of criminals who want nothing more than speed. Drag racing is a constant threat at warp intersections, where even coming within a dekaparsec of a criminal's warp field can tear off a fender - or more. It also becomes a problem in the habitable terraspheres, where in-atmosphere hovercars careen between skyscrapers at sublight speeds. All of them have the same design - a huge custom engine with a tiny area for holding the driver behind it, around which high-capacity energy pipelines flow to the thrusters at the back. The problem with controlling this crime sector for the space police came when they sent their conventionally shaped engines-at-the back ships to check them out - the crooks had set up scanners that looked for the energy pattern of high-medium-high of all incoming ships. When they got wind of the Space Police's low-low-high energy signatures, they scattered to a new area faster than the space police could follow.

Aiming to solve this problem, one of the Space Police's top mechanics created a ship in the mold of all the drag racers. Taking the sporty Kuiat Baracuda tcx17, already a hotrod in its own right, he tore off the engine and replaced it with a completely new and totally off-the-charts powerful one of his own construction. Add a few flashy fins, and voila! A ship to confuse any sensors the crooks could set up. Even on visual, it looks like an oddly-colored hotrod, until the "nacelles" suddenly start shooting lasers, the "headlights" begin sending out sonic blastwaves, and the red and blue lights turn on. If the crooks try to run, odds are their speed will be no match for this bad boy. Since hte introduction of ten 'Cudas to the space police fleet, the number of illegal races in the galaxy has gone down by at least 87%.

You'd have a smug smile too if your ride was this cool.

EDIT: NEW PICTURES

Here's a picture in better light than the first ones:

And here's a picture of the magical play feature, a small storage area:

This was my first "real" space MOC. I'm open to suggestions (as long as they aren't about my pictures, I know they suck), but may be a little reluctant to change things unless it's a reeeaaaallyy good idea.

Edited October 17, 2009 by Tereglith

[Optimus]

Very nice, especially on all the greebles on the engines. The pictures are kinda dark though, so it's hard to see them all. The guns are pretty basic though, you should improve them with some more detail. Other than that fantastic job!

[Tereglith]

Yeah, I know about the pictures - I kinda forgot to turn the flash on... I'll take better ones this weekend during my LEGO PHotography PHest!

[Dannylonglegs]

Your pics suck Lol Jk

I love the moc, but the story realy caught my eye.

The barracuda is a marvelous ship, with the smooth flowing sports car look, meshed perfectly with the sleem aperiance of the barracuda, giving way to the greebly insanely detailed massive engine system. I't's a work of art.

unfortunately, the excessive smoothness in th police part and monochromaticism makes it look a bit boring. If I were a lego set designer, Which we all know I'm not, I would but stickers on the fins, the body and the everywhere else of this vehicle.

again, your ship rocks!

Edited October 15, 2009 by dannylonglegs

[Rocketbilly]

I like it, and the backstory, too.

I really love the engine, and (cockpit colour and high level of detail aside) could pass for a proper set.

Of course, for it to be even more realisitc, cover her with flick fire missiles and you're away

Nice work!

Will/Rocketbilly

[Tereglith]

I would but stickers on the fins, the body and the everywhere else of this vehicle...

Most of the white pieces came from a first-wave exo-force model... I had to peel stickers off all of them... now I'm reconsidering...

At one point this model did have a shiny chrome exhaust pipe and one of the gray flexible tubes on the back, to shake things up a little, but I had to take them off to use in a science "base" MOC.

[TenorPenny]

I think some chrome might work, but I like the dark grey of the engine!

[Tereglith]

I've gotten some new pictures, up in the original post - a better picture of the ship, and a close-up on the play feature, a magical trunk!

Also, I've been gathering pieces to do a MOD of this, one that the bad guys damaged and then repaired to be evil looking and stuff. Suggestions?

[squidman85]

Good creation.I think its much better than Space Police III aircrafts.I like the engines too. Only probem is glass-roof.

[Siegfried]

I love it when someone makes up a back story to explain/justify a MOC! It's a very good and logical reason too. As for the MOC, I like it... but the tail seems out of place to me.

[Milan]

Yes, it it great!

I like the engine!

It looks monsterusly powerfull, it must have great power/weight ratio!

It may really looks smoother without the tail!

[phillip10]

That is an awesome moc! I like the engine!

[DJ Force]

No offense, but I couldn´t stop myself from laughing out lout when seeing this MOC the first time. The superbly detailed, massive, strong, bulky, greebly and excellently sculpted front engine piece is just so superheavy marvellous that the streamlined back looks like a paperplane compared to the engine.