Legos, anyone?

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Thanks, guys! Yeah the design makes a convincing looking Jayhawk. All I changed was adding a rear plate on the elevator to make it solid and reduced the main rotor height by about half an inch. I also added multi colored pieces for the rotor tips.

And David, yes it did come with stickers. While I bought the plans from Ebay, the creator's website is BrickDesigners. 

Attached are pics with the flight crew for scale.

*Flight crew not included ☺

Edited August 3, 2019 by Valkyrie Hunter D

[M'Kyuun]

I've never heard of Brick Designers, so I perused their site. Some impressive models there.  There's a  noticeable difference in pricing between them, and I wonder if they also include modified bricks with some of them to account for the difference.. 

Brickmania is another MOC seller that specialize in military vehicles. They include minifigs, custom parts/accessories, custom decals, and all parts to build the model, at a rather princely sum. 

Build Better Bricks is another MOC instruction site with a wide range of models across pop culture and other themes, designed primarily by a handful of very well known, prolific, and exceptionally talented LEGO builders within the community. I know that Tyler Clites also takes on commissions.

Congrats on scoring, and modding, a really well done Jayhawk, Valkyrie Hunter D.

[David Hingtgen]

I've bought several instructions from Build Better Bricks.  That new Toothless is very tempting, and it's by Tyler.  

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

M'kyuun, thanks for kind words.  I was afraid the Jayhawk would be too delicate to play around with, but it has definite swooshibility.

BrickDesigners have some clean designs, I'll probably pick up their Augusta 109 chopper plans in the future. I'm digging their Humvee selection as well. 

I love what Brickmania does and what they focus on, but yeah, their pricing is off the charts.  Once I save up for it, I would like to get one of their Pave Low CH-53s.

The one thing I am saving up for though is the Avro Lancaster kit from Plane Bricks. All they have are airplanes and their Lancaster is a great piece of work.

There is also an Etsy vendor, Kurt's MOCs, that sells aircraft instructions that border on titanic scales, like a minifig scaled B-52 or C-130. I bought his AC-130 plans on a lark just to play around with on LDD.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

After the Jayhawk, I wanted to work on something that has more teeth.  I wish I could say the design is all mine, but 85% of it is from the mind of a fellow AFOL, DarthDesigner. I have a ways to go, but here's the landing gear test:

[M'Kyuun]

I wasn't aware of Kurt's MOCs or Plane Bricks, so, naturally, I had to check them out. Impressive builders all around. Plane Bricks was started by a 19 year old who was already building at this level when he was around 16. I'm always gobsmacked by the talent many fans possess, but it's really incredible when kids have this prodigious ability. I'm a mediocre builder on my best day, so to see these Mozarts with the brick pounding out one incredible MOC after another is both awesome and humbling.

Valkyrie Hunter D, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention your Hind- looking good.  You'll have to share some pics of the final product. Some nice SNOT work on the lower empennage. I never realized they sat at such an incline on their gear- one of those interesting design quirks.  Kinda like the Harrier.

[M'Kyuun]

For the aircraft enthusiasts among us, I thought I'd share a link to Ralph Savelsberg's Flickr. Ralph has long been a well known and well regarded MOC builder, who builds across the gamut of artificial self-propelled objects, and since aircraft have been the topic of discussion of late, I thought it apropos to mention him. I don't know if Ralph takes on commissions, but as with any artist of note, perusing his work is a reward unto itself.

[Bolt]

That project is looking pretty good @Vampire Hunter D

Thanks for the link @M'Kyuun i love the submarine.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

On 8/9/2019 at 8:05 AM, M'Kyuun said:

I never realized they sat at such an incline on their gear- one of those interesting design quirks.  Kinda like the Harrier.

I don't think the incline is that steep on the real thing. It's just that there is not much room in the space where the landing gear folds into when stowed, so the struts have to be short.  The original design had a neat mechanism that tucked neatly and made the most of the room available, but there was no way it was going to sustain all the weight of this beast-it would just collapse onto itself.  I reckon it looked great in LDD, but LDD doesn't gravity into account.  I had to enlarge the landing gear bay for the gear I made, but at least it works and it all fits when stowed.

