Aeroeza

I've just read the good Doctor's superb review of this set and am left flabbergasted! I initially thought this UCS was looking pretty darn good... But now I'm hyperventilating with excitement!!! I'm even thrilled about the minifigs (which is a first for me). Dammit Boba looks cool! In fact I'm so dangerously overexcited that I'm going to express exactly the same sentiments regarding this set again... Wow!! Just passed out. (...and Boba still looks really cooool)

I can't say I'm convinced by the UCS Falcon rumour. The link I read suggests they are reiterating more of the 'wishful thinkers' out there than concrete sources... But as for the UCS Tie? Wow! Now that seems to have a ring of truth to it and about time too! 14 years is a long wait for this icon to get the UCS treatment. Its price tag suggests a higher number of bricks and therefore different build techniques than those established by 7181. This I can't wait to see!! :D

I pray to the Bricklords you're right. But, if a decent UCS AT-AT is just too risky a commercial product for TLG maybe they could simply make a limited edition parts pack based on Cavegod's instructions for the die-hard fans. No pretty box, no instructions, no need to develop a product, just send out lots of bricks! A seductively cheap no brainer solution which would avoid much Bricklinking agony and additional shipping costs. ...and of course prove to be a little financial boost for CG's efforts!! But I dream an unreasonable dream and think too far outside the proverbial marketing box I fear... A Slave 1 UCS is an interesting prospect. However, without a dedicated cockpit mould I suspect I might be disappointed. It's a tough gig of a design to depict with the brick but if they can pull it off and be sufficiently different to what's been tried before then it has the potential to be an absolute classic...

Bang on Anio! Love it. Really pushes on from what Speeder Bike builds have come before. Great piece count at 1700 makes it a realistic commercial prospect for Lego...

Dude you've picked a tough one! The top looks great but the profile isn't quite as slick- the nose troubles me ( it's too sudden a change in angle) but I guess Lego has limitations especially when used to capture art deco curves on a starship!! I'm also a little more fond of the greyscale image you posted than of the final mix of colours you currently have on the model (bring on those sepia toned bricks I say)... That being said I've not seen a better Rebel Transporter in Lego (and not likely to I suspect) so this is one hell of a WIP CG!!

One variable might be to actually build this ship so as it hangs off its own stand and is in fact built around it i.e. the core of the spine is the stand! The spine protrudes through the nose and engineering section (or even the front fin instead of the nose) a wee bit before attaching to a leg on either end (or just at the engine section and under the front fin). It's an extremely sturdy result and no doubt a radical and unnecessary redesign for this beauty but probably a realistic solution for Lego if ever they released the Medical Frigate as a UCS... ... and it's almost (not really )cat proof!

Holy cow!! I don't even need to squint to mistake this for the studio model. This is up there with Marshall Banana and Cavegod's work. Well done sir I am in total awe!!!

Well said.

Worst AT AT ever!!! Doesn't look anything like the original and lacks Princess Leia's hair accessories. You know you're terrible at modding Mortsev. Post your 10246 to me now so as I can fix it over the next 12 months and send it back to you in time for next April...

I've always loved how Lego can push a good sculpt!! Throw a Star Wars ship into the mix and I'm a sucker. I think I've got one more UCS than Mortsev (and if I didn't I'd say I did anyway - AT AT doesn't count ). Big toys for big boys and space be dammed...

Completely correct!

Thanks for that! It's great to hear of insights such as this and it speaks to the obvious quality of the build. I've also researched this sucker to the same degree for a 3D project. Any 'accurate' rendition of an X-Wing could conceivably be based from several different models, in several different scales, and from several different films. Remember the original 'ships' were both 'scratch built' and hand crafted before a mold was made. Some versions even have different engines installed within the s-foils (most have F-16 engine housings which are again repeated for the four externally mounted thrusters). This is a beautiful rendition in Lego. I'm stunned at how well the rear fuselage has been depicted (there are a hell of a lot of angles to consider here) and happy to see an S-foil mechanism which closely tallies with the studio model's. The cargo bay is well conceived and the nose is pretty good, especially from a front/top elevation. R2 is not that far off in scale either and has been well integrated (Jezz guys! R2 isn't even to scale with other minifigs! ). There's also some nice detailing and greebling to top everything off! My only accuracy beef to date is that the thrusters should be offset from the deflector housings a bit but that would likely lead to a pretty flimsy build. I'm also peeved the cockpit canopy hasn't been printed but given this is likely a unique piece then I'm not surprised at the omission. The wings look a little off when closed but I have seen an image online where they look better than in the promotional shots so the jury is out on that one for me. Besides 7191 also sits better with the S-foils locked open- Lego has its limits!!! This is a top model! As the proud owner of 7191 I can see that 10240 is a significant revisit to a classic and much loved build for which a hell of a lot of research has gone into. I'm not keen that this release be a new trend for UCS' but I can appreciate why, of all them this one would be (and for many collectors 'should be') re-imagined after 20 releases and 13 years of collecting...

It's a significant improvement to the fantastic original. Congratulations to those who missed out on 7191 first time round! Oddly enough I pulled out the old one a few days ago and noticed its white pieces were beginning to yellow. "Dang!" I thought, "Now I need a new one..." Jez Lego! You needn't have taken me so literally!!! ... and if you are now prone to fulfilling all my idle whims then... UCS Tie please!

19000's is the highest I've ever noticed. I've been curious about the whole '1st production run' promotion of 10179. I've not come across any 'official' announcement that it was ever limited to the first 10,000 sets. Instead, that figure in general seems to be a self-perpetuating rumor amongst AFOL. My own set is numbered 12,189 but I'm also (as a collector) rather keen to know just how many 1st edition sets there are. I'm thinking that figure is reaching 20,000 +

Dude! Your calanders have so much become a part of my festive season! You rock!

It pauses!!!

It begins!!!

I'm just not convinced by the accuracy of your new colour scheme! But the rest looks great!!

A light grey 1x2 plate placed centrally in front of the canopy does the job nicely and unobtrusively!

A tale of woe!!! I feel for thee...

I'm enjoying the technic approach! I'd certainly collect models like this if Lego were ever to release them with such accomplished detailing. Very much to the same dimensions as the old Kenner toy...

Damn I am so looking forward to seeing this develop!! Ambitious stuff!!!

This is awesome stuff Bob! I'm lurking with appreciative anticipation!!!

We have a winner!!

Absolutely agree! But research is the mother of industry and allows the practioner to make informed choices... Looks to me as though the camera is mounted on a dolly and crane arm. It's no 3D render and so the movement is not particularly smooth. Certainly there is change in perspective (there's no zoom) and there's no gift for you in terms of a turntable. Instead you have a dolly in and to the right as the camera pans left. It does offer you a number of continuous points to track although the front tip of the Executor's hull fall's out of shot as well as the tip of the stern. You do get both wing tips and and the port tip of the stern visible throughout the sequence. There's also a good dark patch available at the front port cityscape section. The rest of the city is mixed shades of grey tones 'popping' alot but if I were to use the footage for matchmoving with my software I could get away with it. I'm not sure how successful you might be using this footage but it is the best available of the model. I might be able to rip it in a few weeks but right now my workstation (and blue-ray drive) is being packed away for a long dreaded house move ... Sorry! What about you Cavegod?