Tomica’s Hyper Rescue series can make good Starship-class substitutes. They resemble the old Matchbox Mega Rigs, but with a futuristic twist and with more features.
I saw this used police truck for $8 on FB marketplace. The shape reminded me of the heist freighter from Andor, so I decided to modify it and give it a backstory.
Before and after. It came with a small vehicle that can fit 2 MGS figures, as well as 2 cargo containers that transform into mini bases
Max 10 Rino Cargo Freighter
The Aldani incident saw the brazen theft of the payroll for an entire Imperial sector. In the aftermath, the Empire brutally cracked down and implemented major changes to regional security.
This included the box freighters used for Imperial logistics. The old Max 7 Rono stolen by Andor was phased out and its designers executed. It was replaced by a new cleansheet design, the Max 10 Rino.
The ship is the size of a shoebox and pretty heavy. There are 9 opening panels and a roomy cockpit designed for larger figures
Compared to its predecessor, the Rino was heavily armored and shielded. It now had additional space for carrying a light armored vehicle and escort speeders. These rapid response units could be quickly deployed from front and aft ramps. The cockpit was equipped with blast shutters to cover the viewports in case of attack.
Front view showing flight deck and front loading section. The flight crew consists of 2 pilots and 3 backseat drivers, per union rules
The aft hold can deploy cargo loaders or speederbikes
The cargo containers were also modified. Imperial credits were now stored in secure hovervaults. Each vault was equipped with redundant locator beacons and a self-destruct system. The vaults were fastened directly into the freighter and could only be removed and disarmed by authorized Imperial personnel.
“I was thinking, why do we need to haul all these credits? Why not use holonet banking for payroll?”
“Shut up Gary.”
After the fall of the Empire, the Rino featured prominently in holofilms that recreated the Aldani heist. Among these was Jian Rhonson’s “The Fast and the Curious”, starring Lando Calrissian as Cassian Andor. Thanks to the film, the Rino freighter became a pop icon, but the holofilm itself bombed in the box office.
Jian Rhonson’s version of the Aldani incident was panned by critics. But it put the Rino in the limelight
Where to Buy
Tomica’s Hyper Rescue are transforming playsets in the style of Matchbox Mega Rigs or the Action Fleet military line, but in rescue theme. This particular set is available on Amazon. Do note that its made of heavy solid plastic and built like a brick, so shipping may be expensive due to the weight.
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