The ESU-1 Surveillance Jet: A LEGO® creation by Stephen Abbott : MOCpages.com

The ESU-1 Surveillance Jet

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The MMF's first attempt at an Electronic Surveillance Jet, the ESU-1

About this creation

In case you didn’t notice, I ran out of fancy and creative names, so I jotted down the first word that came to mind. Please welcome the ESU-1.

The Mikrosheise Minifig Forces have recently unveiled their latest aircraft, the ESU-1. Based entirely on the Winglets commercial airplanes, the Winglets 72-70-202, the ESU-1 (Electronic Surveillance Unit, prototype 1) is a vital aircraft for any Lego air force.

On December 8 the MMF bought out the Winglets Aeronautics Organization (WAO) and along with it came the Winglets 72-70 assembly line. The MMF immediately began designs for a number of possibilities using the 72-70-202 design, many of which include troop transport, bombers, tankers, parachuting aircraft, and even fighters. The MMF’s favorite idea was a mini ESU, and that’s what you’re looking at right now.

The MMF has recently voted to release some of their aircraft models onto the public market. The ESU-1 is the first aircraft to become publicly available to other air forces. By the way . . . you do not want to know the price. Trust me.

{PLEASE IGNORE THE BLURRY PHOTOS}

An electronic surveillance jet, as many of you know, is used for reconnaisance missions, as well as other projects that require a high-tech aircraft which can exceed an altitude of 45,000 feet.

I hope you like the ESU-1’s overall design, with overhead wings and hubcaps. Windows will eventually be blanked as soon as I can find non-clear window panes on Bricklink.

Unlike real Electronic Surveillance jets, the ESU-1 features a “double-dish” design, solely in case one begins malfunctioning or is shot dead by enemy guns.

The ESU-1 looks sluggish, but with twin turbine power plants and overhead wings it actually does well with a 90-mph takeoff sprint (its takeoff field is a mere 350 Lego feet) and a 450-mph cruising speed at 45,000 feet.

The ESU-1 can be single-manned, thanks to 68% computerized flight operations and co-ordinance (CFOC). Besides, the interiors are much too compact for a duo flight crew anyway.

The insides of the ESU-1 are obviously more interesting than the exterior. After all, they don’t call them Electronic Surveillance jets for nothing!

The two red pipes are the exterior pipes covering thousands of electric wiring that connects the computers to the radar dishes atop the aircraft. There’s plenty of equipment . . . enough to require three men to operate it! Even I don’t know everything that goes on in an Electronic Surveillance jet, but I had plenty of computers pieces that were sitting on a shelf. So, I tossed them in for the picture, and this is what I got. The cockpit is nothing fancy, despite my mentioning of 68% automatic flight co-ordinance. It doesn’t look like very much fun being squashed in a computer-steamy airplane for five hours with three other guys beside you. At least it’s air conditioned. The last picture is of the crew of Unit #2 as they pose before flying unit 2 on its first test flight. Yes, even test flights require the full crew team. Just read the MMF Rule Book, chapter 85, page 3,776, paragraph 19, line 5, note 14:6A.

The MMF currently operates two ESU-1s and is content with their fleet. Notice that the ESU-1 featured in these photographs is unmarked with no MMF titles and no registration. Hmm . . .

Comments

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Paul Watt

July 15, 2008

For future reference, airplanes sporting the large disk or other radar equipment are known as AWACS systems.

I like it

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard

December 20, 2007

I actually really like it. The Elite Delta Alliance formally and respectfully requests an alliance. Before responding check out our forces and review them. Then post response on our Alliance Request page.