I was hoping to get a more traditional tan and light brown color scheme, but a lot of the necessary parts did not come in anything close to brown.  I will definitely post pics when finished, but there are still a couple of challenges ahead, like constructing a true 5 sided hub for the main rotor (LEGO only likes 2, 3, 4, and 6 bladed rotors for its helicopters), and maybe making a hinged door for the minifig pilot (the hinged canopy can't swing high enough to easily put a minifig in the cockpit). Thanks for the encouragement!

Savelsberg's work is truly inspiring. His B-1B is jaw-dropping. 

[Dobber]

7 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

For the aircraft enthusiasts among us, I thought I'd share a link to Ralph Savelsberg's Flickr. Ralph has long been a well known and well regarded MOC builder, who builds across the gamut of artificial self-propelled objects, and since aircraft have been the topic of discussion of late, I thought it apropos to mention him. I don't know if Ralph takes on commissions, but as with any artist of note, perusing his work is a reward unto itself.

OMG, his aircraft are amazing! I wish those where for sale.

Chris

[Chronocidal]

33 minutes ago, Dobber said:

OMG, his aircraft are amazing! I wish those where for sale.

Chris

He's got probably 90% of my favorite LEGO aircraft in his portolio.  Amazing renditions, especially his larger scale ones. 

I've always been astounded that enough bricks in the right shapes and colors even exist to do what he does.

[M'Kyuun]

I'm glad folks are enjoying the link- the guy is gifted, no doubt. 

4 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

He's got probably 90% of my favorite LEGO aircraft in his portolio.  Amazing renditions, especially his larger scale ones. 

I've always been astounded that enough bricks in the right shapes and colors even exist to do what he does.

As to your latter statement, I believe he revisits some of his models to update them as new elements come along. But yeah, some of his larger aircraft models are incredible. Having worked on the real thing, his B-1 Lancer model always astounds me with how well he captures the shapes and functional features of the plane. Just beautiful.

[David Hingtgen]

While many of his creations are huge and would cost $$$$$ to recreate, instructions for his F4U Corsair would sell a zillion copies. 

Though, for mass-market appeal---a fully-transformable Movie Prime?!!? 

But, my personal fave, that I would pay $$$$ for---is his remake of one of my all-time most beloved sets, the 5580 Model Team Highway Rig:

(he intentionally made this one a bit more "how LEGO would do it nowdays as a set for sale" vs "true scale model" like he normally does) 

 

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

All the pieces finally arrived:

[Bobby]

An inexpensive aliexpress "Gundam" lego kit (called Mobile Warrior) that I built/modded to match my custom 1/60 Impulse Gundam that I painted to match Sword Impulse colors.

[Bobby]

While awaiting the arrival of SOC GX-88, made a lego Voltron (≈10") that's between the 1/300 model kit and the Miracle MA-01.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

As my wife would say, it's adorbs. Great build Bobby!

 

[M'Kyuun]

Looks like there's a UCS 1989 Batmobile coming. https://www.thebrickfan.com/lego-batman-1989-batmobile-76139-found-at-billund-airport-lego-store/

There's also a Limited Edition System scaled '89 Batmobile that some are speculating will accompany the UCS as a free gift. It's all speculation for now, as there's no official word from LEGO. https://www.thebrickfan.com/lego-batman-1989-batmobile-limited-edition-40433-official-images/

I'm stoked for both-will definitely get the UCS, and hopefully a copy of the second if it turns out to be a very limited release. In truth, I'd almost prefer the smaller one, but I look forward to all the details in the UCS.

[technoblue]

Cool. I do like the look of the smaller limited edition set. It also should be easier to display here at home. With luck, there won't be too many hoops to jump through to pick it up. 

