Tag Archives: Submarine

Battling Atlantic waves

During WWII, Britain could only continue fighting Nazi Germany thanks to constant foreign imports and weapons shipments from the US. To stem this flow, the German “Kriegsmarine” employed hundreds of submarines, that sank 3,500 Allied merchant ships and 175 Allied warships. Besides enemy action, ships, the submarines, and their crews they also had to deal with atrocious weather, particularly in wintertime.

My latest model, for a Battle of the Atlantic display at BrickFair Virginia this summer, represents a German submarine riding the waves. Originally I was going to build just the conning tower, but that left me with a problem: visible lines are running from the conning tower to the front and aft of the boat’s hull. By building more of the boat and the waves thrown up by its passage, I could attach them. As a result, I spent more time building the waves than the model of the boat itself. This was far from the easiest thing I have ever done, but I hope you agree it was well worth the trouble.

Go swimming without getting a drop on you

Introducing the DSV Hardshell, the latest in undersea exploration by Slick_Brick. This amazing submersible glides silently through the ocean with flipper-style propulsion and steering, allowing you to roam the reefs without frightening away its aquatic inhabitants. The extra wide windscreen allows for unobstructed views in nearly all directions while keeping you safe from electric jellyfish and any sharks who might be lurking nearby.

The DSV Hardshell

All aboard the nostalgia submarine

People are suckers for nostalgia. This is a well-known fact that even the LEGO company has been tapping into lately. It is no wonder that this creation by Bob DeQuatre is hitting all the sweet spots. It is a rebuild of the 6175 Crystal Explorer Sub from the Aquanauts theme. This version is quite a bit larger than the original. The cockpit manages to fit 3 seats and a hatch to access the ocean. I am not sure, as it is not mentioned by Bob, but I can imagine quite well that the big trans purple windscreen from the Pop-up Party Bus was the starting point of this amazing build. To top it all off it even has working lights.

#6175 Crystal Explorer Sub

Much like snowflakes, no two LEGO coral reefs are the same

Of all the excellent vignettes that the LEGO community pumps out (and there are loads – just look through our archives), my favourite setting has to be the seafloor, particularly coral reefs. Just as it allows sealife to flourish, the bright colours and quasi-alien lifeforms give builders a chance to flex their creative muscles. Case in point: Tom de Kesel‘s latest effort. Although the treasure-hunting submersible is undoubtedly the protagonist, the eye is inevitably drawn to the colourful coral. With carrots, bananas and cherries in there, it almost looks more like a fruit salad! I’ll highlight the Speed Champions hubcap used as a propellor on the sub as well. Given these pieces only have one viable connection point I’m always impressed when I see clever uses for them!

Searching for lost treasure

Too deep to see

As the summer weather begins to truly set in, opportunity opens up for expeditions in calming seas. Builder BetaNotus was inspired by nature to create this deep submersible vehicle (DSV) using a wealth of Technic panels and detailed arm sections. The shaping of the large panel pieces have a wonderful flow that reads perfectly as the solid exterior of most DSV since battling the high pressure of the ocean depths requires a thick hull. The grill section on top is a great element for this style of craft and the yellow panels are nice additions to break up the monotonous white. Of course, once you’re down there, you’ll want to be able to see. Large lamps above and below the bulbous clear pilot section illuminate the surroundings, startling any creatures that might be floating in the dark.

DSV Tharp

With those claw arms, its super easy for the craft to interact with its environment. Sure, it might be a little jarring for the clam, but at least we get to discover the secrets of the deep. Come to think of it, this would be a great partner build with the Titanic set. Then you could fully recreate James Cameron’s classic. Maybe BetaNotus was thinking about this on some level.

An ode to the LEGO Aquazone theme that’s sub-stantial!

When first laying eyes on this gorgeous LEGO build by Sylon_tw, I couldn’t help but let out a Charlie Brown catchphrase. I mean, good g-reef! The variation in styles, heights, and colors amongst the coral break up the bed and keep the landscape dynamic. There’s some terrific part usage here, whether it’s brushes and technic pins for tubular sponge, or force lightning pieces for jellyfish tentacles. The submarine itself has some excellent shaping, providing a less-angular take on the Aquanauts sets of old. And I especially like the motion given to the build by the twirling bubbles coming off the sub’s dual propellers.

