When it comes to iconic Star Wars starfighters, THE X-WING, with its distinctive opening split wings, undoubtedly soars to the top of the list! From the outset, we knew that if we were going to tackle a truly massive X-Wing, we wanted to approach it in a way that hadn’t been seen before.
This ambition led to the challenging decision to construct the entire 3m tall model predominantly ‘studs-up’. This technique meant that the primary surface viewers would see would be the smooth, clean sides of the LEGO® bricks rather than their familiar studded tops. This choice was instrumental in capturing the incredibly sleek and aerodynamic profile of the X-Wing.
The model’s size allowed us to add in quite a bit of detail that you don’t usually see on a LEGO X-Wing. This included subtle colour accents on the wings and the distinctive stripes along the length of the laser cannons.
LEGO® BRICKS
BUILD HOURS
To seamlessly integrate the mechanical area behind R2-D2 into the build, we created a clever ‘lock and key’ mechanism. Making use of the fact that the height of three bricks and a plate, precisely matches the width of four studs, we were able to create a sliding attachment. This allowed us to build the section separately and then smoothly slide it into position within the main model.
The iconic wings presented their own engineering challenge. We connected them to the rest of the build deep within the model and tiled the areas where the different oriented sections met. For the cockpit, we focused on replicating the look and feel of glass. To achieve this subtle shine and add textural contrast, we strategically placed black cheese slopes on top of the exposed studs, effectively mimicking the reflective surface.
The laser cannons make use of a wide range of LEGO round pieces. We started with 4×4, tapering down to 3×3, before briefly expanding out to an 8×8, and then finally shrinking down to a 2 x 2 at the tip of the cannon.
Since LEGO currently don’t make a 3 x 3 round piece in Sand Blue, to maintain the overall visual design we replaced a rustic blue section of the laser cannon with Medium Stone Grey, a practical decision due to part availability.
Witness these incredible models and more at the world-first LEGO® Star Wars: The Exhibition. Embark on an epic, hands-on adventure through the Star Wars galaxy – Created by Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught and his talented team with over eight million LEGO bricks and 25,000+ build hours. Now open at Melbourne Museum.
