Author Kurt Vonnegut died today in New York (BBC story).
Here’s my Billy Pilgrim minifig from Slaughterhouse Five, a book inspired by Vonnegut’s experience as a prisoner of war in Dresden during World War II:
Tag Archives: World War II
Nakajima Ki-44 Shoki/Tojo by HIEN
Brickshelfer HIEN has updated one of his many World War II aircraft, the Nakajima Ki-44 (Wikipedia link). Named “Shoki” by the Japanese Army Air Force and “Tojo” by the Allies, the aircraft was used to intercept B-29 bombers:
New Weapons from BrickArms [Review]
BrickArms manufactures injection-molded ABS accessories compatible with LEGO. Now, I’m what most LEGO fans call a “purist“; I don’t cut, paint, glue, or otherwise harm LEGO, and I don’t generally use non-LEGO parts in my creations. After I attended a presentation at NWBrickCon last October, though, I couldn’t help but pick up a few BrickArms weapons, including the AK-47 and rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) wielded by Rambo:
As Josh wrote earlier this week, BrickArms has released 13 new weapons. (See BrickArms.com for the full list of 21 weapons.) My weapons arrived on Thursday, and I’ve been building furiously ever since. Each photo in my Flickr photoset includes descriptions with links to the specific weapons I’ve used, like the Navy SEALs and Galactic Marines below:
My favorite new weapon by far is the M41A “Xeno” Pulse Rifle. I ordered two (shown above), and plan on ordering several more soon. Here’s a closeup on a futuristic S.W.A.T. officer:
One great thing about BrickArms is that the product line spans nearly all the classic and famous weapons from World War I through the present. Here are a trio of World War II soldiers from both sides of the conflict:
Other favorites include the Uzi and shotgun (go Lara Croft, go!):
In addition to looking very realistic, many weapons are designed with several points that fit into minifig hands. The shotgun’s pump fits in minifig hands, as do the barrels and stocks on several other guns.
BrickArms has also released several custom minifigs. I didn’t purchase any of the figs myself, but BrickArms was kind enough to send along one of the custom parts only available with “Spy Bond” — an ingenious suitcase with a hidden Uzi and spare clip. Typically, 007 blows something up as Q tries to show him his latest gadget:
Purchased individually at $1 each, BrickArms weapons are comparable to BrickLink prices for the newest Batman and Star Wars weapons. (Depending on the combination of weapons you want, you can also buy weapons packs at a discount.)
No, BrickArms weapons aren’t cheap, but that’s because they’re not cheap! Ultimately, I measure the success of any “custom” (non-LEGO) part by how well it integrates with my LEGO collection. BrickArms weapons look and feel like “real” LEGO, which is why a self-proclaimed purist like me can use them without guilt. ;-)
New LEGO Zero fighter from Junlego
Back in June I blogged Brickshelfer junlego’s Zero fighter. I didn’t say so at the time, but my only disappointment was that he built it in white, rather than the more typical dark green.
But now, behold his new, beautifully green Mitsubishi A6M5 “Zero” fighter:
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Technorati tags: LEGO World War II WWII Airplanes Aircraft Fighters Mitsubishi Zero junlego Brickshelf
Scotty’s Got a Gun
Scott Whitesell has posted a nice little set of World War II minifigs and equipment (via his new blog, Scotty’s Brick Chronicle):
Tora, Tora, Tora!
After seeing the beautiful Boeing B-29 bomber Josh posted, I could hardly neglect JUNLEGO’s swooshably cool Mitsubishi A6M2 “Zero” fighter:
(The Zero was the primary Japanese fighter in the attack on Pearl Harbor, after which the code phrase “Tora, Tora, Tora” was transmitted back to Tokyo to indicate that total surprise had been achieved.)
JUNLEGO has also posted a floatplane version of his Zero. Incidentally, he’s been working on a battleship Yamato that may rival Malle Hawking’s Harry S. Truman when it’s done!
Mike Psiaki’s World War II Fighters
These aren’t brand new, but Mike Psiaki recently updated his P-38 Lightning, so that gives me an excuse to post these — two of my favorite World War II fighter planes in LEGO form.
The Lockheed P-38 Lighting:
The Vought F4U Corsair:
(Click each image for the full gallery.)
And just for fun, check out Brenden Wilson’s Corsair Light Fighter — a space-worthy version of the F4U.