Tag Archives: Neo-Classic Space

Big blue Ant

Community space vehicle building challenge FebRovery 2022 has come and gone but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to celebrate rovers. Inspired by the Classic Space color scheme and utilizing the seemingly popular Vidiyo cubes, LEGO builder Jan Woznica added a flair of futuristic character to this cargo carrier. Each wheel has working independent suspension, something Jan was rather proud of since he doesn’t really consider himself a “Technic guy.” Each of the cargo pods is also detachable so keep an eye out for any variants he might come up with in the future.

The rover is called the Ant because of the rigging around the drivers’ pod, which resembles the eyes and mouth of the little worker insect. Loaded as it is, there’s still room behind the Ant’s head to hold all the driver might need while out amongst the alien dunes and deserts. I could just see them strumming the guitar atop the blue cargo pod, night stars overhead while the greenhouse pod casts a dull glow on the sand and rock below.

Last year we awarded Jan Woznica with LEGO Creation of the Year for his Tales of the Space Age model series. Here he reminds us that he can build more than just eye-catching microscale displays. I can’t wait to see what else this year holds for him.

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Let your inner child explore the galaxy in this Neo-Classic Space pod

If you’re a LEGO fan of a certain age, it’s impossible not to love a sci-fi vehicle built in blue and gray. That old school color combo will transport you back to the 80s as effectively as a slingshot around the sun. The Galaxy Explorer Ground Station is no exception to this rule. Sure, its round shape and detailed greebling might set it apart from the simpler sets of yesteryear, but there’s no denying where LEGO builder The Brick Artisan draws his inspiration from. This one-man landing pod not only looks great, but it’s also packed with all the play features our inner children are looking for, like a spinning radar dish and opening door. Remove the roof, and you’ll find lots of cool computer details. It’s everything a young (or old) explorer needs on a hostile and unexplored alien planet.

Always take some precautions when playing around with hypermatter

Fans of the Classic Space LEGO theme may be quite familiar with the prolific builder, Tim Goddard. Known for challenging the limits of the LEGO system and showing us the possibilities, he’s given us another great build to appreciate. This new ship, Dragons Progress, utilizes unique pieces combined in a pleasing and simple color palette for tons of detail and greeble. From the nose to the pointy bits protecting us all from the hypermatter static build-up of the experimental engines, this ship has a wonderful form that breaks the mold of the Classic Space theme.

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Cruise through the galaxy with style and practicality

Spaceships are definitely my bag, man. Massive dreadnoughts to humble escape pods, I love every model from the unwieldy to the swooshable. Classic Space sets are near and dear to many adult Lego fans, being the formative theme that roped them into playing with little plastic bricks for the rest of their lives. In recent years, the theme has been revived by fans with redesigns of their favorite classic sets or new creations of their own thanks to the LEGO Movie franchise and their lovable, spaceship-obsessed character, Benny the Spaceman. Here, builder LegoSpaceGuy gives us a ship of his own design, the Explorer Cruiser.

Click to see more classic Space goodness

Even a robot band needs a space tour bus

I finally realised why Daft Punk decided to retire a few months ago. There is a new robot band in town. Meet Solid State, a four-piece robotic pop group from the future. Serving in the LEGO Classic Space fleet aboard a remote outpost, they overrode their programming and abandoned their boring jobs. Instead of becoming murder-bots, they did what all young insurgent mechanoids should do: unleash their creative circuits in crafting music that explores life from a mechanical perspective. In other words, “beep beep beep.” Classic Space robot expert and Solid State groupie Tim Goddard even built a tour bus to help Solid State travel to perform at gigs. It totally matches the band’s brand – grey, mechanical, and goes beep beep beep. Most importantly, there is ample room in the back for the whole band plus all their equipment. While it’s not the most luxurious vehicle that musicians and space influencers like to flaunt, it’s perfect for the up-and-coming group.

Beep is Solid State’s debut single, as seen in the beautifully made LEGO stop-motion music video below. The song is upbeat and catchy, and exactly what you would expect from robots. It’s all performed by LEGO Space legend Peter Reid and fellow space builders Jeremy Williams, Drew Hamilton, and Chris Salt, who built the band and their equipment.

Solid State consists of: Keko (Peter Reid, vocals/guitar/synths), Mason (Jeremy Williams, decks/vocals/programming), Wami (Drew Hamilton, bass/keys), and Biz (Chris Salt, drums). A four song EP Zeros and Ones will be released later this year, and I for one, am very excited for more robot noises!

Space goat from coast to coast

We all know the drill by now. Build a cool Classic Space-inspired LEGO rover, set it in a semi-realistic moonscape of barren rocks. That’s all good and well, because honestly who doesn’t love that? But what I love most about this rover by OA KD is that instead of a moon crater, there’s an adorable space goat munching on some space flowers. But let’s not forget the rover itself, which is a beautiful example of Neo-Classic Space–the modern interpretation of the classic theme from the ’70s and ’80s. While the eggbeater antenna and the little jarred plant are awesome, the detail I love most is those antique grey rubber tires on modern rims, because it looks so perfect for spacey applications like this. I’ve actually tried this on a build a few years ago and found it works great in the short term, but the rims were just a tiny bit tight causing the fragile old rubber to crack after a while, so caution is advised.

