Legos, anyone?

[sh9000]

Congrats @len_d69.

[barurutor]

Congrats @len_d69! I don't collect Lego but just had to support a fellow kababayan/countryman doing awesome MOC work.

[M'Kyuun]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 1:13 PM, Chronocidal said:

So, I'm going to bump this back into the nostalgia bin for a moment.  Back in the late 80s/early 90s, I got a lot of Lego catalogues.  Being about 6-years old at the time, I could drool all I wanted, and I did get a few of the nice space sets, and the original airport, but when it came to the early Technics stuff, one particular set I always wanted was far out of my parents' price range, and probably beyond my ability to build.

From what I recall, this thing was around $50, which when it was released in 1988, was a whole lot of money.  By the time I was old enough to be saving that kind of cash for toys, this set had disappeared into the sunset.  I eventually got into the Technics line pretty heavily, and the next time a similar aircraft was released, it was the rather pitiful (by comparison) #8836 "Sky Ranger", which was literally about half the size, and functionality.

Still a fun set, and easier to play with due to the smaller size, but only one seat, no pilot, and the stick only moved the ailerons.  I also wound up disconnecting the propeller from the piston engine, because I wanted it to be free spinning, but I had a thing for spinny bits.

Fast forward.. oh... 25 years.  I never really bothered to look for that bigger set, thinking it would be a collectors item.  Well.. I checked eBay the other day.. full set, shiny near-pristine box, $70.  Not a bad markup for a kit nearly 30 years old.  Don't know if it has the inner box, and the instructions are a bit wrinkled, but it's in good shape, and should be arriving by next week.

Looking back, I probably have all the parts to make the thing anyway, but just being able to find it so easily on a whim really surprised me.  I never even realized that the stick is fully functional in pitch and roll, running both the ailerons and elevators.  And I don't think anything before or since that set has ever used that large three-bladed propeller.

Anyway, I'm just thrilled to finally fill that little gap in my collection.  I never really felt a desperate need for it, but I also never expected it to be that relatively easy to acquire.  They just don't make them like this anymore.

Congrats on scoring the Prop Plane set! I remember when that set was out, but like you, didn't get it. Also like you, I had the Sky Ranger, which was a fun little set on its own. Anyway, it's always a nice feeling to find an old set you wanted but didn't get as a kid. I've since added the Polaris 1 Space Lab, the Blacktron Spectral Starguider, the M-Tron Mega Core Magnetizer, and the Galaxy Explorer to my collection. I digress- have fun building your plane; I hope it exceeds expectations.

I wish LEGO would do limited releases of some of the more popular and highly sought retired sets from the 80's and 90's- one look at e-bay or Bricklink will show that, even after 30 years, many of those old sets are still selling for hefty sums.

[Chronocidal]

Actually, looking at that prop plane set, I'm already a little surprised/disappointed in the propeller assembly?  I come to find out it's not rigged for mounting on an axle, but it's hard-mounted to a metal shaft that's connected through a 1x4 technics beam to a geared flywheel with an offset cutout to mount an early Technics piston assembly.  Because of that, the whole propeller is mounted permanently off balance, and isn't really useable on other aircraft without working around that gear.  So.. not sure how to feel about that.  I might try and replicate it in 3D, and send it off to Shapeways to see if I can't make a more usable version with a standard axle mount. 

Anyway.. so that Ideas Shuttle design just topped 7000 votes this morning while I was reading the comments, and it was only submitted July 18th.  I don't think it's going to have any trouble hitting 10,000 in the 765 days it has left.  I just hope Lego doesn't pass over it because it's another NASA themed set.

 

 

[M'Kyuun]

I doubt it; NASA has proven to be a cash cow for LEGO. If the design is sound, and LEGO don't have a similar project in the works already, it stands a better than average chance of getting made, IMHO.  On their own, they'll be making STS Orbiter sets long after I've turned to dust- it's just an iconic spacecraft that just happens to look cool, and translates well for playability.

In fact, there's a 3-in-1 Creator Orbiter set out now. It's in my backlog of sets I need to build. 

[Chronocidal]

That's actually my biggest concern, that they already have something either in stores or in progress that would disqualify this design from the process.  It's different enough from the 3-in-1 set that I'm sure they could exist side-by-side, but it's been a while since we've seen a full shuttle, and they might have one waiting in the wings.