Edited November 5, 2019 by technoblue

[M'Kyuun]

Agree on all counts. I'm not a big fan of exclusives or limited editions. Moreover, I'd surmise that the majority of folks who collect Batman or LEGO Batman stuff have been waiting for this set, in particular, since LEGO first got the license in 2006. They've made a number of sets that looked inspired by the '89 Batmobile, of which Jokerland and Batmobile Pursuit of the Joker come the closest, but, until now, never the actual car. So, to make it limited or tie it to another set as a promotion instead of putting it out for wide release is a poor move on LEGO's behalf, if, in fact, that's what they plan to do. I hope not.

If it does end up being a difficult set to obtain, the bright side is that it should be fairly easy to Bricklink the parts, and eventually LEGO or a dedicated LEGO fansite will post instructions.

This smacks of the Batpod giveaway that LEGO did, a very limited release. Hope I'm wrong.

[technoblue]

Mm. You may be right about this being done up similar to the most recent Batpod giveaway. I missed out on that because my VIP account was all knackered for about a week during the July updates. The upside (apart from visiting Bricklink for parts) is that the VIP site has been running smooth lately. As long as it doesn't crash hard when a mob of Batfans hit the VIP page to grab the limited edition Keatonmobile things should be okay. 

And if things do go awry, no big deal. The Batmobile Pursuit of the Joker set is a great recommendation. I have it along with the low rider Joker mobile. They're somewhat stylized, but very cool all the same.

[technoblue]

All right. I just clicked through Lego's preview of the '89 Batmobile. I take back everything I said before. This build looks incredible (and fun). 

[Chronocidal]

I think... while the shape of it is really good, I'm not liking the cockpit profile.  I know they're pretty limited, but the shape of the window they wound up using doesn't flow right to me.

But eh, I'll still try and snag one.  That's still the best movie batmobile design.  

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I was hoping for it to have a "batmissile" separation feature with it being so large.  There's an MoC out there that has such a feature and I would dare say it actually looks better.

[M'Kyuun]

In all fairness, a lot of MOCs look better than their official counterparts, as fans are under no constraints but their imaginations and inventory. LEGO designers work under many constraints, from safety to the cost of using one part over another, and with input from any number of agencies within the process of creating a set, changes occur that aren't always what we as fans would consider the most favorable. It is what it is, I'm aware of the process, and I'm glad that the sets are as good as they usually are.  That doesn't mean I don't have my criticisms- I do, especially in the element palette, but also with choices made in some sets where I feel something could have been done better if a different part, or technique, was used. But again, LEGO has a process, so I accept it and carry on.  

As a child of the &0's and coming up through the classic era of LEGO, watching it decline in the 90's, nearly fail in the early 2000's and then rise again and become the world's leading toy company, I've had the opportunity to see a lot of changes in set design, part design, paint, graphic design, etc, and while I love my Classic Space stuff, the set design and part palette has become very impressive- much like Transformer toys today compared to the bricks we G1 folks had, LEGO has improved by leaps and bounds. So, even with their limitations, I still love collecting and building sets across many themes, and I'm generally pretty pleased with most, especially with nearly fifty years of hindsight to inform my opinion. I look forward to another half century of building,

Edited November 26, 2019 by M'Kyuun

[Chronocidal]

Absolutely, and the beauty of it really is that if you don't like something, changing it could not be easier.  Everything is customizable from the ground up, so if you think something looks better, you can just do it!  

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

18 minutes ago, Chronocidal said:

Absolutely, and the beauty of it really is that if you don't like something, changing it could not be easier.  Everything is customizable from the ground up, so if you think something looks better, you can just do it!  

Totally, and this new kit would probably be cheaper than a MoC version of the same stature.

[M'Kyuun]

16 minutes ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

Totally, and this new kit would probably be cheaper than a MoC version of the same stature.

