Monthly Archives: December 2008

A swarm of Vic Vipers

A result of Novvember, here are almost all of the Vic Vipers built by Nnenn and the participants. You can see them all on Flickr’s Vic Vipers pool!

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One big, bad mother

Thomas Grassmann and his son Sebastian have come up with one of the most plausible (and plausibly scaled) giant spaceships I’ve seen. Their Explorien Colony Ship can carry an entire pre-fabricated colony to a distant world. With a detailed interior and all the mod-cons this beast is certainly no lightweight. The best way to see it would definitely be in person but a perusal of the various folders should give some idea of the size and detail.

And if you’ve ever wondered how to take a photo of something this big, wonder no more. You use a tarpaulin.

Edit: I blame a headcold for making me forget to a) credit Marco Tagliaterri for pointing this out to me and b) Not linking to Thomas’ post (in German) at 1000steine

I make a difference by riding the bus

I think I’ve driven to work twice in the last year. My saving the world aside, this microscale scene by rhdlb is beautiful, with a pair of excellent buses and some great details built into the base. I also really like the street lights.

LEGO-inspired bling

What to get that LEGO geek in your life who has every set released so far (even the brand new stuff)? How about a set of rings with LEGO-compatible studs for showing off their favorite bricks?

Available in one, two, and four-stud varieties, these custom accessories aren’t necessarily inexpensive. But oh so cool!

Via Gizmodo and MAKE.

First 2009 LEGO City Farm set now available from LEGO Shop online [News]

The addition of 7635 4WD with Horse Trailer to the LEGO Shop online means that cows can’t be far behind!

Less exciting, perhaps, but still pretty cool, a couple of the new LEGO City Construction sets are also now available, including the massive 7633 Construction Site:

Rainbow tricks

In my early days of building I designed one of the fantastically colourful Pakistani trucks. I wanted to have a real copy of it but never quite got around to building it. I’ve also always been terribly impressed by Jason Railton’s ability to combine motorised functionality and good looks in small packages. So, Technic being one of the few themes I’ve never really attempted as an adult, I decided to have a go.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I managed to fit remote controlled steering and driving (plus the batteries) into the truck. I can hoon this around the house all from a Power Functions (PF) remote control. Video of it in action.

I’d like to take this chance to compliment LEGO on the fantastic PF System. Modular RC is just great. I hope that a smaller motor is coming.

Boeing CH-47D Chinook helicopter by Ralph Savelsberg

Ralph Savelsberg‘s latest helicopter can fly higher and carry more cargo than any of his previous helicopters. In contrast to some of his earlier work, the cockpit glass is entirely brick-built — and built well indeed!

Here’s Ralph’s Chinook side by side with his earlier CH-46E Sea Knight:

Custom Gears of War 2 LEGO minifigs by HAZEL

HAZEL burst onto the scene with a Gears of War APC we featured less than a month ago. HAZEL’s latest batch of creations includes a set of absolutely amazing custom LEGO minifigs inspired by Gears of War 2.

Tai Kaliso, Marcus Fenix, and one of the Carmine brothers are all decked out in custom armor and weapons created by HAZEL. I can’t wait to see what this master customizer will cook up next!

2009 LEGO Pirates now available from LEGO Shop [News]

The first 2009 LEGO sets are starting to show up in the LEGO Shop online, starting with Pirates!

Behold 6243 Brickbeard’s Bounty. Yarrrrrrr!!!

Unlike the Pirates sets available in the US back in the 1990s, the cannons in these sets actually fire (and they’re a cool gun-metal gray).

The two “impulse purchase” sets look like a great way to build your army:

6242 Soldiers’ Fort reminds me a lot of 6277 Imperial Trading Post from 1992:

Here’s the full list of 2009 LEGO Pirates sets available so far (prices in USD):

A couple more sets, including ~~6242 Soldiers’ Fort~~ and 6253 Shipwreck Hideout, haven’t been added to the site yet. We’ll keep you updated as the rest of the 2009 LEGO sets begin showing up in the LEGO Shop online.

The links will probably only work in the US and Canada. And yes, I’m aware that these have been available from a certain mega-store run by a giraffe for a while now.

Le Quartier Brique

5p8c3 enters the Pillage the Village contest with this massive diorama titled “Le Quartier Brique”:

A carriage careening down a cobblestone street, smoke billowing from the window of a half-timber house — this LEGO creation has it all. Don’t miss all the action in 5p8c3’s LEGO Pirates photoset on Flickr.

MisaQa kicks off her 2008 Advent Calendar

Those of you lucky enough to snag a 7979 Castle Advent Calendar have probably just started opening those little doors to discover your Christmas goodies. (You can also follow along on ReasonablyClever.com.)

One of my favorite holiday LEGO traditions, though, is the series of small creations posted each day in December (until Christmas Day) by Japanese builder MisaQa. This year, she’s focusing on “Mythical Creatures,” starting with the Wyvern:

Since it’s already December 2 in Japan, she’s also posted her second creature, a three-headed Cerberus:

Check back in MisaQa’s Advent Calencar 2008 folder on Brickshelf or check them out her Web site, Stud&Tube

Darkspawn goes green

Aaron Andrews (Darkspawn) presents a greener side of medieval life with his latest castle creation. The lovely house can be removed from the landscape and ingeniously incorporates real lighting. Click on the picture below for more description on this beautiful creation.