Holiday Heroes

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We’re back! After a few days of being shut in their cages, TLCB Elves have been released back onto the internet to hunt down the best Lego vehicles that the community has to offer. It hasn’t taken long for the first of our smelly little workers to return, motivated by the promise of a meal token and the possibility of a Smartie.

Our first post-Christmas creation is this, a rather wonderful H145M Swiss Air-Rescue helicopter built as a commission by Jonah Padberg aka Plane Bricks, and it’s a fabulous reminder that whilst we were off for Christmas the heroes of the emergency services were still at work, putting out fires, calming board-game related domestic arguments, and – in this case – saving lives.

Jonah’s spectacular H145M is a joy to look at, bursting with brilliant building techniques and including a sliding side-opening door, an opening barn-door tail exit, and folding rotor blades. There’s much more to see at Jonah’s photostream on Flickr – click the link above to make the jump and remember those that were hard at work doing the most amazing jobs that anyone can do whilst we were eating turkey.

It’s Christmaaaas!

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It’s just two more sleeps ’til Christmas! TLCB Elves have been returned to their cages and the office is now empty, save for this writer, a stack of empty bottles from the Christmas Party awaiting recycling, and the lingering regrets that accompany them.

We’ll be back next week after several days getting drunk, er… we mean ‘spending precious time with loved ones’. Until then we wish you a very Merry Christmas, and to know the joy and love of a refugee born in occupied lands two thousand years ago.

TLCB Team

Santa-Charged

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We already know Father Christmas is a pretty cool dude. He owns an array of machinery (according to you lot), from hot rods to hover cars, and Supras to snowmobiles, and now it’s the turn of Santa’s sleigh to get an upgrade. Flickr’s tony bovkoon has given Saint Nick’s flying present distribution system a lot more attitude, courtesy of a side-piped Dodge Challenger! We’re not sure what the V8 behind those side pipes is for, seeing as there is no way for any of its power to get to the snow, but it sure looks cool. Head to Tony’s album on Flickr to take a look!

Back in the USSR*

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This is a BRDM-2, which might sound like something from your Mom’s internet browser history, but is in fact an amphibious armoured car built by the USSR between 1962 and 1989, and which is still in production in Poland today. Powered by a 140bhp GAZ V8 the BRDM-2 is capable of around 60mph on roads and a heady 6mph on water, when the engine drives a water-jet.

Like the MiG-29 we featured here earlier in the week the BRDM-2 was exported extensively, and is now in use on both sides of some conflicts, most recently between Russia and Ukraine.

This marvellous Technic recreation of one the Soviet Union’s most interesting vehicles was discovered by one of our Elves on Eurorbricks. Built by newcomer Danifill it packs in all the working functions of the real BRDM-2, besides the ability to float.

Two Power Functions XL motors deliver power to the four-wheel-drive system whilst an L motor drives the steering. All wheels are suspended, there are LED lights front and rear, and turret rotation is motorised too, with a third-party BuWizz bluetooth battery delivering eight times the power of LEGO’s own system plus bluetooth remote control.

There’s more to see of Danifill’s brilliant BRDM-2 build at the Eurobricks forum where you can also find a link to a video of the model in action. Click the link above to head back to the USSR.

*Today’s excellent title song.

Craning Trouble

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Hmm. An Elf was waving at this TLCB Writer today. This not an unusual event in itself, but the Elf in question was at eye level. TLCB Elves, for all their ability to squeeze under things, behind things and break into TLCB executive washroom and sauna, are not able climbers. This is a Good Thing, because it means we can leave stuff on our desks and it won’t get stolen or eaten. An Elf at eye level shatters this security.

Fortunately the aforementioned Elf was not there of its own volition. Instead, it had been placed there by one of its brethren at the controls of this; Dawid Szmandra’s amazing fully remote controlled Liebherr LTM 1070-4.2 mobile crane.

With drive, steering, stabilisation, boom elevation, extension and rotation all controllable remotely via LEGO’s Power Functions IR system, there is a lot going on. Luckily for us this meant that the Elf at the controls had got it wedged in a pot plant in the corridor before any more mischief could be completed and we’ve now got the model under our own authority.

