1787 - Crater Cruiser

Rating:
Pros: Cool design; cool detachable scout ship; sensor array
Cons: Wobbly front wheels; sensor array cannot raise while scout ship is attached
Contents: 180 pieces including 2 mini-figs
Price: $19.99 (Discontinued)
Reviewed: 18-Jun-1997
Reviewed by: Sam Siew

"Cruiser 3, I'm losing you. Coordinates?" Officer Bel Iblis spoke into the commlink in the cockpit of his Crater Cruiser.
"Just behind the rock canyons at 56,34" came the reply. Bel Iblis skillfully commandeered his Cruiser until Cruiser 3 was in sight.
"All right, Iblis," Cruiser 3 signaled. "I'm launching my scout and raising sensor array."
Bel Iblis watched as the scout ship rocketed into the purple hued sky and a cluster of complex mechanisms raised into it's place. "I've got my sensor array locked on the Explorien Starship overhead at 67,89, Bel Iblis. The weapon systems on the starship are still functional. We'll have too wait until our weapons jammer does it's job."
And just then, the weapons light on the scanner screen winked out. "Bingo" Cruiser 3 said cooly. "Star Hawk II units, you are ready to attack."

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I bought Crater Cruiser only for the large big wheels that I needed for a model of mine. I never liked the Unitron sub-theme. Almost all the models looked like trash (except for the Monorail Transport Base). So I picked this one up, and I'm quite satisfied.
It's basically a 6 wheeled scout vehicle with 2 cockpits stacked on top of each other (a la Space Police 2) and a raising sensor array. The cover picture on the box is bad enough to deter possible buyers, because the model looks a billion times better with the detachable scout ship on. (We'll come to that later.) The six wheels are in graduating sizes, from the smallest to the Spectral Starguider size wheels. Although they look cool, the front wheels are pretty wobbly.
The first cockpit is a cockpit, not much to say here. It's near ground level, so the pilot can spot tiny alien critters before the big wheels of the Cruiser squash them into pancakes. (Pass the maple syrup, please.)
The second cockpit is actually a launching scout ship. It sits on the platform above the first cockpit and it jettisons off for aerial scout missions. Nice thoughtful idea.
The last area is a fold up "sensor array" (or turret with death-dealing death rays, machine guns, plasma cannons, laser blasters, focal beams, plasmoid generators, etc.) It can fold up when the scout ship has launched and folds back down when the scout ship has landed.
I liked getting some nice weapon-like pieces for the sensor array and the set is cool looking. Something I'd like to see in the year 2035. However, I really dislike the wobbly front wheels and it's a pity that the sensor array can't be raised when the scout ship is attached.
All in all, this is a good small to medium sized set and fits in real well with the Monorail Transport Base. It gives help to space astronauts in Legoland as well as giving hope to the financially dying Unitron sub-theme.