Tag Archives: Neo-Classic Space

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.

Lunar friends 2

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.

7421: T-ATV (Tracked All-Terrain Vehicle)

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.

7421: T-ATV (Tracked All-Terrain Vehicle)

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.

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.

LL-551 Viper

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.

LL-856 Hammerhead

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.

LL-856 Hammerhead

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.

Testing the new teleport on Epsilon IV...

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.

Galactic Explorer

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.

The stars align for a classic space nova

Bionicle Day, 8/10 (810nicle), is behind us, and we’re catching up by celebrating some builds that incorporate the popular buildable figure elements from LEGO’s past. Blake Foster found inspiration to use Bionicle elements such as Macku‘s helmet and Hero Factory feet (ball and socket configuration) for the side of the hull. The standard blue LEGO Classic Space hue is an obvious homage to the 1986 LEGO Cosmic Fleet Voyager. Just don’t expect to see Benny fit into this space fighter, because it is micro-scale. After some quick research on novae, I get why Blake Foster named it “Nova Class.” It is akin to nova, the astronomical event where new stars form and explode, shining bright and slowly fading, just as Blake described how the build constantly came apart during its construction. For now, bask in its glow.

Nova Class Heavy Fighter

A ship designed to bug you

Giant spaceships are cool, but I think we’ve seen the strength of the small one-man fighter to slip in and do some real damage. Blake Foster created the Grumpy Gnat Attack Fighter in under 24 hours…a level of speed this thrust-heavy vehicle understands. Built in Classic Space colors, the transparent-yellow windscreen hails from 2011’s 7985 City of Atlantis, and the blue cowling is sourced from a variety of Bionicle parts. I particularly like the Rahkshi Back Cover along the top and sides. The gap designed for the Rahkshi spines makes a perfect place to have the ship’s fins extend through. And the little touches like the red and green navigational lights just make me smile.

Grumpy Gnat Attack Fighter

This isn’t Blake’s first foray into new Classic Space vehicles. Not by a long shot! Check our archives for more space-y goodness.

Grab a two-for-one deal at the spaceship yard

The spaceship’s colour scheme would have been enough, but Mansur Soeleman takes it one step further with his latest LEGO model and produces some retro-styled box art to really get the nostalgia pipes flowing. The ship is a greeble-lover’s delight, festooned with a wealth of light grey pipes and grilles, intakes and rockets. I particularly like how tight the blue cabin section is around the trans-yellow canopy, leaving most of the model grey, but enough to make it abundantly clear which LEGO theme has provided the inspiration.

LL-527 Falchion Box Art

In a brilliant touch, Mansur also built a retro version of his retro-throwback, delivering the same distinctive shaping, but using a more limited old-fashioned brick palette. I admire the building skills in these two models, but also love the extra effort of producing box art and two versions. Fantastic nostalgic fun.

Stealth Fighter

Spaceship begins with B

I’m something of a failure when it comes to building spaceships. I have tried and failed for the past three SHIPtembers to build a massive spaceship, and even my smaller spaceships generally end up on the scrapheap due to a lack of vision for their execution. Balancing the greebles with the smooth parts is a challenge for me, and integrating the cockpit with the rest never seemed to work out well. But then Dave Kaleta announced an alphabet starfighter contest, and I had to give it a go. Finally, I had a coherent plan for the design, a letter of the alphabet. And what better letter to start with than B? After all, my name, Benjamin Stenlund, starts with B, and so does Benny from The LEGO Movie. And since Benny and I are both from the 1980s, I went with a Neo-Classic Space styling, to remove any further difficulty that might have arisen from complicated color choices. I had to start somewhere, you know?

B-Wing Starfighter

I was quite pleased with the way the dual cockpits integrated with the overall shape, and indeed having two of those canopies was a major reason I went with this design, as the curves add to the B shape perfectly. I added as many Classic Space elements as I could, like the triple loudspeaker on the back and the computers in the cockpits, gleaned from the older part of my collection; and then I went greebled like crazy in the gaps. My favorite element in the greebles is the old exhaust pipes from my childhood Town sets. I’m not afraid to mix old and new greys together, so both can be seen in the build; I think it adds a sense of weathering appropriate for a spaceship. I’ve already been commissioned by my 4-year-old to build him a few spaceships, so hopefully, I’ll be able to add to the collection of finished craft soon and spread literacy across the galaxy!

B-Wing Starfighter

As rare as a blue lobster

Sometimes it feels like every spaceship I see out there in the LEGO building community is either a single-seat starfighter or a giant capital ship. Sometimes the fighters are tiny, sometimes they themselves are giant, and some of the capital ships are minifig scale and others are microscale. But wouldn’t it be nice to see something else with more frequency? Like, what about the civilian ships, or even the military support vessels? Someone has to move the supplies from Planet A to Planet B, right? Well, thankfully we have Blake Foster, who has made us a small, minifig scale Neo-Classic Space (NCS) cargo shuttle. Called the Blue Lobster because it grips two containers at a time in its mechanical claws and it’s blue, it is the ship you hire for small jobs, when you don’t want to spend an entire nation’s GDP to move a few crates.

Blue Lobster Cargo Shuttle

The coherent color scheme is perhaps my favorite aspect of NCS ships, and the Blue Lobster does not disappoint, with the obligatory yellow canopy and the blue and grey body. The grey greebles are perfect, using my favorite greeble element, the piston bar, and the Nexo Knights droid torso to great effect around the engines. I also love those crates; each is a work of art in itself, with some fascinating geometry making them work. Now, I need to move in a month or two, and I think my family’s belongings could fit in those crates (if we were minifigures, that is); maybe I should ask Blake if this cosmic crustacean is up for hire.