It’s a properly excellent bit of kit too, not only working beautifully but looking superb as well. Dawid is releasing instructions for his model if you fancy a go yourself, and you can check out more of the build at Dawid’s Liebherr LTM 1070-4.2 Flickr album by clicking here and via the YouTube video below.

YouTube Video

 

MiGgy Christmas

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As we approach Christmas here’s a build totally unsuited to the season of love and joy. But it is properly excellent.

The Mikoyan MiG-29 entered service in 1982 as one of the most competent fighters in the world. Designed for air-to-air combat against American fighters during the Cold War, the MiG-29 quickly adapted to become a multi-role aircraft, including air-to-surface and naval operations. It was also widely exported to a range of scummy dictatorships, with Iran, Cuba, Myanmar, Bulgaria, North Korea, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Iraq, Romania, Syria, and Yugoslavia all making purchases*. The fall of the Soviet Union has also meant that Russia is now openly hostile to some of the current operators of the MiG-29, which is a little odd.

The MiG-29 is also still in production today, making it one of the most successful fighter designs in history. Flickr’s Lennart C (aka Everblack) has added another to Mikoyan’s impressive production numbers with his superb Lego recreation of the MiG-29, complete with armaments and ground equipment.

Lennart’s replica of the iconic fighter captures the design brilliantly, with a multitude of cunning building techniques deployed to do so. Several further (and excellent) images of Lennart’s creation are available to see how he’s done it, and you can do just that at his MiG-29 album on Flickr via the link in the text above.

*Many of these are no longer scummy dictatorships.

Flying Fruit

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Airlines never seem to offer fruit on board. Little packets of pretzels yes. Fruit no. Or nothing at all if you’re flying budget, although there will be a catalogue containing a $4,000 watch. No matter, because the aptly-named Big Planes of Flickr has some serious in-flight fruit for us today. This is the Northrop N-9M ‘Flying Wing’, it really did exist and it really did look like a giant banana.

The N-9M was an experimental aircraft constructed in the early 1940s to test the theory behind an ultra efficient single wing bomber design. Four planes were built, and they crashed a lot. The idea worked though, and a pair of Flying Wings three times the size of the N-9M were constructed to further test the design.

Unfortunately the design really needed computer control to keep it airborne, which was incredibly limited at the time, and the projects were shelved; all but one of the four N-9Ms  built were scrapped. The fourth was left to deteriorate, but following a funding campaign it returned to the air in 1993 after two decades of restoration work, touring airshows and events across America. Sadly it too crashed in April of this year, killing the pilot and destroying the last N-9M in existence.

Big Planes’ beautifully built mini-figure scale replica of the Northrop N-9M is now as close as you’re likely to get to seeing what this incredible aircraft was like, however the design direction continued and – once computers caught up with the ambition of Northrop’s 1940s engineers – a flying wing did finally take to the skies; the amazing Northrop-Grumman B-2 Spirit  ‘Stealth Bomber‘.

There’s more to see of Big Planes’ brilliant Northrop N-9M at his photostream on Flickr. Click the link above, open a little pack of pretzels, and enjoy the images.

Zupra

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Toyota’s new A90 Supra may be built from quite a lot of BMW, but it’s still one hell of a good car. And why shouldn’t it be? BMW sports cars tend to be rather good too. This beautiful blue recreation of the new straight-six sports car comes from TLCB Simon Przepiorka aka SP_LINEUP, and he’s made instructions available too. See more (and find the instructional link) at his photostream via the link above.

Bat Dozer

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In TLCB’s home nation it is illegal to disturb bats. We’re not sure why bats specifically, but nevertheless you can go to jail if you annoy them. The same applies if you eat a swan. We’re a weird nation.

Still, probably better that than this, which we expect Batman uses when he’s really pissed off. With styling from Batman’s, er… camper years, Alec Hole‘s jet-powered Bat Dozer looks just the vehicle for when the Dark Knight has had enough of nighttime noise and decides to clear the streets of drunken miscreants. Head to Alec’s photostream via the link above and give Batman a wide berth…

Ice Breaker

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Well this looks considerably more perilous than the tedious opening questions at a corporate team building away day. It’s the work of ExeSandbox of Flickr, who has created this marvellous ice breaking ship and Land Rover Defender scene which looks sure to end in the Defender’s occupants being very wet, very cold, and then very dead. Good thing it’s digital only. Pack your thermals and head out onto the ice via the link above to see all of the wonderful imagery.

