If space travel ever takes off in the way that science fiction imagines, zipping from one corner of the galaxy to the other in anything less than many lifetimes, the technology to power it will surely look quite alien to us. That’s why I love this LEGO spaceship by Tim Goddard, because it’s filled with things that I have no idea about, yet they look undeniably cool. Inspired by the illustrations of thisnorthernboy, this unique spaceship’s color is almost as striking as its shape, with the medium blue and white setting the tone, and the pops of red providing a lot of visual interest to the details.
Tag Archives: Space
From Ice Planet 2002 to the ice planet of Hoth
I’m absolutely loving the mashup of Star Wars and LEGO themes to fulfill one of the challenges in this year’s VignWeek by RebelLUG. And this scene by Jens Ådne J. Rydland utilizing a duo of 90’s space factions to highlight a pivotal scene from the Battle of Hoth. The pairing of Blacktron I and the Empire feels fitting, and justifies the outstanding insignia on the side of the walker. The AT-AT’s head is well made, looking like an all-black version of some Neo-Classic Space designs. But those legs, harkening back to 6876: Alienator, are the perfect retro touch! The tiny Ice Planet snowspeeder is adorable, and I hope Commander Cold is able to successfully stall the Imperials long enough for the Futuron transports to escape.
Sunny Spaceship Treks the Cosmic Currents
Space builder David Roberts treats us to another bright pop of LEGO color with his newest starship, the Sun Fish. Hot on the heels of the NEZ racer, David’s been enjoying the ROY side of the spectrum lately. Please forgive the fast food joke, but I’m loving it! Alternating between red and yellow, the Sun Fish sports a beautiful fin, complete with darling markings in light blue. This mohawk of panels contrasts well with the mechanical tubes and thrusters attached at the sides, almost emphasizing the more technical elements and providing a space-ier vibe. My favorite part, though, has got to be the compact cabin. Hanging directly off the front of the ship, there’s no nose separating our pilot from the galactic expanse. They’ve got a unobstructed view of everything back to the Big Bang.
A spaceship in the mech-ing
Imagining what kind of cool new ships can be added to the classic LEGO Space theme is always fun. This spaceship from Shiu makes for an awesome addition to those imaginings! The shaping of the ship has a lot of fun lines and angles to catch the eye. There’s some excellent greebling going on throughout, including the evergreen minifig roller skate. Personally, I appreciate the texture the jet engine insert provides to the laser cannons. Another fine detail is the pilot’s harness. Usually builds don’t have the room for something like that. Now, something you might be wondering is why so much bulk in the wings? There could no doubt be a variety of answers to that question, but for this build the answer is transformational!
The star-fighter converts into a mech-fighter! The wings split into the arms and legs of a stylish, and spacefaring, mech. The nose of the ship swings down to allow for forward clearance, something it can do after the beast of a blaster is in the mech’s grip. Usually a space explorer has to leave their ship to adventure planet-side, but not with this ship! The whole thing can help scout out new locations and set up base camps. Truly an all-in-one spaceship.
Not just any Mega Man knockoff...
Folks, we here at TBB have got to admit that LEGO builder Sandro Quattrini is a character-creating machine. He churns out constructed personas so fast that it’s hard to keep up! The latest one is this spaceman-looking chum with a blaster for an arm (no relation to a certain Capcom hero). The contrasts at work here are wonderful. Smooth, sleek white casing with the occasional exposure of rough, mechanical interior channels both Eve and Wall-E at the same time. And the posable hinges developed here are absolute magic! Amid all that, my favorite part has got to be Robo-Kid’s robo-kicks. I mean, it’s not every day you see such splendid use of the minifig Scout Trooper helmet!
The spaceship that (hopefully) comes with fries
Maybe it’s the color scheme or its simplistic blocky shape but this LEGO spaceship built by David Roberts reminds me of a delicious carton of McDonald’s fries. Other commenters on his Flickr stream state that they are reminded of Buck Rogers while others claim this is reminisant of a Viper from Battlestar Galactica. What does this remind you of? No matter what the answer is, we can all agree that this spaceship looks pretty tasty.
The ship is the knife and outer space is the butter
I always knew LEGO could be sharp (underfoot), but this ship from Tim Goddard really shows off how sharp! There’s not a curve to be seen, outside of the canopy, on this interceptor, giving it the intended sharp-edged appearance. The ship looks like to could cut through anything as it speeds along on its mission. It possesses the style choices of the classic LEGO Space theme–always a welcome sight! Even the canopy is in the color scheme of the theme, but that’s not where it comes from… The canopy is the only curve in the build, and it comes from that most excellent Lightyear 76832 XL-15 Spaceship set. It’s the perfect canopy for this build, lending itself well to that tapering wedge of the nose. I also really appreciate the sloping where the wings join the body. The use of wedge slopes with hinges isn’t a new technique, but it’s one that works really well for filling and adding definition.
