Tag Archives: Military

Undefeated Champion of the World

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Longstanding readers of this smoking hole in the corner of the internet will know that we’re not overly patriotic towards the United States of America (see here, here, here, here, and here). Firstly this is because we aren’t American, but mostly it’s because blind patriotism is simply believing mass marketing.

Today however, we are very much on the ‘Freedom!’ bandwagon, because this – America’s McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle – is very probably the greatest fighter aircraft ever made.

In operation for nearly fifty years, over 1,000 of the twin-engine all-weather tactical fighters have been produced, in that time scoring over a hundred victories without a single loss in aerial combat. Not one.

Still flying with the USAF, Japanese Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force, and Israeli Air Force, F-15 Eagles remain one of the primary fighters of the democratic world some five decades after they were first introduced.

This particular variant is an F-15E Strike Eagle, developed in the 1980s for long-range missions, and in production until 1997. Built by previous bloggee [Maks] of Flickr, this spectacular replica of the F-15E recreates the iconic aircraft in incredible detail. Depicted in Desert Storm livery, [Maks]’s creation is complete with detailed landing gear, control surfaces, and weaponry, and features some ingenious building techniques to hold it all together.

There’s lots more of this astonishing model to see at [Maks]’s ‘F-15E Strike Eagle’ album, where nearly a dozen superb images are available to view. Take flight via the link above, whilst – just this once – we chant “USA! USA!”…

Conscripts & Criminals

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Deaths from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine now number several hundred thousand, with many times that number injured. The seemingly random shelling of schools, hospitals, and parks continues, with machines such as this one launching 110kg shells over twenty miles.

Built by Flickr’s Константин Тихомиров, this 2CZM Pion ‘Malka’ self-propelled cannon was introduced in 1975, when Russia and Ukraine formed the two largest republics within the Soviet Union, and stood together against the West.

The machines operated by each now fire upon one another, with this one wearing Russian insignia. This means it’s likely supporting a front-line of conscripts and convicts, disposable to Putin in his bid to return the ‘glory’ days of the Soviet Union.

You can see more of Константин’s creation via the link above. Please note that we’re publishing his creation despite holding views in opposition to his own, as if we were only able to hear the story as told by Russian state-owned media, we might share them also. Fortunately we’re rather freer, and thus – as we often do with creations relating to the Ukraine War – here are some extra links work clicking.

UNHCR  |   World Vision  |  Affaires Mondiales Canada

Heavyweight Boxer

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This is the Boxer Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), a cross-European military project led by Germany and the Netherlands. In production since 2009, the 1,000bhp multi-role armoured truck has seen service in Afghanistan and forms part of the NATO Response Force, with around 700 units built to date. TLCB’s home nation is about to double that number, with Australia, Lithuania, Ukraine and various other countries also current or prospective customers.

This enormous brick-built replica of the Boxer comes from Rolands Kirpis, who has successfully recreated the IFV in spectacular fashion, despite the technical imagery and specifications of the real thing being rather secret!

Twin Power Functions XL Motors drive all eight fully-suspended wheels, the front two axles steer, and there’s a fully-kitted interior, gun turret, and cockpit too. It’s a spectacular build and there’s plenty more to see at Rolands’ ‘Boxer IVF’ album – take a look at all of the excellent on-location imagery via the link above.

Member 32

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As Russians head to the polls for another totally free and fair election, last week NATO welcomed its 32nd member state into the alliance. Recent aggression by its enormous neighbour forced Sweden to end its two century long neutrality, bringing with it some of the world’s most advanced pieces of military equipment to the defence union, including this; the formidable Saab 39E Gripen multi-role fighter.

Built by newcomer Akergarden, this incredible 1:18 scale recreation of the Saab 39E Gripen is fittingly one of the most advanced Technic aircraft we’ve yet featured, with four motors concealed inside powering the removable twin-spool turbofan engine, retractable landing gear, radar, and canopy.

A suite of mechanical functions are included too, with full flight-surface control via the cockpit stick and pedals, comprising of moving ailerons, canards, rudder, airbrake, flaps and slots, plus a working ejector seat, a folding air-refuelling beam, and nose-wheel steering.