Aquanauts revisited

Classic Space isn’t just for, well, space, anymore!

LEGO’s iconic Classic Space style has been reinterpreted in many forms over the years, typically rounded up in what fans call Neo-Classic Space (NCS) and we’ve seen everything from spaceships to tanks wearing that beloved blue, grey, and transparent-yellow color scheme. But there’s always room for breaking the mold a bit more while still adhering to the basic style. Enter Rubblemaker and the Manta Ray, an NCS vessel that can go places no Classic Spaceship has gone before: underwater! Bearing a strikingly unique shape and just the perfect amount of greebles, this cool design now has me wanting to do a crossover mashup with Aquazone.

Classic Space - The Manta Ray

Of course, it can’t really be Classic “Space” unless there’s some space involved, and the Manta Ray is only too happy to oblige, as it’s versatile enough to traverse the cold depths of outer space as easily as the ocean.

Classic Space - The Manta Ray

Taking a cautious dive into a miniature ocean

Time to explore the watery depths! Paolo Loro takes us for a swim with this superb microscale build. Fitting in nicely with the aquatic theme is a minifigure air tank which forms part of the yellow submarine. The clear angled handles not only do a great job at holding the submarine in place but they also portray a stream of bubbles, trailing behind the vehicle as it descends. However, the submarine needs to be wary of deep sea mines represented by chain flail pieces. These explosives are nestled in with a thick abundance of sea vegetation featuring an assortment of spiked vine pieces and 1×1 flower pieces.

Wow, that is one shrimp of a submarine

When I think about alternate uses for a large formed part like an airplane cockpit, shrimp-shaped-submarine pincers is not the first thing to come to mind. But I guess that’s what sets
Level_Bell apart from all the rest. And that’s not the only nice part usage on this undersea vessel that brings new meaning to the phrase “shrimp boat.” Look closely at the top of the sub to find a starfish-shaped hubcap serving as a forward hatch.

Side

What kind of crew would you expect to be piloting this shrimp-sub? Look inside to see hermit crab crewmen wearing sailor caps… too cute.
Interior

We all live in an iron (builder) submarine

LEGO expert Jake Hansen dives deep into the his Iron Builder duel with this Ponyo inspired submarine! His signature color mastery and clean lines abound in this build. The teal tentacle parts create a sense of motion as seaweed waving in the currents over the brick built sea floor. The seed part for Iron Builder this round is the red cockpit part used here as fins. Keep an eye out for more builds using this seed part in the coming weeks as the Iron Builder round progresses!

Ponyo Submarine

DUPLO kayaks get a crafty undersea upgrade.

One of my favorite things is seeing pieces from LEGO’s younger brands, like DUPLO and Fabuland, incorporated into regular LEGO system builds. The latest build by Joey Klusnick seamlessly blends two DUPLO kayaks into this sleek, shark-shaped submarine. The sideways kayaks perfectly match the curve of the two windscreens used to create the driver’s compartment. And the engine details built into the kayak seats help tie in the medium azure triangular girders, which give the submarine an effective research vessel vibe.

Duplo Kayak Sub

And we have to award bonus points for the complicated lift-arm that keeps the minifigure pilot seated between the regular and inverted windscreens.

Duplo Kayak Sub

We all live in a yellow...well, you know the rest.

This Subnautic™ Research Drone by Alex_Mocs finds new uses for Galidor, DUPLO, and Scala elements in a brilliant underwater vessel. The Galidor upper legs (and sweet looking Technic and System-built lower legs) slot through the portholes of a DUPLO submarine hull. On the underside is a collection pot that made from (I think) a Scala water cooler. Add to that with a seabed full of twisting organic shapes and a wealth of aquatic life, and you have the makings of a very grim and gritty “Finding Nemo” reboot.

Subnautic™ Research Drone

Is everything better under the sea? Is that a joke that we’ve relied on once too often? Check out our submarine tag and start counting the callbacks!