This is a Sikorsky HH-53C Pave Low ‘Super Jolly Green Giant’ helicopter, here shown in search and rescue configuration and, um…. not green.
But it is excellent, having been recreated beautifully by Flickr’s bigwilly2492, with bespoke decals and an opening ramp adding to the realism. There’s more to see at 2492’s ‘HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant’ album and you take to the skies via the link above.
An estimated 100 million sharks are killed by humans every single year. That’s three sharks a second. Three quarters of these are due to the shark fin trade for the Chinese market (who seem to be the world leaders in animal cruelty), where the fins are cut off the live shark and the rest discarded back into the ocean. And if that sounds horrible, it’s because it is.
The remainder are mostly accidental catches from fishing, but fishing can of course be done right. Cue NikiFilik‘s lovely cartoon-esque fishing boat vignette, with one of the most gorgeous brick-built hulls we’ve seen in ages – just look at that line of studs! Niki’s boat has caught one shark, and if it’s all being eaten we’re totally cool with that.
Fish responsibly at Niki’s photostream via the link above, or click here to learn more about how we can protect or oceans.
Revealed here earlier in the year, LEGO’s 42213 Technic Ford Bronco brings the blue oval’s newest, but retro-est, 4×4 to bedroom floors everywhere. It also provides just under a thousand pieces for B-Model building, with previous bloggee damianPLE doing just that, by turning his Bronco into this excellent Technic off-road dump truck.
Like the set on which it’s based, Damian’s alternate includes working suspension, ‘HOG’ steering, and a V6 engine under an opening hood, whilst adding a manually operable tipper too. Building instructions are available and you can find all the images, plus that instructional link, at Bricksafe and Eurobricks respectively. Dump your horse via the links above!
2025 is the year that Christian Horner finally departed Red Bull after managing the team through two decades, six World Championships, and a few compromising Whats App messages…
He is in fact the only Team Principal that Red Bull Racing have ever had, having led the team from its formation in 2005 right up until the pictures of his horndog he rather stupidly sent caught up with him.
The team continues on however, and their RB21 is still able to win races (at least in the hands of one of its drivers), despite the loss of another titan of the team, designer Adrian Newey (although his departure wasn’t due to sending inappropriate pictures of his wang to female staff).
Cue Y Akimeshi‘s excellent brick-built recreation of the Red Bull RB21, pictured within a street circuit vignette featuring some superb ‘Pirelli’ lettering. There’s more of the build to see on Flickr and you can send some compromising What App messages and undo a twenty year legacy via the link above.
Snigger. And for once it’s not us being childish! We have Steven Spielberg to thank for the silliness, and his 1980s cinematic masterpiece ‘The Goonies’, in which a group of children set off in search of lost treasure to save their homes from demolition.
Captained by One Eyed Willy, ‘The Inferno’ lay at the end of a booby-trapped labyrinth, floating inside a cavern, and filled with loot.
Inspired by the movie, Stefan Eeckman (aka sebeus) has constructed this stupendous homage to One Eyed Willy’s vessel, with galleries, gun ports, rigging, and a marvellous nougat-coloured hull.
There’s more to see of ‘The Inferno’ at Stefan’s Flickr album of the same name, and you can grab your treasure map, dodge the falling boulders, pit of spikes, and collapsing bone-organ floor in search of pirate treasure via the link above.
Keko007 does. Well, his excellent DAF XF 530 Superspace and Willig Sanz Tunker trailer could actually be transporting one of any number of liquids, but it looks pretty milky to us. Pour it on your cereal at Keko’s photostream via the link above, although TLCB cannot be held responsible if it turns out to be industrial cleaner.
Sometimes it’s all about the shot. Photographed by Erik Frobom and built by Michael Willhoit this fantastic image captures a delightfully overloaded classic truck under an archway in ‘Medina Al Musawrah’, an enormous multi-maker collaborative display constructed for the Brickfair VA show.
A huge array of vehicles and buildings comprise the complete build, including the beautiful scene below, and you can take wander through the streets of ‘Al Musawrah’ at Michael’s Flickr album via the link above.
This TLCB Writer does not ride a motorbike. Because he is banned from doing so by his wife. Fortunately however, he can live out his motorcycling fantasies in Lego form courtesy of previous bloggee Lipko, and this tremendous 1:5 scale Technic superbike.
With working steering, suspension, V4 engine, 3-speed sequential gearbox, and spring-loaded handles/levers, Lipko’s incredible creation functions as good at it looks, and you can take a closer look at this spectacular model at the Eurobricks forum via the link above. Even if your wife has banned you from the real thing.
LEGO are doing a fine turn in recreating movie cars. The 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine set captures possibly the most famous movie car of all time in brick form. The 42210 Technic ‘2 Fast 2 Furious’ Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)… um, does not. But what if you could turn it into that most iconic of film icons? Well now thanks to Dyens Creations you can!
