If you were into Transformers as a kid in the early 80s, there are a few characters that probably stand out in your mind, even if you haven’t stayed current with the franchise. Optimus Prime, obviously. Soundwave, the cassette player with a chest full of evil minions. And probably right up there with those two is Astrotrain – the evil Decepticon triple changer that turned into, well, a space shuttle and a locomotive. Alan Yap certainly remembers Astrotrain. In fact, he spent two years constructing a fully transformable LEGO version of the character.
Tag Archives: Alan Yap
LEGO Transformers get a “toon-up” with Omega Supreme
Way back in the mid-2000s, Hasbro launched a show and corresponding toy line known as “Transformers: Animated.” The title was no doubt a reference to the fact that Michael Bay was working to bring the Transformers franchise to live-action movies for the first time, and the corresponding Animated show was setting itself up to be everything the Bay franchise wasn’t: hand-drawn, on TV, well written, and over too soon. Hasbro managed to produce the majority of the main Animated cast in toy form so that fans of the series could continue to revisit this era of the franchise long after the show was canceled. But there was one major character that escaped our grasp and was never given a proper figure. Thankfully, Alan Yap has come to our rescue by delivering this LEGO rendition of Animated’s Omega Supreme.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Transformer without transforming, and Alan has us covered. Continue reading
A-wing, transform and roll out!
Yeah, yeah, we’re featuring another Star Wars build. Or….are we? Builder Alan Yap has gone beyond the slew of Razor Crests and Baby Yodi (If that’s not the plural, it should be) by taking a RZ2 A-wing interceptor from Star Wars The Last Jedi and mashing it into the Transformers universe. This cool creation doesn’t require any rebuilding to switch between robot and vehicle modes, and it looks sweet as both.
In vehicle mode, Alan gives us the shape and styling we’d expect from any stock A-wing creation. There are great part choices, like the use of life rings in the engines, and the 1×1 round tile with a star decoration near the cockpit. there are no unusual seams or weird blockiness that would suggest there was more to this build than meets the eye.
The robot mode is equally impressive, with superb articulation that allows for great poses. I like that the head (made primarily from a tooth plate) has a classic Generation-1 feel to it.
For even more photos, and a discussion of the design decisions that were made, I suggest you check out Alan’s post about the build. It’s fascinating reading.
Build your own LEGO transforming microscope [Instructions]
Do you own a copy of Emmet’s Triple-Decker Couch Mech from The LEGO Movie 2? Would you like to take that set from a 2-in-1 build to a 5-in-1? Alan Yap has investigated the possibilities and discovered there is more to this set than meets the eye. By rearranging parts, you can make a microscope that transforms into both a hovertank AND a sweet, sweet robot. This is alternate building at its finest and, best of all, you can build it too thanks to Alan’s instructions!
There’s more to this model than meets the eye. Read on to find out why!
More than meets the eye...
Azumu always finds the stuff I miss.
Case in point, here’s Brickshelfer chingfat’s “Neo Hotrod”:
That’s reasonably cool, but check this out:
Sweet! Be sure to view the gallery on Brickshelf for shots of the transformation process.