Ein Mann Ging Mähen…

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Thanks to Google for what is no doubt a seamless translation of the well known nursery rhyme…

Whatever that title actually says, we do have a mower to share with you today, which will indeed allow one man to mow his meadow. It’s been affixed to a vintage German Eicher EKL 15 tractor as built (rather beautifully) by Flickr’s Damian Z aka Thietmaier.

Damian’s Eicher tractor is packed with lovely building techniques, including a fantastic set of mudguards, front drawbar steering, a wonderfully detailed engine and a side-mounted mower attachment constructed from many mini-figure hands.

There’s more to see of Damian’s brilliant build at his Eicher EKL 15 Flickr album; head to the meadow via the link in the text above.

We’re Trammin’, we’re Trammin’, and we hope you like Trammin’ too

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Because every day is a better with Bob Marley. Anyhoo, this lovely Town-scale tram comes from Łukasz Libuszewski of Flickr, and a thoroughly good job he’s done too. Hop on board via the link above.

8081-ish

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Some things are better left alone. Any forum on Mumsnet for example. The comments section of the Daily Mail website. Your Mom’s ‘Special Friends’ chest. However the LEGO Technic 8081 ‘Extreme Cruiser’ set is not one of them.

Reviewed here at The Lego Car Blog by reader Thirdwigg a few years ago, he noted that the 8081 set “taunts you to be creative. It screams at you to improve it; to make it better, and it gives you plenty of the space and a great structure to do so.” Which is handy because 8081 is… well, not particularly good.

Not so this version though. Taking his own advice, Thirdwigg as fully repurposed the decidedly average 8081 Extreme Cruiser set into this most excellent Land Rover Defender 110 style off-roader, complete with four-wheel-drive (which the original set didn’t have), a V8 engine (which the original set didn’t have either), working suspension and steering (which it did), and huge Fischertechnic tyres (which it definitely didn’t).

The result looks marvellous and there’s more to see of Thridwigg’s 8081-inspired 4×4 at both his Flickr photostream and the Eurobricks discussion forum (which, unlike Mumsnet, is forum which won’t leave you terrified for the future of humanity).

Whirl ‘n Wheel Again

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As 2019 draws to a close might have found our favourite model of the year so far! The 5590 ‘Wheel ‘n Whirl Super Truck’, thankfully called something far less silly in our home nation, was one of the three sets that launched the Model Team range almost thirty years ago.

Three models in one, 5590 included a cab-over truck, trailer, and helicopter, all of which were detailed beyond any other LEGO sets of the time. Things have moved on a bit since then though, and Flickr’s Havoc has brought the classic Model Team set bang up to date with his incredible reimagining of the original.

Built at a considerably larger scale, Havoc’s 5590 Redux packs in even more detail, becoming a Freightliner cab-over with a working V8 mounted under the tilting cab, a TV screen inside the sleeper area (playing the movie ‘Convoy’!), and even a to-scale box containing 5590 set sitting on the bench, whilst the helicopter also gets taken up a notch, now replicating a real life Bell 206 Jetranger.

Havoc’s stunning redux of one of LEGO’s most important sets is available to view in more detail at his photostream via the link above, where several high-quality images of each part of the build can be found. You can also check out our review of the brilliant original 5590 set that inspired Havoc’s build by visiting TLCB’s Review Library, where it and over a hundred other reviews can be found!

Cache of Classics

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We have a bumper haul for you today! These wonderful classic creations all come from previous bloggee Jonathan Elliott, who has turned his considerable talents to building a range of beautifully photographed and presented vehicles spanning four decades.

From a Fiat Abarth 1000TC (top) via a 1950s panel van (below), a gorgeous 1960s supercar (above), and finally a superb replica of the iconic 1980s Audi quattro (bottom), each has been created using a wide variety of brilliant building techniques and some stunning attention to detail.

There’s more to see of each of Jonathan’s builds featured here, plus a loads more 6-wide vehicles that form his ace back-catalogue, by visiting his photostream on Flickr. Click the link above to take a closer look at the Abarth, ’50s van, ’60s supercar and Audi quattro and much more besides.