It’s a phenomenal feat of engineering and there’s much more to see – including a video of the aircraft in action – at both the Eurobricks forum and Akergarden’s Flickr photostream. Click the links above to take a look at NATO’s newest toys, whilst we wonder who’s going to win the election in the country that necessitated their addition…

The Terminator

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on, shelling important strategic military targets such as maternity hospitals, apartment buildings, theatres, shopping malls, and schools, at the cost of over 10,000 civilian lives.

Of course Russia has counted its own losses in this tragic conflict, with 315,000 Russian troops killed or seriously injured to date.

Many of these have been in tank divisions, with Russia producing tanks at a rate of up to 100 a month to replace those lost. This is one such ‘Armoured Fighting Vehicle’, the Uralvagonzavod BMPT “Terminator”.

Brilliantly constructed by Flickr’s Константин Тихомиров, these two “Terminator” AFVs are ready to take on a Ukrainian nursing home, kindergarten, or post office, and you can join the effort via the link to Константин’s photostream above.

The Lynx Effect

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This excellent 1:32 scale SH-14D Lynx helicopter was found by one of our Elves today. Built by Master MOCer Ralph Savelsberg aka Mad Physicist, the Lynx is constructed in Royal Netherlands Navy livery and includes powered rotor blades, courtesy of a vintage 12V LEGO motor hidden within it. There’s more of the model to see at Ralph’s ‘LEGO SH-14D Lynx helicopter album’ plus you can check out his interview here at TLCB via the first link in the text above.

What is it Good For?

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Humanity still enjoys a good war every now and then. And, because it’s been five minutes since the last conflict in the Middle East, a new one is pulling more and more nations, factions and regions towards it.

Of course for those caught within its gravity the conflict is a necessity, a fight for justice, freedom, and the will of God. Whichever side they are on.

The Second World War was perhaps a clearer fight between, perhaps not Good, but certainly against Evil. The Nazis’ ideology, with all of its death, pain and dehumanisation, was eventually defeated, and – whilst countless nations made enormous sacrifices – had the U.S remained neutral an Allied victory would have been all-but-impossible.

Hitler never sought to invade the Unites States, yet over 16 million Americans served during the conflict, of which 300,000 never returned home, and financing the war cost almost 40% of America’s GDP by 1945.

Capturing one tiny moment amongst the thousands in which the U.S contributed, previous bloggee Nicholas Goodman is here depicting the U.S push across Europe in the summer of 1944. A Willys Jeep, Sherman tank, and custom mini-figures pause to regroup, all carefully and accurately recreated in brick-form.

There’s more of Nicholas’ beautiful wartime builds to see on Flickr; take a look via the link above, and you can click here to see one way you can help today, as war spirals out of control once again.

Lest We Forget

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Lego Red Flower

This Armistice Day, we will remember them.

And Yemen. And Ukraine. And Gaza.

War Child. Red Cross. British Legion.

Behind Enemy Lines

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After decades of peace, Europe is once more at war, thanks to an under-endowed dictator intent on re-colonisation. However the last time war raged along Russia’s borders, it was defending against, rather than fighting for, a maniacal despot.

This wonderful diorama depicts a small part of that fight, when in 1942 German ace Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke was shot down by a Soviet Air Forces Hawker Hurricane, crash landing on an icy lake. 

His Messerschmitt Bf 109 slipped through the ice to the bottom of the water, but Wolf-Dietrich survived to continue his service in the Luftwaffe, before finally being killed in action in March of 1944, with a scarcely believable 162 victories to his name.

Constructed by Jonah Padberg, this beautiful creation captures the moment of Wolf-Dietrich’s crash, and you can visit the frozen lake on which he landed, before it claimed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 but not his life, via the link above.

My Other Car’s a Land Rover

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LEGO’s excellent new Icons 10317 Land Rover Defender 90 set is a wonderful addition to their officially licensed range. It’s also a fine parts source, with a fantastic 1940s Willys Jeep alternate appearing here only yesterday.

Fast-forward five decades and we arrive at the U.S military’s modern equivalent of that Second World War Jeep, the ‘High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle’, or (more catchily) the Humvee.

Like yesterday’s Willys, this brilliant creation is constructed only from the pieces found within the 10317 Land Rover Defender set, and includes working steering, suspension, opening doors, and a few wartime accompaniments, including a hefty machine gun.

