2021 has been a great year for sand green LEGO brick. But did you know that the celebration started well before the release of the LEGO Ideas 21327 Typewriter? Builder Jordan Morgan had already completed an amazing labor of love in that rare color – a 75,000 part, six-foot-long spaceship sure to leave you impressed. Featuring a fully detailed interior, working lights, and motorized functions, this build really lives up to the “Seriously Huge Investment in Parts” definition of “SHIP”.  Keep reading for an in-depth look at this colossal creation!

One of the things I like best about this ship is that it doesn’t try and look like any sort of atmospheric craft. No concerns about atmospheric drag, no unnecessary concessions to gravity. It’s designed for space, where utility is the primary concern. That bulky rear end makes my rockin’ world go round, if you follow my drift.

In addition to being six feet long, this vessel is also measures two and a half feet in both width and height. The front windows in the hammerhead design are removable,with the top half allowing access to the bridge’s interior. The captain’s couch seats two, is packed with control surfaces, and has adjustable elevation thanks to an integrated pole of flex-tubing.  The bottom half conceals four  remote controlled Mindstorm EV3 medium motors that rotate the huge lighted(!) cannons mounted on either side.

The dark blue window elements are some of Jordan’s favorites in the build. The integration of those vintage elements helps makes this ship feel older and more established to my LEGO-centric eyes.

Pulling back to look at the whole ship, once again I’m just taken back by the huge expanses of sand green brick. At this scale you’d normally expect to see builders using more common shades like grey or white, but this choice gives things unique look and feel. There are touches of dark and light grey, but they’re used sparingly to add a level of mechanical contrast to the larger organic shapes. Those colors contrast well with additional dark-blue light effects that are incorporated throughout the side panels.

The surface of the ship is covered with intricate detailing. Sensor pylons mingle with surface greebling to keep things from looking too uniform. Most of the vertical structures, both cannons and sensors, are mounted on turntables as an additional play feature. The full top of the ship consists of hinged and removable panels, allowing for easy access to the interior. (More on that in a bit)

The aft of the ship features three huge engines, each with integrated lighting. There are dark blue light lines along the outside edges, with trans neon-green thruster sections with a super-bright array of 8 LED lights each. The center engine is removable, exposing access to the battery pack via a motorized sled.

As swanky as the exterior is, Jordan also put a lot of time and effort into the interior spaces. These shots showcase the intricate mosaic work in the flooring of the neck, as well as the unifying touches like a strip of 1×2 trans blue plate that pulls in the colors from the windows. Internal lights are mounted behind more trans-dark blue elements, giving the scene an eerie glow when the top is closed up.

All of the interior spaces have plenty of minifigure mounting points, allowing for action-packed battle scenes. There isn’t a dull surface to be found, with complex color patterns and mechanical greebling breaking up what could otherwise have been a big, dull space.

Many of the exterior design choices are mirrored on the interior surfaces. It’s a clever approach that really unifies the build. Plus, it just looks cool. I’m particularly fond of the silver engine blocks mounted together to form diamond shapes.

 

Jordan’s YouTube channel, Way of the Brick, has a playlist of behind-the-scenes and in-progress videos of this creation. But be sure to check out this capstone entry that takes you through the completed build. The walkthrough with commentary starts around the five-minute mark, and there’s a cinematic conclusion at 25 minutes. In the intro, you can also see the prototype of the motorized stand that Jordan plans to use to drive this model around the next Brickworld Chicago convention. Should be quite the sight!

Without knowing any backstory would you assume this ship was a military vessel? An industrial processor? The angles and shaping remind me of the Nostromo from Alien, but those giant laser cannons feel more like a ship from the sequel, Aliens. How about you? What cinematic universe do you see this ship existing in?

If you’re not completely overwhelmed with this creation, then check out our SHIPtember tag for more giant spaceship goodness!