The designer is blown away by how fast the support is coming in though, and it makes me wonder what the record is for reaching 10k.  It just topped 8k, and he's posted an update with shots of a physical build-up (with some color substitutions).  He meant to post them at the 5k mark, and is playing catch-up.

[M'Kyuun]

A builder named SPARKART built this Brickheadz version of Ms. Minmay. Even better, he posted step-by-step instructions on his Flickr. Thought I'd share.

[Mazinger]

47 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

A builder named SPARKART built this Brickheadz version of Ms. Minmay. Even better, he posted step-by-step instructions on his Flickr. Thought I'd share.

I've actually paid for a SPARKART macross moc.  2 years back at MWCon I saw his Regult and thought I just needed to have it.  Nice little piece.  

[Chronocidal]

On a different sort of space-related subject, I was surprised to see this pop up on the main Ideas page earlier.  Someone actually built the Sidewinder from Elite: Dangerous.

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/10783699-7488-4e36-82db-78803dfeea9b/comments_tab

I've got mixed feelings about it, but it's an impressive build, with tons of details and functionality.  Unfortunately... while being an amazingly accurate representation of the ship in-game, the ship itself has all the elegance and class of a rubber doorstop.   It's the base-model starter ship from the game that you get for free, and it's pretty much the epitome of what happens when you design a ship around "realistic practicality."  It's just a fugly, blocky lump with engines.

I'd love to see more designs done in this style, and he has a couple others done of some of the less boring ship designs, but they're beyond the scale of what can qualify for an Ideas set.

[M'Kyuun]

That Sidewinder is not the most appealing ship design. I'm not familiar with Elite: Dangerous, but having Binged some images, there are some cool ship designs that would have made for better entries, IMHO. No fault with the build, however; it's just not a flattering subject.

[Chronocidal]

If you look at the comments section for that build, he does show similar builds of a couple other ships (the Eagle being one of the better looking ships in the game), but the scale becomes an issue.  The ships in that game's universe are fairly massive, and while there are some smaller fighter-ish ships, most of what you spend your time flying around in are closer in scale to something like the Millennium Falcon, with dedicated living space, and cargo holds.

The Sidewinder is one of the smallest ships, and, for better or for worse, one of the most recognizable, if only for the fact that it's what you start in, and also what you get dumped back into if your ship gets destroyed, and you can't afford to repair it.

There are so many Ideas sets I'd love to just get the instructions for honestly.  Even if they never get produced, I'd hope the designers can release the designs for others to build.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Chronocidal

[Scyla]

Seems like something big is coming on October the 1st:

https://twitter.com/LEGO_Group/status/897489066425552901

[kanedaestes]

Based on the instructions booklet that was teased I'm going with the much requested rerelease/ update of the UCS Millennium Falcon. However if this time there's no interior or major changes I'll stick with the one I already have. The set will be least 500 on the cheapest end

[wm cheng]

I just finished the Saturn V build and it's amazing!!!  If anyone is on the fence with this set, run out and buy it.  I can't recommend it highly enough.  Its just perfect in every way, great size, separates into all the stages, really enjoyable build with ingenious techniques AND its solid in the end for more than just a display.  I have to say its my favourite set of all so far.  Bravo to those Lego fans.  I just wished they "chromed" the command module, as they had to specially print it anyways so its already a unique part and I wished they doubled the blue stands so that it can be displayed horizontally with all the stages apart a little more stably. 

Did someone here ever do those A,B,C,D stickers for the base fins?  I wished they printed those on. 

[Beltane70]

I'd run out and buy the set if it wasn't sold out everywhere! Even the Lego site is out of stock. 

[Chronocidal]

I've been holding off building mine since it's meant to be a birthday gift for a week from now, but it's getting difficult to restrain myself.  In the meantime, I've been rocking back and forth with anticipation to see if the Ideas shuttle set will hit 10k before the next review window, and considering how to build it myself if it doesn't get accepted.

What I should do is go grab the digital model for the Saturn V and start tweaking the fins to see if I have the right parts to replace them.

[wm cheng]

2 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I've been holding off building mine since it's meant to be a birthday gift for a week from now, but it's getting difficult to restrain myself.  In the meantime, I've been rocking back and forth with anticipation to see if the Ideas shuttle set will hit 10k before the next review window, and considering how to build it myself if it doesn't get accepted.

What I should do is go grab the digital model for the Saturn V and start tweaking the fins to see if I have the right parts to replace them.

