Tag Archives: Aircraft

Chain Plane

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This strange looking creation is the product of no fewer than seven builders. Published by Flickr’s [Intense Potato], the ‘Beluga Gunship’ was formed via a digital file being passed from one builder to the next after 48 hours, with each adding what they liked to the design in their allotted time. Which means that this creation may have started life as a 1982 Morris Ital, an 18th century battleship, or a small dog, but whatever its beginning it’s turned out rather well. You can see more of this virtual oddity, and discover the chain of builders that formed it, at Potato’s photostream. Click the link above to pull the chain.

Stealth Bomber

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This is the Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit, otherwise known as the ‘Stealth Bomber’. In service since 1997 and designed to be invisible to radar, the B-2 is the only known stealth bomber capable of carrying nuclear bombs, which means it’s probably a good thing there are only twenty-one of them.

Well, twenty-two today, courtesy of previous bloggee Kenneth Vaessen. Constructed a decade ago but only recently photographed, Kenneth’s spectacular 1:36 scale B-2A Spirit is built from around 12,000 pieces, with working bomb bay hatches, flaps and landing gear doors, a folding crew entrance, refuelling receptacle, and a wing-span of nearly five feet (146cm).

It’s a jaw-dropping replica of one of the world’s most recognisable (and feared) aircraft, with more superb imagery available to see at Kenneth’s ‘LEGO Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit 1:36’ album. Click the link above to be spirited there for a stealthy closer look.

Bird of Prey

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Military marketeers get to use the coolest names (unless they’re Soviet of course, when it’s just a collection of letters), including Lightning, Storm Shadow, Typhoon, Tomahawk, and – as with today’s creation – Raptor.

Named after a pointy-beaked, pointy-footed bird, the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor supersonic stealth fighter is used only by the Unites States, with just under 200 units currently in operation.

This spectacular brick-built version of the F-22A single-seat variant comes from Flickr’s Kenneth Vaessen, and includes an opening cockpit canopy, working landing gear, and opening bomb-bay doors, alongside some simply superb shaping.

A gallery of half-a-dozen excellent images is available to view and you can wing your way there via the link above.

Aetherium Arcana

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TLCB is way out of its depth today. This is the ‘Aetherium Arcana’, a floating mechanical marvel filled with curiosities and ingenuity, and about which we know nothing…

We are absolutely not the Lego site to do Jesse Gros (aka Westside Lego Daddy)’s spectacular ship amongst the clouds justice, but before his astounding creation appears on the sites that can, here’s a chance for a closer look at this incredible floating whimsy.

Decking Vietnam

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This is a Vought F-8E Crusader II, one of the first supersonic carrier-based fighters, and it flew from the decks of U.S aircraft carriers from the late-‘50s right up until the mid-‘70s. Which of course meant it served in the Vietnam War, where it earned the nickname ‘MiG Killer’ because it, well… killed MiGs, with an astonishing 19:3 kill ratio.

This exceptional brick-built replica of the F-8E is the work of Flickr’s Juliusz D., and includes working landing gear, the Crusader’s trick variable incidence and folding wings, an opening cockpit, a deployable air-brake, functioning flaps, a full compliment of missiles and bombs, and phenomenally accurate period-correct markings.

It’s one of the finest Lego fighters we’ve ever featured, and you can take flight from a carrier deck somewhere in the South China Sea in 1967 via the link above.

Jolly Green Giant

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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.

Not a Jaguar

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TLCB does not know much about Star Wars. 1970s British saloons yes, space battles between Jedis and an imperial galactic empire… not so much. Which is why if you said ‘XJ6′ to us we’d think of a classic luxury car rather than a vehicle from George Lucas’ famous movie franchise.

Unfortunately for TLCB Team, this ‘XJ6’ is not a Sir William Lyons-designed British sedan, but an Airspeeder from ‘Star Wars; Attack of the Clones’. However Swan Dutchman‘s replica of the ‘XJ-6 Airspeeder’ is nevertheless a stunning build, deploying some fantastic techniques to recreate the aircraft’s complex surfacing seen in the film.

There’s more of Swan’s ‘XJ-6’ to see on Flickr and you can head to, um… wherever it is that Airpseeders are via the link above. We’re better with cars…

French Fighter

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Despite this site’s home nation mocking the French military for some eighty years, it is in fact one of the most formidable in the world. This is one of the reasons why, the Dassault Rafale fighter.

In operation since the turn of the millennium, the Rafale remains one of the most advanced fighters in the world, capable of air supremacy, ground strike, ship strike, and carrying France’s nuclear deterrent.

Entirely engineered and constructed in France, around three-hundred Rafales have been produced to date, operating across nine air forces. This one comes from previous bloggee John C. Lamarck, and as well as being superbly detailed includes an opening cockpit, adjustable canards, accurate landing gear, and an array of armaments.

There’s more of the model to see at John’s ‘Rafale’ album on Flickr, and you can fly there via the link above.

Flight of the Camel

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The First World War was pretty pointless, but it did hasten aircraft technology at a rate so astonishing we’re unlikely to see any sector advance so quickly ever again. At least until AI becomes sentient, and then we’re all doomed anyway.

