In the years following the Classic Space era, the M:Trons retained their focus on exploration and trading. However, increasing losses of valuable goods to ne'er-do-wells such as Blacktron and the UFOliens forced them to turn their technological knowhow to defence. The Orpheus fighter was one of their first, and most successful, projects.
About this creation
Designed as a low-maintenance, short range fighter, the Orpheus was small enough to operate from outposts on moons or asteroids, or carrier-class ships. It's primary role was to escort transports to and from hyperspace jump-points.
Armament included two focused positron lances for dog-fighting; against more heavily armoured ships, twin EMP subsystem disruptors mounted on the lower hull were employed instead. With these, the Orpheus could generally disable an attacker's engines or weapons systems for long enough for a convoy to escape into hyperspace.
The capacity for interstellar flight was sacrificed in favour of maneuvrability, meaning that a skilled Orpheus pilot could easily outfly rivals such as the Allied Avenger and the Cyber Saucer.
The famous M:Tron magnetic technology was used to connect the cockpit to the main hull of the ship. The cockpit could be jettisoned as an escape pod, or attached to a different hull, meaning that pilots could customise their controls and then transfer them from ship to ship.
Obligatory underside shot: the SNOB (Studs Neatly On the Bottom) wedge in the middle slides backwards to allow the cockpit to drop away.
This was originally built for Novvember 2012, even though it's taken me 6 months to post the photos! The swept-forward shape is inspired by the Myrmidon fighter from the old-but-still-excellent space sim, Freespace 2.
Comments
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August 11, 2015 |
I LOVE M-TRON. The colours are cool, and they had really unique pieces when they came out. This fighter is a wonderful interpretation on the theme. So swooshable too! Great job! |
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I like it |
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April 26, 2015 |
Wow. Surely the best of your M-Tron builds. Great sleekness and tasteful SNOT...this one may be timeless. It looks nimble but sturdy, with tons of little details that grab the eye. Detachable cockpit is a nice bonus. Top Notch, I say, Top Notch. |
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January 17, 2014 |
The chunky look plus the curved slopes and new canopy make this an awesome update of the old familiar M: Tron. |
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I like it |
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June 22, 2013 |
I still think stuff like Mtron and blacktron should be brough back, those were good times! Loos good, modern but with a strong touch of nostalgia |
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I like it |
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June 3, 2013 |
M-Tron will always be my favourite theme! |
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I like it |
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June 3, 2013 |
Very compact and unconventional VV, and very cool. Looks like a ship I'd want to fly around in. |
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I like it |
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June 3, 2013 |
Beautiful M-Tron VV! Looks like an attacking fish. The magnetic playability with the sliding release is ace! |
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I like it |
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June 2, 2013 |
Great ship, and I love the SNOB work - a new term! |
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I made it |
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June 2, 2013 |
Quoting Erik Hendrikx
Awesome looking fighter! I love the removable cockpit! It reminds me of Space: Above and Beyond. Will you be making other fighters/spacecrafts to which the cockpit connects? That would be quite cool to see!
That was the original idea! It got overtaken by other projects but I would like to do that. |
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June 2, 2013 |
Awesome looking fighter! I love the removable cockpit! It reminds me of Space: Above and Beyond. Will you be making other fighters/spacecrafts to which the cockpit connects? That would be quite cool to see! |
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I like it |
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May 31, 2013 |
One of the coolest classic space styled builds I've seen to-date! Cool shape! |
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I like it |
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May 31, 2013 |
Killer ship, Chief! Great shots, too! |
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I like it |
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May 31, 2013 |
Sleek design! |
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I like it |
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May 31, 2013 |
The form reminds me of classic M-tron with the vaguely industrial look. I like the magnet cockpit functionality and expert use of the bubble canopy. |
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May 31, 2013 |
Brilliant neo-M:Tron! |
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May 31, 2013 |
An interesting shaped craft, especially the prongs on either side of the cockpit. The magnetically detaching escape pod is a great idea. I must get some Lego magnets from Bricklink. I also like the idea of SNOB, SNOT is far too slimey to spaceships from. |
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May 31, 2013 |
Brilliant design and very swwoshable. Love the removable escape pod |
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I like it |
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May 31, 2013 |
Sweet little flyer! Love the forward swept bi-wings and the detachable, and fully customizable, cockpit. That's just genius! |
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I like it |
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May 31, 2013 |
That's really a great one - even you are a little bit late with 6 month... :-) ! The playability is awesome! |
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More from Stuart More across MOCpages
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