Tag Archives: Neo-Classic Space

A spry manipulator of alien orbs

Cody Avery is no stranger to mechs that blend LEGO themes in surprising (and sometimes distrubing!) ways. His latest shared creation, the Hyper Manipulator, is a mech that pushes the boundaries of Neo-Classic Space. Thanks to sets like 6882 Walking Astro Grappler, Classic Space will always be synonymous with mechs wielding snaking manipulator arms. In his modern creation, Cody trades grab jaw arms for macaroni tubes that unfurl like living ropes. No Classic Space inspired build is complete without a trans-yellow windshield, and Cody takes advantage of the recent 4×4 sphere top to great effect. It’s almost punk the way Cody breaks convention with white accessories and  one mismatched minifig leg. Down on the ground, the use of pearlescent balls makes for a truly otherworldly setting. It’s a great design that shows how much vitality there is to even the most venerable themes.

Hyper Manipulator

Will we ever stop exploring LEGO’s Galaxy Explorer?

When it first debuted in 1978, this most infamous LEGO theme was known as Space. But after a while, factions later, we started referring to it as Classic Space. And after the shade of light gray changed and more curves became available, it morphed into Neo-Classic Space. But now, after the Galaxy Explorer set has hit store shelves, I think we’ve hit the start of the Neo-Neo-Classic Space age. That’s certainly what it feels like in Alec Hole‘s stellar (and interstellar) Explorer Mk 4. Bursting with all kinds of sci-fi textures, this blue and gray starship represents yet another point in Space’s evolutionary timeline. The double cockpit, done up in the traditional trans-yellow, is a superb choice. And I quite like all the light gray gear bits worked in throughout the wings.

Explorer Mk 4

Check out more of this Classic Space creation below

This galactic school bus deserves an A+

And while we’re on the subject of space babies, notenoughbricks is making sure these adorable astronauts are getting the education they need to become the galactic explorers of tomorrow. This Neo-Classic rover is one part school bus and one part…well, it’s actually all school bus. But it features plenty of classic space stylings and an automatic stop sign to halt on-coming traffic. The best part is a robot-driven mini-rover that can deploy from the back and make sure all the students get inside the school safely.

School Bus Rover and Mini Rover

A spaceship scene that is truly “in tents.”

OA KD has a real knack for taking unusual LEGO elements and working them into brilliant Classic Space homages. Last time, a Duplo windscreen did its duty on a massive cargo freighter. This time, a Belville tent frame from 5846 Desert Island forms most of the hull of a tiny fighter. While white isn’t typically part of the Classic Space color scheme, the effect works here thanks to all the dark gray provided by that beautifully-textured background.

Moon escape

We give thanks for this galactic gobbler.

Silly turkeys were on the menu for a recent Fun Friday group build, and Tommy Frost took his contribution into orbit. This Neo-Classic Space themed turkey mech is suitable for navigating alien terrain or walking the Macy’s parade route on a cold November morning. Bonus points for the red space suit getting an upgraded helmet, thanks to the Collectible Minifigures Series 23.

Space Turkey

Benny’s Mecha, Mecha, MECHA!

Alternate realities are all the rage these days. Consider, for example, the variant reality where Benny (the lovable 1980’s Spaceman from The LEGO Movie) was fixated on robots instead of spaceships. Psyro TtunTomato has been peering into this timeline and brings us a stunning rendition of Benny’s Titan Mech. The classic space blues and greys are there, as is the transparent yellow canopy we know to expect. But check out that arm rocket – a clear tribute to the 897 Mobile Rocket Launcher. I also love how Benny’s Space Squad is still ready to lend a helping hand as the ground crew. There are a lot of great construction techniques on display here – I’m particularly fond of the design on the feet and hands. Even the display stand is an interesting build, with integrated LEGO ingot elements creating a smooth-yet-greebled texture. I’d love to see this one animated…have they finalized the script for The LEGO Movie 3 yet?

Benny’s psyrottuntomato Titan mech

Classic Space Nostalgia runs high in our archive, too. A plethora of great Neo-Classic Space builds are just a click away!

