The Grimm's army Galapagos Dropship
LEGO by: Ryan C. Stebbins (image captions and minifigs by Scorp)
Weight Range: Heavy
Speed: Slow
Flight Capability: Atmospheric flight only
Armaments: 2 heavy lasers, infantry support
Capacity: 1 pilot and a flippin' ton of passengers

The Galapagos is a model that my brother Ryan (see above) built quite some time ago. And by quite some time, I mean several years. This thing is pretty old. It hearkens back to the days when what is now Nova Refuge was first evolving from our young imaginations as we played with our LEGO toys. It's one of the few models still surviving from those days. Upon my insistence, Ryan began renovating it, repairing pieces that were missing, and making it look more advanced in general. I suppose one reason I still really like it is just nostalgia, so if you're looking at it and thinking "i cant beleive u posted that pece of junk, scorp!!1" then there isn't much I know to say tell you. You obviously just don't understand the concept of nostalgia yet.

Here's the desktop image, as usual. This one doesn't show the ship, but rather my fine decal work (yeah, I made the decals, not Ryan). Don't forget to enlarge it.

When I first posted preview images of this creation, some people asked what the deformed green thing on top was. In case it appears abstract to you too, here's some enlightenment for you: it's the number "1". Ryan put that there because, at the time when he first built the ship, I had my own red and black version of Grimm's Army called Grimm III's Gang. Grimm I didn't approve of Grimm III's use of his name, so he made sure to always brag about being number 1. This can still apply in the Nova Refuge universe, and I've come to associate the big number 1 with the ship, so I told Ryan to leave it on there.

History: As Grimm's Army grew larger in size, he quickly found that he did not have enough air transport vehicles to carry his troops from place to place. On many occasions, he was forced to improvise. The Galapagos was originally a civilian cargo transport, used to carry heavy loads from place to place or up and down (such as to the top of a tall building under construction). It's powerful boosters and hover lift wings allow it to soar to heights much higher than those reachable by most wingless aerial vehicles.

The armor plated hover wings were added by Grimm's Army to protect mercs as they were carried into battle (the original transport, of course, did not have them). Since many of the ship's features were added like this over time (giving it its current garbled appearance), it was named the "Galapagos" after the islands were Charles Darwin first came up with the theory (be it true or false) of evolution. The vehicle has evolved over time. It was also named thus because it looks something like a giant Galapagos tortoise.

Live for the horde! Yeah, there's a little jump involving in getting down from the Galapagos, but it was never intended to be a troop transport originally, and if you aren't tough enough to make that little trip, then you ain't a Grim Mercenary.

Ryan told me that when he first built the Galapagos, he was being pretty sloppy. Thus the use of BURPs (Big Ugly Rock Pieces) in the construction. Also, the vehicle's "head" or cockpit was originally just what was left of the body of an original Star Wars Snowspeeder set, stuck on the front! Man, we had a lot of those sets...

One thing about the Galapagos is it is very, very slow. So it's perfectly safe to have gunners seated on the sides, or even on the top. And of course, if they fall, that's their d^$# problem. That's why Grimm's Army doesn't offer life insurance. There isn't any.

Grimm added these powerful boosters to make the ship go faster, but it didn't help all that much. Still, they work. And if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The decals were one thing that was not on the ship before, of course. I added them later for the finishing touches. This decal didn't turn out quite dark enough, but it still looks awesome, I think.

Hmm, didn't I already post a picture just like this? Bah, I snapped too many.

The head can swivel in various directions to make use of the chin cannons. The Galapagos is also armed with a pair of missile launchers, which are located near the back (the tubes back there, buddy).

You can hide between the legs if things get too dirty. The mercs like to call it "hiding under Mommy's skirt," or rather, hiding under the mothership's skirt.

The only problem with that idea is all these liftoff engines under the bottom. Actually, "hiding under mommy's skirt" is sometimes used as a method of execution in Grimm's Army. They just send the prisoner in there and then activate the engines. BUUURN!

Another picture of the motley crew. By the way, Grimm's Army does have multiple Galapagos air transports (they aren't technically "dropships" since they can't fly in space). Some of them even have two levels inside of the ship, like a second floor so to speak, so they can carry twice as many mercenaries.

Lisa Sharp and Jade prepare to snipe from the top of the Galapagos...

It has been said that the shield dishes on top of the ship can even protect the crew from orbital bombardment from space. Grimm's mercs trust that thick armor plating. Of course, these claims have not been proven.

The shield plates are always extended while the Galapagos is landing or taking off, to give it that extra push. They are lined with hover pads under the bottom. They also make for some great shade while the mercs are kicked back takin' a break.

Each pilot has his Galapagos customized to his own specifications, and often they have them named. This particular ship is piloted by a man named Gamar, and his ship is called The One (due to the painting on top). Whenever Grimm rides in a Galapagos, he always rides in this one.