Built entirely from the parts of 42210, Dyen’s DeLorean includes working gull wing doors, detailed time-travelling modifications, and the pivoting wheels from ‘Back to the Future’s third instalment to convert the model to flying mode.
It also cleverly hides 42210’s stickers so you don’t need to peel them off, and you can see more of Dyens’ delightful DeLorean – including a link to building instructions – at both Eurobricks and Flickr. Build your ‘Back to the Future’ B-Model via the links above!
It’s been remarkably peaceful of late here at TLCB Towers. Elves have been finding creations, earning meal tokens, and barely inflicting extreme violence on one another at all. Which of course had to end at some point.
Cue this mighty Technic dune buggy by gyenesvi, which thundered into the office today, a jubilant Elf at the controls, and immediately flattened as many of our mythical workers as it could. Which with planetary hubs, remote control all-wheel drive courtesy of four third-party BuWizz motors, and monster suspension, was quite a lot.
Fortunately gyensvi’s buggy also has flaw in that after a particularly hard landing the steering can pop-out, which meant proceedings were halted when the Elf at the controls did indeed lose the ability to steer and crashed it forcefully into a potted plant before running away cackling maniacally.
There is still considerable cleaning up to do though, so whilst we administer some elven first-aid/disposal you can check out gyenesvi’s buggy at the Eurobricks forum (where a video and full details – including its steering shortcoming – can be found) plus you can find the complete image gallery on Bricksafe here.
Yes we know we’re a car blog, but who doesn’t like whimsical beep-boop robots! This one is battling for the moon according to its maker, and you can see more of this primary-coloured contraption courtesy of Shannon Sproule via the link above!
If aliens wanted to snoop about unnoticed, we’re pretty sure they could do so with no problem whatsoever on public transport. Because despite the wealth of interesting sights on display, every single person on the train, bus, or tram will be staring solely at the 4-inch glass screen in their hand. Cue Jonah Schultz‘s marvellous railway platform scene, which includes an unusual visitor going completely unseen in a crowd of commuting mini-figures. Take a closer look at Jonah’s photostream via the link above… unless you’re reading this on public transport, in which case save it for later, put your phone down, and take a look around you. Who knows what you’ll see.
It’s 1969, career criminal Charlie Croker is out of prison, and he’s just learned that his friend has been murdered by the mafia whilst planning a $4 million gold heist. Charlie decides to continue the job left by his departed fellow thief, breaking back into prison to enlist the help of crime lord Mr. Bridger before heading to Italy with a convoy of fast cars, a converted coach, a minibus, a Land Rover, and three Mini Coopers.
What follows is the greatest movie car chase of them all, with the definitive cliff-hanger ending, and the vehicles from which Flickr’s FifthPixel has recreated brilliantly in brick!
His adapted Bedford VAL Harrington Legionnaire coach, Land Rover Series 2A Safari, and – the target of the whole operation – OM Furganato Sicurezza Bullion van beautifully encapsulate the period motors from the movie, plus he’s constructed the Ford Thames 400E minibus, Alfa Romeo Guilia police cars, and construction machinery used by the mafia to dispatch their foes too.
You can find FifthPixel’s entire ‘The Italian Job’ vehicular cast at their photostream; take a look via the link above plus you can click here for a few snippets from the film’s wonderful chase sequence.
Fought in 1986-’87, the ‘Toyota War’ was the last phase of the nine-year-long Chadian-Libyan War, which ended in defeat for Libya and Colonel Gaddafi (who started it by invading Chad) and the return of Chad’s seized territory.
It’s also possibly the only war named after the make of the pick-up trucks that primary fought it, with Toyota’s Land Cruiser 70-Series used prolifically on both sides, and – in Chadian hands – fitted with their French ally’s anti-tank missile launchers.
Of course countless wars since have been fought from the back of Toyotas, with the company’s trucks being the first choice of militias, terrorist groups, and legitimate armies, plus the UN and NGOs who try to piece broken communities back together again afterwards. In fact Toyota take this depressing usage so seriously in some markets they removed the ‘TOYOTA’ lettering from the back of their pick-ups to avoid the link with the conflicts in which they were so heavily used.
These two excellent 70-Series Land Cruisers from any one of the wars in which they so often feature come from TLCB debutant ORRANGE., who has photographed his models against a suitably deserty backdrop which we’re so familiar with seeing on the news.
A closer look is available at ORRANGE.’s photostream and you can head to a sad and usually pointless conflict somewhere in Africa or the Middle East via the link in the text above.
It’s time for a heart-warming vignette. It’s 1950s America, and the three well-dressed fellows have arranged a surprise birthday party for their compatriot, driving him to the secret location in the back of their pick-up truck. They’ve even thoughtfully covered his eyes so his surprise isn’t spoiled! We’re sure he’s going to enjoy it and you can join the fun courtesy of Roman Shemis of Flickr, where there’ll definitely be balloons and cake.