Almost certainly so. Fan-made sets usually go for a premium compared to sets of a comparable part count.  That's why Ideas is a good , well, idea. Speaking of which, I just built the newly released Dinosaur Fossils Ideas set (21320) yesterday, and I found it to be a rewarding experience- the set comes in at a hefty 910 pieces, and I really enjoyed seeing the various bits of skeleton take form until completion. The final models look great, especially when displayed together as a nice tableau. The designer, legendary Niels Milan Pederson, who helped design many of the Classic Space sets many of us (Me!) cherish, happens to be a part-time archaeologist with a life-long passion for dinosaurs. His office is replete with dino skeleton models he has built over the years for his own pleasure, so when this particular Idea was accepted for production, he was the obvious choice to design the set. The only disappointment I felt was that they stopped at just three skeletons. I hope the set sells very well prompting LEGO to maybe release a couple more, perhaps a nice Apatosaurus, a Stegosaur, or an Ankylosaur to round out the collection. I really, really want a Sauropod, and Niels had several on his shelves, so fingers crossed, it'll show up as a future Creator set.

The only possible negative some may feel about the set is that the Triceratops and T-Rex are built in place, so you can't take them off their stands and pose them. That would be great fun, IMHO, but beyond the scope of what was intended for the set. An intrepid MOCer could overcome this limitation, I'm sure.  I enjoy it for what it is, so I won't be modding mine, but I'm sure someone out there will eventually, and I look forward to seeing how they turn out. Cheers!

[no3Ljm]

 

 

[no3Ljm]

 

[no3Ljm]

Quote

76139 1989 Batmobile
Ages 16+. 3,306 pieces
US $249.99 – CA $299.99 – DE €249.99 – UK £219.99 – FR €249.99 – DK 1899DKK

Batman fans and anyone who appreciates cool cars will love the LEGO DC Batman 76139 1989 Batmobile model car kit for adults. This beautifully detailed LEGO brick building toy replicates the classic curves of the famous Batmobile car, as seen in the 1989 Batman movie. Measuring over 60cm long and built from 3,306 pieces, the model offers a challenging and rewarding build. Die-hard fans will love authentic features such as the slide-open cockpit with a new-for-November-2019 wraparound windshield element, 2 hidden machine guns with a pop-up function activated by turning the turbine exhaust, and decorative grappling hooks on each side of the vehicle. The Batman toy car comes with a rotating display stand (with an attached information plate with 1989 Batmobile statistics) for ease of viewing from any angle. A must-have for all Batman fans, this super-hero toy construction set also includes 3 new-for-November-2019 minifigures—Batman with a cape that matches his 1989 movie outfit, The Joker and Vicki Vale—plus a brick-built minifigure display stand.

• This super-hero toy includes 3 new-for-November-2019 LEGO minifigures: Batman (new torso decoration), The Joker (new face and torso decoration) and Vicki Vale (new torso and legs), plus a brick-built minifigure display stand.
• This LEGO brick version of the 1989 Batmobile features a slide-open cockpit with a new-for-November-2019 wraparound windshield element, 2 minifigure seats, a steering wheel, stick shift and dashboard stickers, 2 hidden, non-shooting machine guns under the hood with a pop-up function activated by rotating the turbine exhaust, 2 decorative grappling hooks, wheel trims with the Bat logo and specially designed tires for the front wheels, batwings and other iconic design details.
• This LEGO set also includes a brick-built rotating display stand for the Batman toy car with an attached information plate with 1989 Batmobile statistics.
• Weapons include Batman’s Batarang and a gun and The Joker’s gun.
• Accessories include Batman’s new-for-November-2019 cape that matches his 1989 movie outfit and Vicki Vale’s brick-built camera.
• This LEGO Batman model car kit for adults includes over 3,300 pieces and makes a wonderful nostalgic holiday gift or birthday present for any Batman fan.
• 1989 Batmobile measures over 4” (12cm) high, 23” (60cm) long and 8” (22cm) wide.

