Category Archives: Models

This is what we’re all about. We scour the web for the best custom LEGO models to share with you. From castles and spaceships to planes, trains, and automobiles, you’ll find the best LEGO creations from builders all over the world right here on The Brothers Brick.

Waves are stacking up

LEGO Pirates have been sailing the seas for nearly 30 years. We’ve seen any number of impressive pirate vessel creations in that time, but only a handful where the sea itself has taken a starring role in the presentation of the model. Jerome Kloou‘s pirate ship is a good example of the genre — an attractive colour scheme, smart cloth sails, stacked barrels used for the masts, and an impressive array of minifigures making up the scurvy crew. But the main attraction here is surely the rolling swell of the sea — fashioned from innumerable stacks of transparent blue 1×1 round pieces. Whilst this must have been a nightmare to put together, the effect is undoubtedly worth it — providing a visually striking and dynamic base for the model.

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The A-3B Skywarrior is a whale of a plane

In the last year or so, I have been steadily building a collection of classic US Navy aircraft. The latest addition is the A-3B Skywarrior, a twin-engined carrier-based jet bomber.

Back in the late forties nuclear weapons were large and heavy. According to the US Navy, a jet built to deliver one over a meaningful distance would have to weigh about 45 tons and be the size of a small airliner. Given that they wanted to operate their nuclear bombers from aircraft carriers, where space is at a premium, this posed an obvious problem. To add insult to injury, the first of a new generation of super-large aircraft carriers intended to operate these bombers was cancelled within a week after its keel had been laid. So, when the brilliant designer Ed Heinemann, also known for the A-1 Skyraider, proposed that Douglas Aviation build a bomber of about 30 tons that could fly from existing aircraft carriers, he definitely caught the Navy’s interest.

The resulting aircraft entered service in the mid fifties as the A-3 Skywarrior. It was still a big beast. It was the heaviest aircraft to routinely fly from aircraft carriers, which earned it the nickname “Whale”. The LEGO model is a pretty big beast too. At my usual scale of 1/36, it is about 78 studs long.

Of fish tales and fish tails. This old fisherman has probably seen it all!

I’m always amazed by fan-built constraction (construction + action) figures like this old fisherman by Dylan Mievis. Dylan’s fisherman brings together Bionicle, Technic and System parts to pull off an almost believable looking human figure. Cloth elements are also put to good use, providing the fisherman with a proper net and second layer of clothing. When it comes to the boots, I like how the different parts form their shape, including the upside down barrel halves. His long, gray, grizzled beard and imposing harpoon make me thing this guy has a whale tale or two. With the modification of one of the legs, this would make a great Ahab.

This titan’s lookin’ tight in red and white

The use of repetitive shapes and colors can work wonders in a LEGO model — case in point, this awesome starfighter by Andreas Lenander. The various wings and nacelles all share similar shapes and outlines with red and white plates, giving the starfighter a wonderfully cohesive look. Andreas has made great use of the new X-Wing canopy, and a black cauldron on the engine of the ship.

A rather grand Central Station

Here’s a suitably imposing railway station, styled to fit with the LEGO modular buildings range. bricksandtiles has done an excellent job with this model, capturing a grand European feel with the broad steps and the impressively-ornate tan brickwork. The flowing curves and domes of the roof are particularly well done, capping off the impressive height of the building in style.

See more photos of this elegant architectural creation

B-24 Liberator Bomber from World War II recreated in LEGO

The B series bombers are certainty some of my favorite airplanes ever created. I can’t help but think of them as battleships of the sky, with the ability to drop tons of bombs while laying down machine gun fire in all directions from a multitude of manned turrets. Nelsoma84 has brought one of these planes to life in LEGO form: the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. Although the B-17 usually steals the show, as we’ve seen before with a B-17 from PlaneBricks and a chrome Flying Fortress by Orion Pax, the B-24 was actually the most-produced bomber and American military aircraft in history. This particular model is based on one of the B-24’s based in Benghazi, Libya, which explains the tan coloring.

These bombers were used in 2,400-mile round-trip bombing raids on oil refineries in Ploesti, Romania which supplied 30-50% of the Third Reich’s fuel. The model has excellent shaping all around, from the tips of the wings to the signature glass nose, and has room inside for pilots and gunners. Custom stickers complete the model’s look and add an additional level of detail.

This tiny tractor tackles any tough task

If you find yourself driving through German farmland, you just might find one these Fendt 500 tractors working the fields. Stefan brings us a faithful looking brick-built version, complete with the iconic green and black livery. He has also gone above and beyond to build a series of implements for the tractor, such as forest blade for the front….

See all of the great attachments for this tiny tractor

That’s no crescent moon

A blend of agility and speed unmatched across the Twelve Worlds — well, at least that’s what Jeremy Williams says of his latest LEGO starfighter: the Xylian Interceptor. The overall shaping of this spaceship is wonderful, and the crystal-clear photography allows you to appreciate all the building techniques that went into it — don’t miss the complex arrangement of hinges, slopes, and curves that form the tips of the crescent body. I love the way the cockpit spheres are clamped in place, managing to look both realistic and futuristic at the same time. Jeremy’s trademark greeble skills are on display all over this model, particularly in the junction between cockpit and crescent, and the engine housing. Put a well-built model together with a strikingly simply colour scheme and smart presentation, and you’ve got a great little LEGO sci-fi creation.

Blaze the stars in the Space Battleship Yamato

Resurrected from its ocean grave after an apocalyptic event in the year 2199, Japan’s famous WWII battleship became an unlikely spaceship in the classic anime Star Blazers. Builder marchetti36 has masterfully recreated it in microscale, giving it a nifty display base and a fleet of smaller craft.Despite the relatively small scale, there are lots of great touches of detail. One of the best is the design for the space battleship’s bridge, which consist of trans-neon green 1×1 plates turned sideways and set on an angle.

It’s Alien vs Predator as these large-scale LEGO sculpts battle it out

Built from constraction elements–better known as Bionicle and Hero Factory–these detailed figures make excellent use of the system’s posable joints to picture this duel with a true sense of movement. Mid-swing, the Predator appears to have the upper hand for the moment, but never discount the Alien with its menacing tail. The green background builder cid hsiao has posed them on lends an eerie sense of unease to the scene, making this truly seem like a battle between otherworldly creatures.

A fortified village with a seaside view

I imagine being a fisherman in the middle ages was a modest but good life–if you count out living out in the open, ready to be raided. Jako of Nerogue solves this problem for his fishermen with the fortifications around the village he built. This facilitates both a picturesque and also practical feeling about this whole diorama.

I love how the diorama really makes sense. The village is confined by the wooden walls, and nothing is left outside… Or maybe it was just all pillaged. Sadly there are not many pictures showing the fortification’s interior, but the outside is impressive enough on its own. The mixing of dark tan with exotic greens is very realistic and pleasant to look at, and the grass also hides some cleverly used clip pieces to simulate taller blades of grass. The whole diorama is brought together with a few splashes of brighter colours, like the regular green bushes and a bit of water in the back.

Popsicle truck is too sweet to miss

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, the summers never got that hot. But that didn’t stop every kid in the neighborhood from chasing down the popsicle truck, clutching their allowance whenever that twinkling version of Daisy, Daisy was heard piped out of an old loudspeaker. Sven Franic has captured this vibe perfectly in this wonderfully detailed popsicle truck built using aqua, which is impressive, and the perfect color choice for this model.

The addition of a table and chairs, and a bright, colorful awning really completes the scene.