One of the products borne out of this intense pace of development was this, the British Sopwith Camel. Entering service in June 1917, the Camel was the peak of fighter aircraft technology. Powered by a hefty radial engine, armed with twin synchronised machine guns, and with 90% of its weight in its first two meters imbuing it with incredible agility, the Camel scored numerous kills… Until the middle of 1918, when it was obsolete.

This lovely brick-built Camel comes from Thinh Thi, who’s recreated and presented the (briefly) dominant World War 1 fighter superbly, complete with posable ailerons, ‘wire’ wing bracing, and an appropriately attired mini-figure.

There’s more of the model to see at Thinh’s ‘Sopwith Camel’ album, and you can claim air superiority in 1917, or air mediocrity in 1918, via the link above.

Rainbow Skies

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Rainbow flags are so hot right now. But before they were adopted by corporations to sell more stuff, um… we mean be more inclusive, they were a regular sight floating gently above us every summer. Hot air balloons love a rainbow envelope, and this one looks like every balloon we remember seeing as a child on warm summer days. Beautifully created by Flickr’s Tong Xin Jung you can soar into the skies in a wicker basket under a rainbow via the link above.

LEGO Icons 10360 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft | Set Preview

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Does anyone remember the LEGO 6544 Space Shuttle Piggy-Back Plane from the 1995 Town range? No – just us? Well here’s a really big version! Which is itself a really small version of the real-life NASA Space Shuttle transport. This is the brand new LEGO Icons 10360 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft!

Constructed from over 2,400 pieces, 10360 measures over 60cm long and recreates both NASA’s remarkable modified Boeing 747, and the Space Shuttle Enterprise it carried. Although interestingly considering LEGO’s penchant for ever longer set titles, 10360 mentions neither by name.

Although definitely aimed as an adult display piece (see the black box and 18+ target age), 10360 still includes eighteen wheel deployable landing gear, a working shuttle mounting system, opening shuttle cargo-bay doors, and detachable engines, and you’ll be able to get your hands on LEGO’s latest Icons aircraft set when it lands in stores for around £200 / $230 later this year.

Flight of the Pterosaur

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Uh oh. Sci-Fi. The genre about which we know nothing. Fortunately the creator of this spellbinding ‘Pterosaur Ship’, which to us looks like the beautiful combination of a bat and a dying butterfly, has bequeathed it with a description; “Just an average guy traversing planets in a spaceship to share inter-galactic news with the local crocodile-riding tribes.”

Well that clears that up. There’s more to see of this bewitching build courtesy of Oliver Barrell, and you can traverse the planets with an average guy, sharing inter-galactic news with the local crocodile-riding tribes via Oliver’s ‘Pterosaur Ship album at the link above.

Schneider Trophy

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Just a decade on from the aeroplane’s invention and there were already international races occurring. One of the most famous was the Schneider Trophy, in which teams from across Europe sent their finest flying inventions to race a course to glory.

Racing ceased in 1914 due to an international disagreement, but returned again in 1919, when said dispute had been mostly-kinda-not-really-resolved. The aforementioned wrangle had continued to dramatically further the development of the aeroplane though, so that was nice.

Cue these two superb brick-built entrants into the Schneider Trophy, as constructed by TLCB debutant Hod Carrier of Flickr. Above is the Sopwith Tabloid, Britain’s valiant entry into the 1913 Monaco event, whilst below is the remarkable Italian Savoia S-21 floatplane, which went on to be flown by a cartoon pig for some reason.

Each recreates its real-world counterpart beautifully in miniature, and there’s more to see of both aircraft, plus other Schneider Trophy entrants in both digital and real-brick forms, at Hod Carrier’s album of the same name. Click here to race through the skies above a European sea over a century ago!

Passing Wind

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Passing wind never smelt so good. Elven* adventurers Eol Skydiver and Kaledor Tesliar are traversing the atmospheric circulation in their magicanical botanical airship. We know not how it works, not where they’re going, but we’re delighted to float alongside them. Dwarlin Forkbeard is the director of this aeronautical adventure and you can join him, Eol and Kaledor via the link above.

*TLCB Elves must be a different sort. Their wind makes your eyes hurt.

1917

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Nowhere has the pace of development through conflict been faster than in early aeronautics.

Less than a decade-and-a-half after the first ever powered flight – in which the Wright Brothers climbed 10ft into the air and travelled 120ft at 6.8mph – pilots could climb to 19,000ft and fly for 300 miles at well over 100mph. At least, you could if you were piloting a Sopwith F.1 Camel.

In service from 1917, the Camel scored more enemy kills than any other Allied aircraft during the Great War, and was a formidable fighter in both dog-fights and ground attacks. Until a year later, when it was obsolete.

Today just eight Sopwith Camels survive, but you can take a closer at this one courtesy of Flickr’s _Tiler, who has recreated the famous First World War fighter beautifully in brick-form, and presented it rather nicely too.

Head into the skies over France in 1917’s top fighter aircraft via the link above.