Taking a look beneath the ship reveals the full arrowhead-like shape of the interceptor. It also reveals some cool detailing, like the laser cannons mounted under the wings, done with brackets, round plates, and lightsaber hilts. However, my favorite detail on the underside are those brackets running down the midsection of the nose. They create a neat effect I just can’t get over, especially when paired with the other textures around them. Not to mention, these no doubt add some dynamism and choice when it comes to a display stand. They offer plenty of connection points for an angled display scene.
This one-man ship can transport us all back in time.
LEGO’s 90th anniversary sets have pushed the fandom’s collective nostalgia into hyperspace, prompting all kinds of throwback builds. This tiny spacecraft by Pascal is a perfect example of old-school styling and modern construction. The blue and gray color scheme recalls the classic sets of yesteryear, but the studless construction and greebling details put this squarely in the “modern marvel” category.
“Incoming message on the viewscreen, Captain”
Builder Paul Hetherington is totally feeling some classic sci-fi vibes with this bridge scene. Given the four spooky spacemen on the viewscreen, the crew of this intrepid starship must be shaking in their space boots! As is typical with his designs, I’m in love with Paul’s use of repeated patterns throughout the ship’s command center. It’s just trapezoids for days along the walls and in the ceiling! And all of them in pearl metallic gray, contrasting well with the blue, light gray, and yellow throughout the rest of the scene. My mind immediately goes to a mash-up of classic Star Trek and LEGO Classic Space, which I’m sure is the intent. And right in the center is a beautiful LEGO-inspired art piece by Robin Thompson, depicting the long forgotten crew returned for revenge!
From this angle, you can get a better view of all the switches and dials available to the starship’s crew. I particularly enjoy the use this two-wide windscreen, my favorite LEGO part! And the lighting along the floors and pillars fits right in with the sci-fi aesthetic.
In space no one can hear you burp
Yet another planet meets its fate by this great cosmic devourer! Margit presents us with an incredible, and terrifying, kaiju for the Bio-cup challenge. Nothing escapes the nine eyes of the creature as it brings the latest prey to its gaping maw. Three sets of pincers ensure a firm grip on celestial objects, perhaps splitting them open to feast on the cores. Row upon row of razor-sharp teeth stands ready to mash solid planets to bits. This monster is something else to behold! There’s a brilliant use of LEGO rubber tires for the outer layer of the creature’s body. The tires are turned inside out, allowing the treads to hold onto the build’s internal structure. This gives the creature a smooth, organic appearance, perfect for an eldritch terror from the deepest and most primordial reaches of the universe. The next time you look through a telescope, hope you don’t see this horror lurking in the silent expanse of space.
An organic spaceship fresh off the vine
It’s always cool when a someone builds something that looks so organic, so alive, out of LEGO. This alien spaceship by Titolian doesn’t disappoint! There are some unique curves on this build, making great use of the tentacle and horn pieces. The long tentacles, or maybe bones, break up the ship’s sections through visual lines. The cockpit of the spaceship reminds me of a predator warrior mask from the Predator franchise with that broad canopy and orange piping details. Some of my favorite parts of the ship are the circular thrusters on the wings. I just really like how they’re almost detached, as if they’re suspended by emitters in the surrounding tentacle structures. These sorts of design choices are interesting, because they push builders in their creativity to suspend but also support the elements.
LEGO is soft on space travel
Don’t adjust your screens; that is not a LEGO minifigure someone left in a microwave to see what would happen. You’re looking at a Ted Andes creation of an up-sized remote control space rover built for a plush Lenny. Despite being a seasoned writer for The Brothers Brick, I didn’t know these LEGO plushies were a thing until like two minutes ago. I’m apparently the wrong demographic, but they’ve been all the rage with youngins for a few years now. Look, I never said I was attuned to what the kiddos are into; I don’t even know what kind of bourbon they like. Anyway, while you’re trying to figure out how a TBB volunteer can be given the pink slip, check out these other works by Ted Andes whom, it turns out, is a master at making unusual parts seem pretty cool.
Don’t tell anyone but if I had a plushie Lenny I’d probably give him an occasional squeeze for good luck.