In space, there’s no such thing as too much thrust

When is a big space engine too big? Rubblemaker says there’s no such thing. He’s found an engine that’s bigger than his little space pod, and decided it needs two of them. The power-to-weight ratio of this thing must be off the charts! Despite their almost comical size, they do look great here, with some greebling inside and on the sides suggesting some very complicated internals. I guess if the engine is that big, you might as well fit whatever you can in there. I like the two slopes for the bumblebee stripes on the wings – it’s a bit of a different take on a feature that is a mainstay of Neo-Classic Space creations like this one. Can we call them wings? They do seem a bit small for that..

NCS Shorty

A whale of a craft

As another SHIPtember comes to a close, there’s a ton of massive builds to marvel at. But Pascal reminds us that a spaceship doesn’t have to be massive to be impressive. This Narwhal Scout ship packs a ton of things to admire into a small space. Complex angles, just the right amount of greebling, and a sleek, stud-less hull can do the job when a significantly huge investment in parts isn’t on the table.

NCS Narwhal Scout Ship

One Kooky Covenant

Throwing a Classic Space twist onto a concept design from Alien: Covenant sure is one way to do SHIPtember. Flickr Builder Space Kook brought their A-game this September with at least five different ships over 100-studs, either in length, width, or height. Jumping around between scales, Space Kook drew inspiration for their fourth build, the LSS Covenant. Taking design cues from early concept art of the USCSS Covenant Colony ship from the Alien movie, large solar panels flare out at the rear of the ship. Progressing further up the body, past the cargo holds, you’ll see a little fighter or drop ship peaking over the main hull of the colony vessel. Decked out in blue and yellow with white and black accents, the choice to craft this ship in Classic Space regalia allowed Space Kook a plethora of parts and design cues. Between the two references, it’s no wonder this creation has such a satisfying bow. The bumble bee stripes and yellow view screen complete the Classic Space homage while sensor arrays and directional boosters grab the eyes as satisfyingly accurate greebling.

Shiptember 2022, The LSS Covenant

This builder really went the extra mile during SHIPtember to accomplish the Herculean task of building not just one, but five massive 100-stud vessels. The techniques and parts used show off  Space Kook’s ingenuity with the process across all five and it’s definitely worth checking out the other four ships that they created this year.

Driving the wedge into Classic Space

Classic Space and flying grey wedge shapes—name a more iconic duo! This LEGO ship by Sylvain Daunais may be pretty small as far as spaceships going, being just a single-seater, but it’s got all the right stuff for a Neo-Classic Space look, with clean lines, a transparent yellow cockpit, cool engine intakes, and red/green lights on the wingtips.

Team Explorer ( classe 910) LL918 intercepteur

My favorite bit can only be seen from the back, though, where Sylvain has use the macaroni pieces to make some intertwined piping around the thruster. It’s a super simple bit of detailing that takes this ship up a few notches.

Team Explorer ( classe 910) LL918 intercepteur

Terraforming has never been so terrifying... Trust me

Pascal has created a vision of a truly terrifying dystopia. This may look like some neo-classic space robots helpfully planning the terraforming of a new, distant world, but look closer! This is a world devoid of mere mortals like minifigures. In this darkest of timelines, our new robot overlords spend their days playing God with the very Earth that sustains us. Rivers bend to their will. They literally move mountains. And we must acquiesce, as tiny figurines moved around on a Warhammer board, powerless to stop them. If only someone had a brick separator… Then we may be free of this torment that the machines call a game…

Terraforming Planning

Crane your necks to get a good look at this MOC

I love spaceships with unusual shapes, and Pascal has come up with a doozy in this regard. He has dubbed it the Sky Crane; presumably to reflect its role as a cargo-carrying craft, but perhaps also because the cockpit shape is reminiscent of a crane bird. The unique cockpit is a wonderful concept neatly executed, using the transparent yellow windshields from 10497 Galaxy Explorer. Speaking of which, this set didn’t include the moonbase that the original in 1979 had. If it had done, it could well have looked like the mobile habitat slung underneath the Sky Crane here!

NCS Sky Crane