Tyler “Legohaulic” Clites, one of the most frequently blogged builders on TBB, has done it again with his Me-109 fighter plane. According to Tyler, it has a functional tail, angled wings and 131 cheese slopes in four different colors. Now that’s impressive.
Check out this diorama by Ciamoslaw Ciamek that depicts the rescue of the pilot of a crashed Corsair in the Pacific WWII inspired by this painting.
My final project of 2008 entails a sixteen square feet diorama depicting the theme that I know best: horror. In a Russian World War 2 setting, a collossal alien artifact which I refer to as the Black Fantasy Column towers from the ground, spreading darkness along with an invasion of Cyclopean Virtues across the landscape, consuming the helpless soldiers. The creation contains over 20,000 pieces, including custom minifigure accessories from Brickarms, Brickforge, and MMCB.
To get the most out of the viewing experience, I recommend going through the teaser and then reading the backstory, which is historically accurate to the best of my internet research. Happy New Year and enjoy End of Days.
Chuck Citrin isn’t afraid to build LEGO creations inspired by Halo, mainly because he does it so well. Here’s his cargo and maintenance variant of the AV-14 Hornet:
Regardless of the inspiration, I’m always amazed by Chuck’s ability to fit minifigs inside his tiny little vehicles.
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:
Aleksander Stein has created an incredibly detailed upgrade to the BMP family. I’m really digging the sloped design of the body and it can fit a lot of figs in there!
Nick Dean‘s clever vending machine dispenses more bang for your buck. The ammo clips and military supplies are encased in two window pane pieces. This delightful checkpoint is a perfect item to own in your military base.
The concept of a dropship has always fired my imagination — especially after seeing Aliens way back when. Havoc seems to share my fascination, as demonstrated by this fantastic rendition of the UD-4L Cheyenne Utility Dropship:
Naturally, the missile pods folder into the dropship’s fuselage:
While we’re at it, here’s Havoc’s Aliens APC. Though it’s not to the same scale as the dropship, it’s still awesome:
Via Klocki.
Scotty Whitesell has been adding to his collection of motorcycle bodies since we featured his Spinnenartiges Tier several months ago:
The rounded “thorax” and large forward cannon are excellent design choices.
(Via TFOL.)
Will Chapman from BrickArms took the summer off from work to try focusing exclusively on custom minifig accessories.
Starting with BrickWorld 2008 in June, each LEGO convention has revealed more and more new products and prototypes.
Thanks to the extra time he has now, Will has been churning out more prototypes in his garage than we can count — particularly for those of you eager for World War II accessories.
For your Allied minifigs, the Bazooka M9 (with M6 rocket) will pack a serious punch:
On the Axis side, the German Panzerfaust 30 anti-tank weapon and MG42 machine gun will complement the MP40 SMG and C96 Mauser:
One of the most intriguing new prototypes is the U-clip (“U” for universal). The U-clip can connect any two objects that can fit into a minifig hand.
The potential applications seem infinite, such as attaching a bayonet (also a new BrickArms prototype) to your Lee-Enfield SMLE, a Combat Knife (again, new) to your M4 Carbine, or simulating an M203 grenade launcher with a black LEGO lightsaber handle:
Between our earlier coverage and the Zombie Apocafest, readers should already be familiar with the Lewis gun and Combat Shotgun:
The current Lewis gun prototype solves a minor issue with the earlier version (the drum tended to pop off fairly easily) by attaching the drum to the gun with a clip-like stud. This does make the drum more secure, but it resembles T-21 blaster from Star Wars a bit less with the drum removed.
A couple of the more unique new weapons include a game-inspired gunblade and a Derringer:
The MGL (multiple grenade launcher) will enable your minifigs to take on Decepticons and Predators alike with ease:
Finally, fans of Western movies get two iconic pistols — the Colt Navy 1861 revolver and the M1917 revolver (which looks a lot like the Colt Single Action Army “Peacemaker”):
For those of you wondering when we’ll see all this great stuff in production, here’s the final word from Will:
The next mold (in black and/or bley) will include the Combat Knife and Combat Shotgun for sure, and most likely the MGL, Lewis Gun, and Paintball Gun, but the lineup is still being decided. Look for that mold in early 2009, perhaps even by BrickFest 2009 in Portland!
The swords and Colt Navy will most likely be added to a silver mold, sometime soon as well. I’m still coordinating the layout for it. The other items may be limited-edition “garage releases”, as time permits. All will eventually see production.
Did he just say swords and paintball guns? Yes indeed. Look for a preview of those in the next few days from Josh. ;-)
Personally, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time!
Ed Diment has completed his minfig-scale HMS Hood. Packed with incredible details, this is my favorite of the big ship builds, which have included the USS Harry S. Truman and the Titanic, among others.
The working derrick on the main mast is powered by a 9-volt system:
Here’s a close-up with a minifig, which gives you some sense of the massive scale of this ship:
The highly detailed superstructure is worth a closer look:
Ed built a full complement of boats to go along with Hood:
Even photographing a LEGO creation of this size is a challenge of its own:
Ed was also gracious enough to answer a few of our questions:
The Brothers Brick: How long did it take you to build it?
Ed Diment: 7 months.TBB: Does the curve stress the bricks?
Ed: No brick stress needed, it is all stepped plate and tile on its side.TBB: How many bricks did you use?
Ed: Just under 100,000.TBB: How much did it cost?
Ed: Difficult to say, some of the LEGO goes back 30 years, but if you were to buy all the brick new about $15,000.TBB: Where do you keep it?
Ed: In sections in my LEGO room. Nowhere in the house is big enough to display it.TBB: Are you going to keep it together?
Ed: I’ll be keeping it together for at least a couple of years. A couple of museums have expressed an interest, so perhaps longer.TBB: How much is motorized?
Ed: All four turrets are motorized with power functions for rotation and elevation. I’ll try and get some pictures on YouTube.
Thanks, Ed!
Check out Ed’s HMS Hood photoset on Flickr for 184 pictures — including work-in-progress shots that show how this amazing creation is constructed.
If there was any doubt of the superior firepower fielded by the Royal Austrian Mechanized Military, Peter Morris lays such doubts to rest. Permanently.
The slats on the front window are incredible. Oh, and this machine of impending doom has eight-wheel steering.
Here’s a peek at the missile:
