[MOC] Rock Raiders: Tunnel Transport

[Louis of Nutwood]

Part I - Rock Raiders 2.0: Hope
Part II - Rock Raiders 2.0: Granite Grinder

The report was clear, but Jet struggled to make sense of it.

“Extraction to be completed in T-40 minutes. Subject needs transportation from complex DF91 directly to the laboratory ASAP. Report immediately. Coordinates in the attached document. Full discretion”

She knew the tunnels like the palm of her hand. She transported everything from radioactive malachite geodes to million years old fossils. And they all had one thing in common: heavy duty.

But there was something strange about the report she just received. Even though Dr. Mallory’s studies were classified, people knew it was focused on energy-based minerals – in microscopic cell formations.

“...Intact crystallized bacterial magnetite... high concentration of the element N72XH... 8.6 tons of concentrated matter... possible disintegration and contamination”

8.6 tons? For a microcellular study? It felt wrong. But how could it? The report came directly from Dr. Mallory Lynch. And no... Dr. Mallory Lynch was never wrong.

A thousand colored lights flickered as the flight deck came to life. She pushed the thrust lever and felt her chest tremble with the roar of the double PW5000 rotors swirling parallel to her ears. The turbines on the T.T.VTOL hissed and echoed though unknown subterranean caves.

She was up in the air once again.

In the dark, Jet smiled remembering Dr. Mallory’s last request.

“Full speed, Jet”.

_________

Were Rock Raiders part of your LEGO life?

The Tunnel Transport, set 4980, was my favorite Rock Raider transport. Something about the rotors, how massive this aircraft was. Oh! And the playability with magnets, of course.

So, here is my updated version (T.T.VTOL) of the Rock Raiders’ Tunnel Transport, set 4980-1, from 1999. Third and final part of my Rock Raiders Revamp. 

Hope you like it as much as I do (and did back then). And hopefully it will inspire you to bring this awesome theme back to life.

Keep on building!

Louis of Nutwood

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by Louis of Nutwood

[mon-o-mat]

One of the big plus points RR always had over PM was at least in my eyes that they actually had quite some transport vehicles.

The Tunnel transport was of course the greatest of them.

What I like about your moc is how it caught the appearance of quite a large flying vehicle, but with a stubbyness that could make it fit into a underground tunnel.

 

[Umbra-Manis]

I love the chunkiness, this certainly feels like it could survive some falling rocks or rough landings,

[Krol Zmija Sebastian]

Looks good!

[-DoNe-]

Wonderful build!
Rock Raiders remains my favorite theme. After I've finished a few other projects I will most certainly get back to this!