The Story

In the industrial area on the northeast side of Lego City is a popular garage.  The owner is a master mechanic with a reputation for fixing anything from skateboards to spaceships and returning them to their owners with surprising new enhancements.  Some might find a refrigerator with a miniature cold fusion generator to be overkill, but it is a welcome enhancement to one happy customer who now provides free power to his neighborhood.

Several weeks ago the mechanic suddenly stopped taking new jobs.   The lights in his garage have stayed on night and day, and local residents have reported hearing a variety of strange sounds coming from inside.  Nobody has seen the mechanic since, but it is clear that he has taken on a new project and this one has to be something big.

The Cast

Raphael

The stitching on his coveralls tells us he goes by Raph and reputation tells us he is a mechanic extraordinaire.  Raph makes a living doing custom work and repairs for the happy denizens of Lego City.  Two weeks ago, a mysterious young woman came to his garage shortly before closing.  She made a request for a remarkable advanced flying machine.  Great mechanics live for great challenges and this was too good of an opportunity for Raph to turn down.

Scarlett

Little is really known about Scarlett.   She maintains a low profile with a quiet air of calm and control that belie the visual drama of her long red hair.   Whether she is a wealthy heiress or a successful entrepreneur, it is clear that Scarlett has easy access to the resources needed to commission a wildly exotic flying machine from the city’s most famous mechanic.  Despite her youth, Scarlett possesses a remarkable knowledge of advanced technologies and the bearing of a seasoned commander.   Raph has been happy to receive Scarlett’s insight in the design of the complicated flight control and electronics systems for the project they have codenamed “The Phoenix”.

The Shop

Raph’s garage has been expanding and improving for more years than anyone can remember.  Certainly, even a very skilled mechanic needs the right tools for the job.  Raph’s mixture of an exceptional imagination and an insatiable creative hunger leave him happily destined to never truly ever having enough tools.  With that said, he has certainly made an impressive start.  A quick list of some of the many tools and furnishings in his shop includes:

• Fully functional crane with a rolling base and a sliding hoist and gearbox that allow precise placement of heavy materials.   The crane uses a standard winch piece that can slide back and forth along the rails while being raised up and down.
• Floor based scissor lift to provide Raph with the ability to easily access the undercarriages of large vehicles and aircraft.  Have fun extending the lift and retracting it back flush with the floor via a lever located on the outside wall of the model.
• Upright Drill Press
• Metal Cutting Saw
• Large Industrial Grinder
• Tool Bench with a wide range of hand and power tools
• Multi-purpose workbench with chairs
• Heavy Duty Vice
• Upright Air Compressor
• Rolling Scaffolding
• Boarding Stairs
• Tool Cabinets

A careful observer will notice one of Raph’s treasured mementos on display.  You will also find two shop cats who, being inquisitive by nature are endlessly amused by the goings on in the workshop.  Whether strays or overflow from Mrs. Scratchen-Post’s house around the corner, both of Raph’s new feline friends have clearly found his good nature and the shop’s bustling activity to provide them with a happy home.

The Job (Raphael’s Phoenix)

Raph’s Phoenix is his latest creation and a truly inspired masterpiece of mechanized flight.  It presents the perfect union of the vertical takeoff and maneuvering proficiencies of a helicopter combined with the speed and long range flight capabilities of a more conventional fixed wing aircraft.   The bright red Phoenix lives up to its sports car looks and mythological namesake by delivering precise maneuverability wrapped in blazing fireball of raw power.

The Phoenix’s nosecone snaps off and on to allow for different configurations for the internal electronics sensor arrays and defensive systems housed therein.  Adaptable for anything from combat to covert surveillance, Raph’s Phoenix is undoubtedly in a class of its own.