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MOC of the Week: “Colonizer” Blimp by Pierre E Fieschi

Here is my pick for MOC of the Week:

“Colonizer” Blimp by Pierre E Fieschi

As you can see this baby has got some great detail. It has a strong design with a white and orange color scheme. This is getting a lot of attention and for good reason. I also picked it because I am a strong believer that humanity should actively pursue colonizing other planets. I think that would be a much better economic driving force than war and it would help safeguard the future of our species. I know that’s deep but what can I say? I get emotional about the future of us kind. hehe

Let me know what you think of Pierre’s work in the comment section. Also let us know if you have found a great MOC you’d like to nominate for a future post.

-Daniel

Lego Set 8098- Clone Turbo Tank from Star Wars: The Clone Wars

You may need to blow a whole birthday or holiday wish to get this bad boy, but I think it’d be worth it. I’m talking about…The Clone Turbo Tank!

Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars Set# 8098 Clone Turbo Tank $119.99 – 1141 pieces
This set is just released this July 2010 and is showing up now in ToysRus and other stores.

Here’s an overview of everything this set comes with. It consists of 1,141 pieces total, which includes the A6 Juggernaut: Clone Turbo Tank (CTT), as well as a small Scout Walker, a weapons pod, removable command center and six minifigures!

Some of the Tank’s best features are flick-fire missiles and plenty of troop seating in each of the two dual cockpits. It also has a top mounted handle that really helps move the thing around.

But the coolest thing by far about this tank is the wheels. It comes with ten wheels and they are different from the older version of this tank (that was set#7261). You can see a comparison of the old and new wheels here. The new wheels look more accurate than the old ones but they still lack that line across the center of the hubcap. That would have been a nice addition so that you can see the wheels rotate better. You can always add that with a few smooth plates from your collection though.

All of the axles have the ability to pivot up and down, and the center axle on each side has independent suspension. They use spring elements to keep the wheels flat when on a flat surface and then pivot up and down over rough terrain. Here is what the spring suspension looks like.

There are a lot of compartments with opening doors or panels that you can hide minfigs, weapons or gear in. Each of the two cockpit roofs can be opened to reveal control rooms with clone trooper seating. There are also several headlights, but they don’t really light up. Lego needs to make it easier and cheaper to add working lights to its sets.

Quit showing off Ahsoka! hehe.

Both sides of the main compartment open and fold down to form ramps for troop deployment.

The tank is well armed with several moveable laser cannons such as this manned gun (seen with the top hatch opened) and the ones in front. Also included in the set is a small removable weapons module that can hold two Blaster Rifles and two Blaster Pistols. Plus the tank has a few flick-fire missile launchers. Take that General Grievous! lol

The Scout Walker that comes with it is kinda cute. It is made with pieces designed to be compact so it will fit into the tank’s troop bay. The walker features a seat and controls for one trooper, it’s legs are posable of course and it has a front mounted laser cannon.

The small Command Center included with the set is basically a couple of seats and some computer screens. I guess it’s a nice addition but I think they could have added another mini vehicle or a small enemy vehicle instead. That would have added a lot to the set’s value and even its playability. You can store the command center in the inner compartment.

Now on to our favorite part of any Lego set, the Minifigs! The Clone Turbo Tank included six minifigures including Anakin Skywalker, one Clone Trooper, one Clone Commander, Cad Bane, Ahsoka Tano, and Aayla Secura.

The rarest minifig is Aayla Secura. The others can be found in different sets. Cad Bane is a little different in this set cuz he has a bigger hat and the breathing tubes on his neck.

Overall this set has some great features like the new wheels and pivoting axles which work well and look great in action. No doubt this set also has a lot of playability with tons of compartments, missles and minifigs. But for collectors and display purposes I think this vehicle design is kind of plain and boxy looking. It’s accurate to the tank as seen in the show and from the films, but I admit I much prefer the look of the AT-TE walker. As for building your collection of bricks, this set includes a lot of gray colored plates. Those are always a welcome addition especially if you like building space ships and vehicles. So bottom line it’s definitely a fun addition to this latest wave of Clone Wars sets!

-Daniel

Shop for Lego Star Wars sets here!

Lego Shuttle Adventure Set 10213

Lego Space Shuttle Adventure 10213

“Blast off on an outer space mission!” That’s the tag line for this new Lego space shuttle set called Shuttle Adventure #10213 coming 30 June 2010. I must say I was glad Lego has this shuttle coming out now especially since here in the US they are pretty much scrapping our NASA Space Shuttle program. This set is a nice way to commemorate the historic space shuttle.

Start the count down!

This set comes with 1204 pieces, 3 minifigs (1 male and 1 female astronaut and 1 crewman) and some nice looking accessories. The shuttle itself is a great design with lots of functionality.

Detachable booster rockets

the satellite of love?

The booster rockets are detachable and the cargo bay doors open revealing a robotic arm and beautiful looking satellite payload. The shuttle’s landing gear is retractable and it also comes with a tiny ground vehicle.

One of my only complaints about the look of this shuttle is that the nose of it seems kind of choppy. I am surprised that this would bother me especially since I usually prefer sets that “look” like they are made of Lego. It bothered me how some recently released airplanes were made up of mostly smooth special pieces that made them look like a plastic airplane toy and not a LEGO airplane. But with this shuttle I think a smoother nose would have looked better.

Maybe it’s because I really liked the older shuttle sets Lego released.

Lego Space Shuttle set 1682 from 1990

For example, take a look at my favorite Lego Space Shuttle set 1682 that came out in 1990. It uses a tapered slope on the nose of the shuttle that gives it a really clean look. But it’s still angular and there are studs showing on this model that remind you, “Hey I’m a Lego Shuttle dangit!”

Also, I’m glad that this set from 1990 came with a working crane and launch pad baseplate that made it easy to incorporate it into your existing Lego town.

One big mutha!

In defense of the new choppy-looking shuttle set, it is a lot larger than the previous Lego sets of space shuttles. The new Shuttle Adventure 10213 Stands 17.5″ (44cm) tall and has a 10″ (25.5cm) wing span. That’s pretty big! It also looks much more realistic and has more features crammed in it. So I am a fan.

Even for the $99.99 price point I think Shuttle Adventure is a great set to add to your collection. So go buy it baby, cuz I always say every Lego town needs its very own space program.

Here are some of the other past Lego space shuttle sets for comparison and nostalgia. You can still find them on bricklink occasionally.