LEGO Mechs come in all shapes and sizes and a well-designed mech is usually packed full of details and mind-boggling parts usage that can leave you wondering, just how does that fit together? This Seraphine II mech by Devid VII is a great example. Using the mech cockpit part featured in many LEGO Nexo Knights sets at its core, Devid VII has created a slender but battle-ready mech. One of my favorite details is the orange rollerskate part used as part of the mech’s jaw.
We feature a lot of X-Wings, TIE Fighters, Star Destroyers, and other well-known ships from the Star Wars universe, but rarely do we see the CSS-1 Corellian Star Shuttle, beautifully constructed here in LEGO form by Gamabomb. You may have blinked and missed it, but this ship got a bit of screen time in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace when it brought Chancellor Palpatine to Naboo following the defeat of the Trade Federation army. The builder has done an outstanding job capturing the shuttle’s smooth curves and rounded front end. The fact that it’s so rarely seen built from LEGO — unlike some other Star Wars ships — just makes it all the more awesome.
Click through to see more photos of this wonderful build!
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.
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.
Read more about Ralph’s latest airplane, including the design process
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 week LEGO’s new Technic Bugatti Chiron dominated the news, but it wasn’t the only set revealed. This is our Brick Report for the last week of May and first week of June 2018.
TBB NEWS: This week LEGO announced several new sets, including a new fan-designed set from the LEGO Ideas platform.
TBB REVIEWS: We’ve got an in-depth review of LEGO Technic’s new flagship Bugatti Chiron, along with amazing new sets like the Creator Expert Roller Coaster and the Solo movie sets.
See all of the LEGO news from TBB and beyond
This months’ promotional set from the LEGO Shop is 40291 Creative Personalities, featuring the 19th-century Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. The set takes the form of a storybook and includes 307 pieces with two minifigs and is available for free with all purchases over $99 from June 4th through the 20th (or until supplies run out).
LEGO sent us a copy of the set ahead of its release, so let’s take a closer look.
Read our full review of the Hans Christian Andersen storybook set
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.
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
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.
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
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.
