It has never been easier to build a complete Great Ball Contraption (GBC) loop yourself! The GBC 55 Spring Launcher features 3 modules which brings GBC Balls from one side to the other. The GBC can be used as a self contained loop or participate in a GBC layout.

This GBC is entirely built using only parts from the LEGO 42139 All-Terrain Vehicle set and can be referred to as Alternate Build of the 42139. This GBC makes sure you master the GBC building techniques and tricks so that you eventually also can build your own GBCs. By default the whole machine is powered by hand but it can easily be upgraded with any LEGO motor (more information in the building instructions).
This GBC is established in collaboration with Jorian Doornenbal who shares the same passion what we have for building great ball contraptions.

3, 2, 1 LIFT OFF!

The GBC 55 Spring Launcher is a nifty little GBC with its very own charm. GBC Balls enter the GBC 55 Spring Launcher in the input bin, in front of the Launcher Module. This is designed to hold many balls. Normally GBC Balls would clog up the input bin and an agitator is required to stir things up. However the shocks that the module receives from the springs work in an advantage and GBC Balls will shake themself free if they ever get stuck.

Speaking of springs. The GBC 55 Spring Launcher uses 6 springs to load the shooter arms of the Launcher Module. On one rotation the shooter arm will pick up 1 GBC Ball at a time and load them onto an engine block. Once the springs are tensioned, the mechanism will let them go off all at the same time which pushes the engine block up vertically over guidance tracks. This makes the GBC Balls shoot up vertically as well, instead of a curved path, like in our GBC 52 Flight Fair. To double the ball capacity of the GBC we have copied and mirrored the mechanism. This not only speeds up the ball flow but is also more fun to look at. At the top is an angled panel which makes the GBC Balls redirect forward instead of up. This will land them on the return path which will guide them back to the input bin.

A neat feature of the GBC 55 Spring Launcher is its ability to convert with ease into a GBC Layout Module. You can simply add your other GBC Modules to the side of the output path and drop the GBC Balls in the beginning of the Launcher Module. In this way you can easily connect this GBC to all our other GBCs to make the loop even bigger. More information in the building instructions. Clean and simple: Convert with ease.

By default the GBC is powered by hand but you can motorize it. In the building instructions we have carefully explained how to do this.

Fun Fact

The LEGO 42139 All-Terrain Vehicle set has so many useful parts! So we had to choose on what would work and decided on a shooting mechanism that could use the 6 springs that come in the box. Managing that many forces created by the springs brought us a new challenge. How to load them without breaking your LEGO! We could of course use fewer springs but what is the fun in that? Using the black curved beams we are able to slowly load the 6 spring mechanism, building up energy and releasing it all at once.

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This model is also included in the GBC Pro Pack