Previous bloggee M_longer is the builder, there’s more to see at both Eurobricks and Bricksafe, and building instructions are available too. Switch your 10317 set from rural England to Operation Desert Storm via the links above!

Reheated Russian

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Poland and Russia are not exactly best mates right now (but then Russia only has three friends left and they’re all maniacal dictatorships).

However back in the 1960s Poland and Russia were rather closer, as – whilst Poland was never formally part of the Soviet Union – the influence of Russia’s Red Army taking control of Polish territory from Germany in the aftermath of the Second World War turned Poland into a communist satellite state.

It also led to the supply of (usually obsolete) Russian military hardware, including this; the MiG-17. Replaced by more modern supersonic aircraft in the Soviet Union, the MiG-17 was then produced under license in Poland, becoming the Lim-5 and Lim-6, and used all the way up to the 1990s.

This neat Lego replica of the rather funky-looking Cold War fighter is the work of [Maks], who – with the help of some strategic stickers – has created the Lim-6 ground-attack aircraft brilliantly.

There’s more to see at [Maks]’s ‘Lim-6bis’ album on Flickr, and you can fly back to 1960s Poland via the link in the text above.

My Other Car’s a Land Rover

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The original 1948 Land Rover (long before it was called a ‘Defender’) was a vehicle borne out of necessity. Luxury car maker Rover needed to restore revenue after the war, but with Europe in ruins and steel rationing in place, car production wasn’t going to get running for some time.

The need for a utilitarian off-road tractor was obvious though, and thus – with surplus aluminium and left-over airplane cockpit paint – the Land Rover was born. What is less known however, is that the first Land Rover prototypes used the chassis from another surplus wartime item; the Willys Jeep.

It’s fitting then that this incredible Willys Jeep MB, complete with a Browning machine gun and an M3 37mm anti-tank gun in tow, is constructed solely from the official (and excellent) LEGO Icons 10317 Land Rover Defender 90 set.

Built by TLCB Master MOCer Eric Trax, this astonishing alternate includes a range of wartime accompaniments, from the aforementioned weaponry to jerry cans, radio equipment, and ammunition boxes, with the beautiful Jeep itself also featuring steering and suspension.

The result is so perfect you’d never know it was built using such restricted parts – which makes it much like the original Land Rover – and there’s much more to see, including a link to building instructions, at Brickshelf and the Eurobricks forum.

Variable Geometry

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This is a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23, a 1970s Soviet fighter and fighter-bomber, and the most-produced variable-geometry fighter in history. Over 5,000 MiG-23s were built, with hundreds sold around the world to various scumbaggy dictatorships, some of whom still fly the aircraft today. This excellent brick-built version comes from John C. Lamarck and it includes the MiG-23’s variable wing sweep, working landing gear, and a variety of exciting looking weaponry. There’s more of the model to see at John’s ‘MiG-23 MF’ album on Flickr and you can take a look at cutting-edge Cold War aeronautics via the link above.

Polestar

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Communist Polish manufacturer FSC – makers of vehicular magnificence such as this – also made something not terrible. FSC’s Star truck line began in the late 1940s, and despite the shackles of the Iron Curtain produced reliable, cheap and reasonably powerful heavy duty trucks for a variety of markets until it was swallowed up by MAN in the 1990s. This is one such truck, the Star 660, as created really rather wonderfully by previous bloggee [Maks]. Ingenious parts usage, clever building techniques, and a custom mini-figure are all worth a closer look, and you can follow the pole star on Flickr via the link.

Green Giant

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This big green box is a DAF YA 4442 DNT 4×4 truck, as ordered by the thousand in the late-’70s to the mid-’80s by the Dutch military.

A huge variety of YA 4442 were built, including artillery tractors, cranes, amphibious landing vehicles, mobile command centres, drone-launchers, fuel tankers, fire engines, and – as depicted here – er, trucks.

Still, whilst it might not be the most exciting version of the YA 4442 it is nevertheless a superb (and massive) brick-built replica of the Dutch military’s trucking backbone. Arian Janssens is the builder and there’s more of the model to see at his ‘DAF YA 4442 DNT 4×4′ album on Flickr. Click the link to take a look.