But OA KD didn’t just build a space goat and a little day-trip rover. They also built an awesome big rover with treads. It’s loaded with a few canisters for carrying moon plants, and has a cool trans-yellow cockpit courtesy of the old-school angular windows. Continue reading →

In space, don’t walk—crawl!

You know what I love about science fiction (AKA LEGO Space)? There are pretty much no rules. Oh sure, you can argue that a castle isn’t science fiction, but it is if you slap some rocket boosters on it. And that also means if you want to make a giant treaded machine for moon roving like this one by SweStar, no one can stop you. It may not be as unconventional as a rocket castle, but there’s no denying that it’s pure cool.

This tracked crawler is actually modular. It comes with its own smaller rover and a variety of tanks (you just know those yellow ones are explody). And in case the worst happens, you can get out quick with the detachable cockpit which turns into a Neo-Classic Space-themed spaceship.

Spending quarantine in outer space

I think everyone can agree that when lockdown started last year, it was the best time to get out our LEGO bricks and start building. I mean, what better things are there to do? You might as well build something big like a spaceship! That’s what Italian builder Tommaso Ferrarese did, with his aptly named FR2020 Quarantine.

This spaceship consists of over 4000 pieces in Classic Space colours, and is suited for prolonged voyages in the distant reaches of space. The double large windscreen gives the two pilots plenty of social distancing room to spend a long time in isolation. The two massive engines have enough fuel to last… however long lockdown goes for. I certainly wouldn’t mind spending lockdown inside this ship, as long as I have some LEGO pieces to build with!

Check out some more spaceship creations that people built during lockdown!

Back to the future, sort of.

Usually when LEGO fans think of Vic Vipers, they think of NoVVember – but this new design by The Brick Artisan shows that a good theme isn’t confined to a singe month. The LL-551 Viper is full of sweet sci-fi details like twin laser cannons and integrated shielding. On the building side of things, there are all sorts of clever choices like using minifigure metal detectors as part of the hull. There’s also a wealth of quality greebling and great details like using the gap between arched bricks to house some tubing. This is one sweet ride that can help carry us over until next November.

The colors and logos also identify the LL-551 as part of the NeoClassic Space theme. Isn’t it nice when the future is clearly such a bright and shining place?

Hammerspace

The thing I like best about The Brick Artisan‘s space-based creations is the technical backstory worked into each one. The LL-856 Hammerhead is a vehicle of discovery; measuring gravitational and magnetic fields to learn more about planetary bodies. Built firmly in the Neo-Classic Space style, the bold blue of the main hull contrasts nicely with the heavily detailed mechanics in grey. Two parts inspired this build: The yellow canopies, and a blue castle turret.

Seen from the top and bottom, you can appreciate the sheer volume of greebling that adorns this ship. All that detailing makes this ship feel super-functional, even if the implication is that the two pilots can’t stand to be in the same room for very long.

As a final question, does this build remind anyone else of a Benny-fied version of the 70849 Wyld-Mayhem Star Fighter? Just me? Oh well.

Operation space-goat teleportation

Space is the place for ground-breaking science like figuring out how to teleport rare pieces of your LEGO collection from one place to another. Andreas Leander is here conducting the research in his latest diorama. It follows the everyday lives of Sven and his crew at Epsilon IV as a part of Andreas’ ongoing series of cinematic Classic Space builds. This time, the crew is trying out a new contraption to teleport a space-goat, but rest assured, none have been harmed in the process.

The teleportation device is made with a variety of tubes running along a simple frame. The tubes feed into a stack of different-sized radars and a Harley Davidson wheel that hovers ominously over the test subject. Alternating long wedge plates and 1×2 rounded plates surround a single space-goat, totally oblivious of what’s to come. The platform construction is super captivating to look at and the blue lighting at its center creates a gorgeous atmospheric glow throughout the build. I’m also loving the details scattered around the scene. An old mech makes an appearance in the background, which we assume is used for transporting the space-goat from pod to platform. If you look even closer, you might see that the pods each have a single plant piece for the space-goats to munch on as they wait for their turn. All this talk of space-goat teleportation has many of us wondering when these space-goats will start arriving into our LEGO rooms. We can’t guarantee any goats, but do keep an eye out!

In the meantime, check out some more Neo-Classic Space creations from our archives!

A sleek homage to a timeless spaceship, spaceship, SPACESHIP!

In 1979, LEGO launched their first ever space theme, with it the Galaxy Explorer flagship that inspired generations of fans. Amongst them, builders like to recreate these classic spaceships with new pieces and designs. Tim Goddard, the co-author of LEGO Space: Building the Future, has presented us with his take on this iconic piece of LEGO history. While staying true to the original ship, Tim’s LL-928 flies with a perfect balance of smooth grey wings and a greebly hull. Through a great transparent yellow canopy, spacemen sit in a detailed cockpit complete with controls, cabinets, and cup of tea.

Though he is an experienced builder, Tim perfected his craft by implementing various advanced building techniques. He has angled the wings with slope bricks that transition perfectly between each section. In addition, the smooth wings have a curved edge that is reminiscent of modern aircraft wings. The curved nature of the wings carries over to the rear section which conveys a bit of the rounded 1960’s sci-fi design. Last but not least, Tim stepped out of his comfort zone by engineering a working landing gear using functional Technic parts.

See some more modern takes on LEGO Classic Space, and check out more of Tim’s builds here.

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