[M'Kyuun]

So bought on release day. Hopefully, LEGO will sweeten the deal with double VIP points, but just getting the smaller Batmobile for free is a lovely bonus. Honestly, I can't remember their ever having given a set that size away as a freebee.  I've been wanting this Batmobile above all others for a long time, so I'm stoked that we're getting two versions for the price of one. 

I hope they do the Animated Series version, and the Arkham Knight version at some point. Very different interpretations, and yet each is cool in its own way. Lots of nostalgia for the Animated Series.

[technoblue]

Caught this LEGO news over on another forum, but wow. Not sure what to make of it right now. 

https://brickset.com/article/47293/the-lego-group-acquires-bricklink

 

[M'Kyuun]

Interesting news. Been reading some Q&As with LEGO's CMO, Julia Goldin, on Brothers-Brick as well. My hope is that, after the dust has cleared and they've got a solid feel for how to keep it running, they'll open up a venue that caters , parts-wise, to AFOLs via Bricklink, making those parts available, like plates with studs on top and bottom, that they haven't released in sets. The greatest positive is that they'll have a lot of experience and suggestions, freely given, by a lot of very capable people within the adult fan community to help inform, and hopefully influence in a tangible way, the part palette. I've seen a lot of interesting and highly useful fan-designed elements over the years (usually CAD), and it's my greatest hope that some of these ideas will see production at some point, via Bricklink, perhaps as exclusive parts-packs, aimed at the adult LEGO fan. That's the potential I see. That I fervently hope for.

On the downside, there's always fear that they'll become heavy-handed with various aspects of the marketplace, like influencing pricing, although Ms. Goldin says that that's not one of LEGO's goals; they want it to run , essentially, as it always has, allowing the individual sellers to control pricing and such. What they will do, however, is remove third party fan stores like BrickArms, who produce mini-fig compatible fantasy, sci-fi, and real-world weapons, the latter of which which goes against LEGO's non-violence policy (despite the fact that nearly every theme now has weapons of all sorts, some of which actually shoot, and many are based around conflict. What it really means is no modern guns. Just about everything else is fair game, though).

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, LEGO's previous owner, who was vehemently opposed to any intimation of violence within LEGO would not be happy with what it has become, methinks. That said, Bionicle and Star Wars saved the company from buyout or possible extinction around 2003, and their continued acquisition of conflict based IPs has proved highly profitable for the company, not to mention culturally relevant. Personally, I love having all these characters and vehicles and such from some of my favorite shows and movies in official LEGO form, and from a marketing perspective, it's a smart move. But, it gulls me somewhat when they drag out that old 'non-violence policy' statement to justify why they won't make a modern assault rifle, although just about every other form of weapon has been made. Seems a bit hypocritical to me, but whatever.

[David Hingtgen]

I think the odds of it happening are like 1%, but I'd love it if Lego would look at "pieces that are in very high demand/high price" and just "run a big batch, to get them out to the people who need them".   Not asking for "super-rare part used in 2 sets in 1982, in trans-green" but sometimes there's some parts that SHOULD be very common, but simply aren't for some reason, or something like "people need a trillion of them, and it's simply not common ENOUGH". 

Good example---the lightsaber piece, in dark bley.  It's very rare, and very expensive.  It shouldn't be.  LEGO must make like a million of those a year, and dark bley is a very common color.   It should be easy for them to run a batch in dark bley, just "to make available directly" even if not explicitly needed for a set they're making.   

Another example---https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=3685&C=11#T=P&C=11   That, in black.   Look how many were available, fairly recently.  4 to *18* in a single set, in the 2010's.  But there's very few on Bricklink, and they're very expensive now.  Why?  Because one guy bought literally 99% of the entire world's supply, for a single very large MOC.  I just need 2 for my MOC.  But acquiring those 2 pieces alone, in good condition, will cost more than the entire rest of the MOC.  

Basically---any common/normal piece, still being molded and used in multiple sets each year, should be made available in "very common colors", if price/supply gets seriously out of whack.  (like, averaging $10 per piece for basic black/white/grey)