Paul (Sariel) of LUGPol completed an accurate and functional model of the Leopard 2 German tank. According to former Armor Officer Brad Edmondson who sent me the link, this is “by far the best representation of a Leopard2 tank in Lego yet.” You can check out the video of the model in action on Youtube.
As best stated by the builder, Huib Versteeg (spacie 11), “this monstrosity will either blast the enemy into a trillion bits or devour it. And if it doesn’t do either of those, well, then it’s malfunctioning and should be disintegrated.”
Did I mention it actually walks?
Ralph Savelsberg (Mad physicist) has built a colorful and complex model of the Scania R500 recovery truck, featuring remote-controlled drive and steering. I love the half plate inset on the sides and the colored lines that run across the vehicle. As with Ralph’s style, you can see the exposed studs on the top that contributes to the sculptural quality of this model.
Check out the video to see the truck in action.
This Peterbilt rig by Bricksonwheels is to die for. While the shiney chrome goodness leaps out at you, the build is phenomonal. Remoted controlled via Power Functions and featuring all sort of fun features, this truck truly rocks.
LUGPol proves that even their TFOLs can build with mad skills. Take Makorol and his Liebherr LTM 1050-3.1 mobile crane. I don’t feel qualified to guide you through all the details, but I will mention that like every LUGPol vehicle, adding Power Functions is obligatory (see the video). See more pictures on Brickshelf.
Herbie is one of my favorite “movie” cars. Tyler did a perfect job…with the added bonus of PowerFunctions! Lovely, lovely build.
This was built for Lugnuts 30th Challenge, which is inspiring some awesome cars, if you ask me….which of course you didn’t.
We’re excited to have LEGO icon Keith Goldman conducting several interviews for us with fellow LEGO fans. Take it away, Keith!
This week’s builder is Tony “SavaTheAggie” Sava, who broke onto the scene the same time as I did, which automatically makes him interesting because he had a front row seat for my meteoric rise in the LEGO hobby.
One of the first models by Tony that captured my imagination was Stonebarrow Keep (right).
Now, before you snort and say “I can build better than that” or “I see castles every week better than that”, realize that this was created seven years ago and was considered an amazing build. Tony is currently working on a model of the Cathedral of St. Francis:
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I sat down with Tony at his ranch outside of El Lago, Texas, where we enjoyed ribs, Lone-Star beer and firing his collection of antique shotguns. We also talked about LEGO.
Keith Goldman: You primarily build castle and train models, do you find one more challenging than the other, and do you use fundamentally different approaches when building each?
Tony Sava: I find different challenges in each (oh come on, you gotta give me that cop out). Castles, typically, are primarily studs up creations, but they’re very organic, so finding that balance between what is “made by man” and “made by nature” can be tricky. SNOT is typically reserved for detail work, such as windows or flooring. Trains, on the other hand, can be studs up, or no studs up at all, and have the engineering aspect of being animated and navigating track. Steam engines, especially, I view as a prime mix between artistry and engineering, and it’s a challenge I enjoy quite a bit. It takes quite a bit of time to not only get the shapes correct, but to get all the wheels to navigate the track while the pistons fly around them.
More of Keith’s interview with Tony after the jump: Continue reading
It seems to be a slow day for blogworthy LEGO creations, so I went back through my bookmark archive and ran across something we really should have blogged the second we got the link — Chris Meyer‘s how-to guide on making plastic LEGO train tracks backwards compatible with legacy 9-volt and 12-volt systems.
The problem (and benefit, depending on who you ask) with current Power Functions and RC systems is that they’re battery-powered. For LEGO convention attendees and train show participants who may run their trains for hours at a time, this means stopping everything in the middle of their layouts to replace the batteries, over and over again.
But since LEGO no longer produces externally powered trains, the tracks are exorbitant on the secondary market. Chris solves this problem by applying conductive foil tape to easily purchased plastic tracks. It’s a cheap solution, and looks much less time-consuming than sifting through eBay.
Read the step-by-step guide on ChrisMeyer.org.
Marek Markiewicz‘s Kenworth W900 Rotator tow truck has it all and is the best large truck creation I have seen. Beyond aesthetics and resemblance, the truck boosts a sick array of Power Functions features including lights, remote control with steering, pneumatics, and countless motors that drive even the tiniest detail. You have to see the video to be convinced.
This tracked transport by Peer Kreuger (mahjqa) incorporates a Power Functions motor to journey straight over boulders and trees — well, at least very large pebbles and tall grass blades.
I’m especially impressed with the treads. Built from individual Technic elements, they don’t just use the LEGO treads that come in sets.
Naturally, there’s a video of this articulated beast in action:
The power functions IR speed remote control has been recalled by LEGO from the US and Canadian market due to the potential hazard from the overheat of the batteries. This marks only the third LEGO product to be recalled. For more information, click on the picture below to access the official report.
LEGO released 6989 Mega Core Magnetizer in 1990. Jarek (Jerrec) made it awesome in 2009.
Jarek added Power Functions and tweaked some of the details, but the spirit of the original set is all there.
See photos on Flickr and Brickshelf (when moderated).
