Tag Archives: Submarine

This Octonauts Octoray is Octonuts

The LEGO fan community goes in deep with giant space vehicles in SHIPtember.  Adam Dodge, however, has taken a couple of interesting twists on the theme by going with a ship that’s not only super-wide rather than super-long, but also super-underwater. Based on the adorable animated adventures of the  Octonauts, this is one studly tribute to the Octoray craft. The lines are crisp and clean, the wing-based turbines are spot-on, and the transparent cylinders used for the front windows are a really nifty solution. Even better, this Adam build this vehicle as treat for his son. That adds a big dollop of “awww” on top of the “wow”.

Octonauts Octoray

Are you looking for more undersea adventures? Check out other featured submarines!

Scuba do’s and don’ts

The ocean life is captivating in this LEGO build by [Jack Frost]. Kelp plants and an elephant tail and candlestick anemone all sway across ocean floor while Sam the scuba diver navigates the water. The build is a wonderful combination of interesting techniques and part usages. For Sam’s scuba suit, the builder uses wheel tires, a printed hinge panel and my personal favorite, aquatic mech arms from the Alpha Team line of the early 2000s. The connections at the figure’s joints are incredible and the flexibility of Sam’s flippers looks remarkably realistic. And don’t forget the neat Hero Factory-armor nautilus swimming past. The movement captured overall brings this scuba diving scene to life.

Sam the Scuba Diver

Like this builder’s style? Check out some more featured creations by [Jack Frost] in our archives!

The BATSUB explores the depth of Batman’s vehicles

Batman’s watercraft mostly played second fiddle to his main vehicles in The LEGO Batman Movie. It would have been great to see a submarine from his fleet explore the deep seas of Gotham City. Stevenpavan created the BATSUB, modeled after the Yellow Submarine, with some major upgrades, and of course in black. The BATSUB’s specs are imagined with the type of realism you’d expect from some tinkering by Lucius Fox. According to the builder, it’s armed with electromagnetic harpoons (on its sides) and EMP blasts (not visible). We’re just happy to see that it has dual propellers and a removable roof to place a few minifigures in the cabin.

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A submarine with a screen door

I like cutaway models that let you explore the interior mechanics and design of a vehicle. There’s something cool to know a builder went beyond thinking about the exterior shaping of a vessel to consider how it could really operate. And when you combine a quality cutaway of a submarine with a lively undersea diorama like General Tensai has, you get something extra special. Even if, just for a moment, I had to wonder about the lack of a tight water-seal. The Nokirian Battle Submarine feels like it could have been lifted from a scene from Das Boot. There’s a lot of slice-of-undersea life happening from the cots and galley to the more functional touches like the brick-built engine and periscope station. I also like how the somber reds and greys of the sub contrast with the vibrant aquatic life on the seafloor.

Nokirian Battle Submarine

Maybe there’s a link between this sub and the General’s oil rig. If there isn’t, there should be.

Everything’s better down where it’s wetter

We’ve already featured one dynamite LEGO build from Cecilie Fritzvold, but this one is a blast, too. (Sorry/not sorry.) This time the bundles of TNT were used for an engine mount, SCUBA tank, and a ring of coral. The great part usage doesn’t stop there, though. Check out those adorable clown fish with rubber band accents, Technic tubing and lightsaber blades as tall plants, and the variety of Clikits beads forming the colorful sea bed. All in all, it’s a soothing image that’s more rewarding the longer you look at it.

Coral sightseeing

LEGO 70433 Hidden Side – J.B.’s Submarine [Review]

Hello and welcome to the Hidden Side! Although the theme debuted last year, this is our first review of a Hidden Side set and I’m pleased to be your guide on this spooky journey. Today we are looking at one of the new sets from the theme’s third wave, Hidden Side 70433 J.B.’s Submarine. It is the smallest of the new wave and a fun, affordable entry into the series. There have been two previous waves with a total of fourteen sets following the ghost hunting adventures of heroes Jack Davids, Parker L. Jackson, J.B. Watt and their ghost dog, Spencer. In this outing, Parker takes a submarine, presumably of J.B.’s invention, down to the depths of the ocean to discover the Statue of Evil. The set includes 224 pieces, and while LEGO hasn’t officially revealed the price yet, we believe it should come in around $19.99 USD when it launches on June 1, 2020. Now, let’s strap on our diving gear and take the plunge down to the bottom of the sea.

