Giant SpaceSHIP Fleet tips

[Drummerdude96]

Hi. I've played a couple of games with some friends recently, and fro our next we want to have minifig-scale SHIP Fleets.

I was planning on building a large orbital command SHIP/Carrier type thing, and I wasn't sure what to do. I've seen some ships built with regular bricks on here. I like the way that looks, but I don't think it'd be big enough to carry the 10 inch tall transports I've built (Pics coming when I can find a camera). So my question is thus:

What's probably the best way to build what I'm looking for?

By the way, I have an estimated 20,000 bricks, so pieces probably aren't an issue.

Thanks.

[CompulsiveCatfish]

Big and hollow. Otherwise you have lots of mass.

Think spaces between bricks.

Lattice-like structures.

Try to build a solid ship and you will have... issues.

[Drummerdude96]

Yeah, I understand it should be hollow (obvious if I want minifigs in it) but is there a particular pattern to the brick building? Should I use technic? Bricks? Plating?

[Apollyon]

A sturdy technic frame with plating to make large rooms (hangars) and brick built attachments (bridge, engines, weapons etc) should do well. But you need a good plan where you want to go with your building i guess and then there is the issue of making it look good.

[RoC77]

First of all, if your transports are 10 inches tall, then they don't need a SHIP to dock into, they should be big enough to be independent. Some of the SHIP's here aren't even 10 inches tall. How long are the transports? Because depending on thier size you might need lots of reinforcement....

[CompulsiveCatfish]

I downloaded Lego Digital Designer off the Lego site, it helps me lay out things before I break out the bricks.

Of course I am an engineer I'm used to using CAD and 3D to help me think it's a mental condition not a talent. :p

[Warhead]

Yeah, I understand it should be hollow (obvious if I want minifigs in it) but is there a particular pattern to the brick building? Should I use technic? Bricks? Plating?

It's a question particular to what you have in mind to build. Everything you add to your ships design will throw in problems of sturdiness. You'll have to meet each challenge as it arises. Use anything you have/need to overcome the problems. Reinforce your structure where you can but try to make it a feature and not a hindrance to the interior.

[muffinman42]

Make some drawings of the shape you want and then work on a technic frame.
If you plan a actual SHIP then make it moduler for easy transport.

[Drummerdude96]

Okay, So so far I've heard
-Technic frame
-Plating hull

For the decks, should I just use like tecnic beams on the frame with pins, or build them from bricks?

[Natalya]

Your choice with the decks. Google Mark Sandlin's Asmodeus for perfect execution of the plate-hull style.

[Strana]

the most important considerations when building a capital ship that has to carry something is rather its height and breadth, the longest standard lego peices are the train frames, providing at max 22 studs max interior room (you can build larger internal space but if your building a large ship you have to remember that your going to be manhandling it, weight reduction is important, and side plating can help immensly, as can simpl8ifying your deckplating as plates can add weight very quickly), but with these parts being only 6 studs crosswise, you will need quite a few depending on how long whatever it is your carrying will be. most important if your trying to build a main cargo box is to interweave bricks, try as much as possible to never have a fault run thru more than 2 layers vertically otherwise you could risk the model breaking its back, also have structural reinforcement at least between either 2 built in places of rest, or run a technic spine down the belly and the dorsal surface, its hard to be of more help without seeing what your trying to carry so ill leave it there.

and remember arches can help hold a ship together, and the type you use is only limited by what has to move under it