The fins don't bother me as much once you have the built entirety in your hands and you admire it as a whole.  Truely amazing!  Its nice that its a thin piece (and something I recognize from other sets, I hate specialized pieces), if you built it up out of blocks, it would be just too heavy looking.  You'll see when you build it - ENJOY!  Can't wait to hear what you think of it.  I'm blown away.

[M'Kyuun]

Same here, concerning the fins; I think I like the LEGO ones, aesthetically, better than the real ones, so I've no problem with them. I'm not sure if all the bracketing on the internal structure was part of the original submission, or the LEGO designers' innovation, but it works amazingly well. It's a lovely model just to behold, but building it gives you an even deeper appreciation for it due to the techniques involved. Definitely recommended.

Now I'm anticipating Voltron. I'd love to see some new stronger ratcheting joints come out of that project, but I doubt they'll have the budget for it. Then again, these days, you never know. I'm also curious to see how broad their licensing is; is it just limited to classic Voltron for the sake of this model, or does it extend to other variants, and to Netflix's version? I wouldn't mind the Netflix version. I would have really loved to have a version of the 2011 Voltron Force Voltron- loved those designs. Unfortunately, the show didn't do well, and even the toys teased at SD ComicCon by Mattel never made it to production, AFAIK. That's probably my favorite version of Voltron thus far. Heresy perhaps, but I just love the look of it, and the individual lions. Voltron never played on tv where I grew up, so I have no connection to it other than I like lion mecha.

[Chronocidal]

So if you look up the original Ideas site for the Saturn V, you can see just how much the design evolved.  The original was much more a straight up bottom-to-top build.  Still had some rounded plates on the outside, but the majority of the rocket wasn't as round as the final model.  One of the updates also shows them using gray brick fins, with the ABCD stickers included.

The designers' "deluxe" treatment also upped the level of detail on a lot of the features, including a complete inner structure of all the fuel tanks, and it included the separate ring between the first and second stage.

I think the final build wound up a lot sturdier, and was a huge upgrade in aesthetics overall, but it sacrificed that internal detail.  It is really fun to read the development updates on it though.

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/3519b723-c59a-43b4-81be-eeb99b631627

[M'Kyuun]

http://www.moc-pages.com/home.php/94679

Transforming robots and LEGO have been two of my greatest lifelong passions, and few builders meld these two like Alex Wong. I've been looking through his galleries, and this guy is pretty impressive, especially when you consider that he makes all, or nearly all, of his models to fit at least one minifig.  Be sure to check out his Legioss and his Garland. I'd love to have both as sets, esp the former.

[Chronocidal]

So the Ideas Shuttle hit 10k last night apparently.  Time to wait and see if LEGO decides it's worth making official. 

Personally, I'd be up to buying 6, one for each orbiter.

[David Hingtgen]

Then on to the next one---Ideas SR-71:  https://ideas.lego.com/projects/a0a7940a-e575-420f-ace5-2b7bd3d962c7

I figure being in NASA's scheme, used for research, and even when the USAF had it, it only ever carried cameras, it may "slip past" LEGO's unofficial "no war machines" rule.  

[M'Kyuun]

An official SR-71 would be nice shelf candy, to be sure, but I'd say it's pretty close to the line for LEGO to produce it. Moreover, given its unique capabilities, I wouldn't be at all surprised if at least one or two are still being maintained, or at least minimally preserved. Slapping the NASA logo on it might just be what gets it passed, though.

[Beltane70]

I was finally able to get my hands on the Saturn V! I went into my local Lego Store on a whim, and was surprised to actually see five units on the shelf. I'm so happy that my search is over. 

[Silverstreak]

6 hours ago, David Hingtgen said:

Then on to the next one---Ideas SR-71:  https://ideas.lego.com/projects/a0a7940a-e575-420f-ace5-2b7bd3d962c7

I figure being in NASA's scheme, used for research, and even when the USAF had it, it only ever carried cameras, it may "slip past" LEGO's unofficial "no war machines" rule.  

Is the no war machine rule still a thing? Because like, Star Destroyer, Death Star, Helicarrier, etc, etc...

[Chronocidal]

For the most part, they've drawn the line at fantasy/science fiction war machines, but lately they're sneaking some more realistic jets under the radar, under the guise of being aerobatics aircraft, or racers, or whatever.  One of the recent Creator sets is basically an F-35 in civilian markings, and one of the Technics sets lets you build a motorized VTOL jet based on the JSF too.