Click to read the full hands-on review

We all live in a yellow submarine-fish-thing

LEGO has explored underwater themes a few times over the years. In particular, I have a fondness for the mid-1990’s Aquazone line. It featured bright yellow colors, exploration-based vehicles, and some pretty cool builds. Finnish builder Tino Poutiainen has also taken the yellow submarine concept to heart with Expedition into the kelp forest. This classy undersea build features a vessel with some very good natural camouflage. That is, assuming fish don’t have a particularly good sense of scale. Based on the image description, the divers are looking for the “incredibly rare yellow-finned bladderwrack fish.” It doesn’t seem like they’re looking too carefully, though, as I think I spotted a couple on my own.

Expedition into the kelp forest

I like how the sub isn’t the usual short-and-flat glider style you often see in craft like this. Instead we have a tall and narrow vessel, complete with impressive vertical fins sloped at interesting angles. The mimicry between the sub and the sea-life makes this little scene one you can quickly tell your own fish stories around. (You should hear about the one that got away.)

Neptune Discovery Lab, the 1990s LEGO classic from Aquazone, gets a serious upgrade

For the past year, Peter Carmichael has been texting me updates about an Aquazone base he was building. We both grew up in the 90s, so the classic LEGO themes from that era are full of nostalgia for us, and I’m always excited to see old favorites get a new makeover. But Peter said his update to the 1995 set Neptune Discovery Lab wasn’t going to be a simple redux with modern elements, but something grander. At nearly 6 feet long and using more than 50,000 pieces, I think he delivered.

Lego Neptune Discovery Lab

The highlight of the base is the working Aquazone monorail track, an idea LEGO contemplated in the 90s but never ultimately released. The track makes a large figure eight, winding through the central base before looping around the edges.

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Dive deep with the return of Aquazone

LEGO fan Tim Goddard is perhaps best known for his space-themed builds, such as this microscale space station we shared in February. Building off of his intergalactic experience, Tim is now diving below the seas to revisit the classic mid-1990s Aquazone theme. The centerpiece here is a large submersible, cleverly designed to look like a lobster. Instead of building the sub in lobster red, Tim went with the iconic yellow, black, and neon orange livery of the Aquanauts. By combining a mix of period-correct parts and more modern elements, Tim has created a submarine that feels both modern and true to the original source material. Meanwhile, an adorable fishy “drone” makes for a fine finishing touch.

Aquazone is back :)

Flying submarine – top gun of the sea

When it comes to building a great LEGO narrative, the right signature element can really set the scene. Take this delightful flying submarine scene by Yang Wang for example. The tall, skinny, chibi-style fuselage with that perfectly rounded canopy creates a unique and fun vehicle. The working tilt rotors make this airship/submersible complete.

A submarine that flies

See more detailed pics of this submersible after the jump

1:50-scale LEGO U-Boat VIIc is ready to hunt Allied shipping

The destruction of Allied shipping by German U-boats was a spectacular and tragic feature of both World Wars I and II. Luis Peña has recreated the much-dreaded underwater menace and scourge of Allied sailors at 1:50 scale with U-Boat VIIc, the most common class of German submarine.

U-Boat type VIIc 1:50 Scale LEGO Model

See more photos of this incredible U-boat model in LEGO

I suspect this submarine will have many fans

This month I am taking part in the ABS Builder Challenge against Legofin, Julien Andries, and Aaron Newman, all of which have already built more than two creations using the minifigure handheld fan seed part. I am a little behind, as this submarine is only my first entry to the contest. However, I think the extra time was well spent, as I am very happy with how the build turned out. It uses the fan part a total of 12 times, 16 including those used on the fish as fins. Four of these are used as an intake, barely visible on the bottom of the cockpit.

Deep Sea Explorer

Eight are used on the back as the fins on the propellers:

Deep Sea Explorer back

I probably should have saved the fish for a separate entry, since this is such a hard part to find uses for, but they fit so well here and added a lot to the photo, I just couldn’t resist.