On the other hand though, there is a precedent for making official sets of historic fighter aircraft.  We've had both the Sopwith Camel and Fokker Dr.I, and one of the Indiana Jones sets basically let you build a minifig-scale BF-109. 

One of the current Ideas designs up for review is a Red Arrows BAE Hawk, so I'm anxious to see if that one makes the cut.  If so, I can see a slew of stuff like Thunderbirds F-16s and Blue Angels F-18s getting submitted.

As sad as it is to say though, I think the Saturn V has kind of inflated expectations of the Ideas process.. yeah, it's nice to have the Saturn V, but now people are submitting ideas left and right for similarly scaled rockets of all types, launch platforms, crawlers, etc... and people are setting themselves up for disappointment.  Their stated guidelines about submissions really don't allow for people to make entire series of sets that go together, and as nice as it would be to get the Saturn V launch pad, I think the chances are almost nil that LEGO will ever approve something like that.

 

 

[wm cheng]

I hope that's not true as I really want a launch pad and crawler to go along with the Saturn V!!!

It's amazing how much better Lego improved on the original ideas submission - interesting to go back through their updates.

[Scyla]

OMG I'm gonna die if this comes true:

 

I need to safe up for October. Thankfully the PE SDF-1 is due in April 18 and not November.

[Chronocidal]

Hah.. looks like the ESB version instead of ANH then?

Yeah, I'm going to have to order this if it exists.  Just the variety of parts is something I can't pass up getting, even if I never actually build the base set.  

[Scyla]

So how does ordering a set like this? I never ordered something that before. I assume it will be in high demand looking at the aftermarket prices of the first one.

Is there a possibility that it will sell out in an instance and never comes back in stock loke some of the Macross Valkyries?

Can I go to a Lego store and preordering a set?

I don't want ti miss this one since I passed on the old Falcon.

[Chronocidal]

The initial demand will probably be through the roof, but for comparison?  I got my original UCS Falcon on clearance, at like $100 off from the LEGO main online shop. 

The Ideas sets are more limited, but this will be a fairly long term general release by comparison, and should be available for a while, through multiple retailers.

[mog_kupo]

 

[Chronocidal]

And there goes $800 of my paycheck this fall.  Good thing the premium SDF-1 isn't until next spring.

I'm really liking how the Saturn V set seems to have set a new standard for how to make big round sections, because the whole cockpit on this one looks amazing.  Also, glad to see they went with the best of both trilogies, making it an optional ESB/TFA version, and having an actual interior for the ship this time.  Makes me think it might actually be somewhat swooshable, and not so much a stationary model.

[wm cheng]

YES!!!  I have been kicking myself for passing up the $500 set as being too expensive, now $900cdn doesn't seem so much - argh!!!  It does look amazing, hope I get an order in to get it by Christmas - I think it might be a hard one to get at the beginning at least till the New Year with the Last Jedi coming out in December.

[M'Kyuun]

11 hours ago, Scyla said:

So how does ordering a set like this? I never ordered something that before. I assume it will be in high demand looking at the aftermarket prices of the first one.

Is there a possibility that it will sell out in an instance and never comes back in stock loke some of the Macross Valkyries?

Can I go to a Lego store and preordering a set?

I don't want ti miss this one since I passed on the old Falcon.

Just about every retailer out there will have this available, both brick & mortar stores and online. Retailers like Walmart and Target usually don't carry the larger sets like this in store, but still have them available online. As Chronocidal stated, initial demand for this is going to be extraordinarily high, but after the first month of release, fervor will start to fade, and it should be more easily obtained. LEGO are well aware of the popularity and demand for this set, so I wouldn't fret, as it'll likely be produced over the next couple of years, at least. 

My own enthusiasm was lukewarm, initially, as I own the original. However, I just watched the Designer vid and the improvements made over the original are quite significant. I'm gonna have to get one. Fortunately, I'm in the LEGO VIP program with about $300 saved up for just such an occasion. $800 is crazy money to spend on a toy.

While it's already a really impressive model, I'll be truly impressed if they designed those gear to retract.  The one disappointment I sense already, based upon the tunnel stickers, is that once again, as with all previous MF models, the tunnel leading from the main body to the flight deck will be blocked. I was expecting that to be a feature of this model, but doesn't look like it. Nice new cockpit canopy- at that size, I wonder what other usages they'll find for it.