theBrickBlogger.com — Sharing the Passion of the LEGO Hobby!

Brick Breakdown: LEGO City Air Show

by Thita (admin) on June 24, 2016

in LEGO City

(Written by William)

I recently put together the very popular #60134 LEGO City Fun in the Park – City People Pack, and was hankering to continue building more LEGO City sets. Thankfully, LEGO recently released several sets that don’t involve emergency personnel. I was intrigued by the concept of an air show, so I picked the #60103 LEGO City Airport Air Show for my next build. We have done a general review of this set before (see: 2016 LEGO City Summer Sets Review), so today I will only focus on the interesting building techniques. 🙂

While the LEGO City Airport Air Show is a simple build, with three planes and a hangar it has a great deal of size and substance. I’d definitely recommend it if you need a big set that will not frustrate a less experienced builder. For this reason, the techniques we’ll look at today are also going to be foundational in nature. These are the type of concepts, that while simple, can make a real big difference in your LEGO models.

➡ SHAPING WITH LEGO PLATES

There’s nothing quite like a good wedge-plate, especially if you have a lot of them in different angles. Wedge-plates are great for shaping both mechanical models and landscapes. LEGO normally adds at least a few wedge-plates in most sets to create interesting angles and curves. The planes in the LEGO City Airport Airshow set are packed with plates to shape the body, as well as create the colored lines.

If you take a look at the top of the two jets, you will notice that not only the wings are formed by wedges, but the shape of the fuselage is built using stacked plates as well. As for the biplane, the wings are expertly crafted using many different wedges. Essentially, the concept of using this technique is giving the impression of using slopes without actually using slopes. Sometimes slope elements are just too thick to make something look right. This is where wedge-plates really shine. They give you the ability to sculpt a model with more refined lines and curves. But you do have to know where there should be rises and declines as you are using them.

If you are new to using wedge-plates and not sure how to implement them in your own model, I suggest starting by using basic bricks. These bricks should be roughly laid out to approximate the shape you want. Now you can methodically replace bricks with layered plates. In doing so you can determine where angles should appear. The idea is that you’ll be carving down to the shape you want, versus trying to fully imagine it before you start.

The ultimate payoff is that you can get interesting shapes without giving up stability. Plates can easily be stacked and interlocked to form sturdy connections. The downside of this technique is that LEGO makes a lot of different wedge-plates with many different angles. Usually your collection needs to be fairly large to have all the right angled wedges for your LEGO models, not to speak of having the right colors. However, sets like the LEGO City Airport Air Show are good sources for getting many different wedge-plates to build up your stash.

➡ FRAMING WITH LEGO TECHNIC

Spend any time with LEGO parts, and you will quickly realize that there are multiple building systems that can work together, but also have their distinct characteristics. The two main systems are LEGO Technic (made up of pins, axles, gears, and other functional elements) and LEGO System (the standard tube and stud connections most people are familiar with). There are also plenty of crossovers between these systems, allowing for some really interesting creations.

Many novice builders stay within one system, and don’t venture into exploring the possibilities of mixing them with other systems. It is true that the different systems require different type of thinking and designing, and also lead to different looking models. Just think about how vastly different a LEGO vehicle looks using standard building elements, vs. using LEGO Technic. However LEGO designers themselves mix the systems together in some sets, which can encourage LEGO fans to explore the idea in their own custom models.

Problem is that this can lead to unrealistic expectations. A novice builder who experiments with mixing up LEGO’s different building systems will quickly realize that this takes quite a bit of expertise, which can make them get discouraged. So it is important to point out designs that feature a mixture of building systems in a simple way. One great example is the hangar in the LEGO City Airport Air Show set.

The hangar is more or less a giant tent that can house one of the planes that need servicing. To make it large enough and sturdy enough, LEGO Technic parts are used to build the frame. In general LEGO Technic elements are strong, while using very little space – so they are perfect for building framework.

Thinking of LEGO Technic elements as fixed joints is probably the easiest method to work them into your own creations. Because of how little space is used, you can figure out how to cover joints that you may not like the look of. The only tricky part is figuring out how to put studs in places for mounting regular LEGO System elements onto a LEGO Technic frame. This set demonstrates this beautifully by using a handful of angled joints. The end result is a vast structure that is very stable, but doesn’t really weigh much.

➡ APPLYING WHAT YOU LEARN

French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote in his memoir that “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”. Shaping with LEGO wedge-plates gives you this ability within the LEGO building system. Whether it’s sharp angles or smooth curves, the various wedge-plates can bring to life very subtle shapes when used correctly. It can be a bit of a pain figuring out which plates you need, but your creations will have a very finished look when you can mold things to such a degree. Wedge-plates usually come in left and right pairs, so make sure you get both of them if you want a symmetrical design. Also keep your early experiments to a three plate thickness to get a handle on shaping. The three plates will equal the thickness of a brick, and help keep things simple until you’re ready for more complexity.

Whether you see it or not, all LEGO models (and even real life models) have a skeletal structure. Some are more complex than others, but you always have to think of building a solid core first. Using LEGO Technic framing will lighten this core structure, without compromising the stability you need. Ultimately this technique allows you to build much larger models without the need to use vast amount of LEGO elements. It is worth studying how to transition from LEGO Technic to standard LEGO elements to mix up these two great building systems for the best result.

So what do you think? How do you like the LEGO Airport Air Show set? And what do you think of the building techniques used here? Did you learn something new that you can incorporate in your own creations? Feel free to share your own experiences and tips, or ask questions in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the other reviews in this series:

{ 6 comments }

Two new contests for teen & adult LEGO fans!

by Thita (admin) on June 23, 2016

in Community News

ReBrick is turning out to be a really exciting place for LEGO contests. As you may remember from our previous discussions (see links at the end of this post), LEGO’s ReBrick website was recently re-launched to focus on LEGO contests for teen and adult LEGO fans. There has been several interesting contests with great prizes, and the LEGO Friends and LEGO Ninjago contests we talked about before are still running. Plus LEGO just added to more contests to challenge LEGO fans. 🙂

LEGO Contest LEGO Technic Porsche Contest

➡ LEGO TECHNIC ULTIMATE CONTEST: Build the Porsche of your Dreams! Do you think that beauty and function are inseparable? Can you combine LEGO Technic and Porsche design in one amazing LEGO model? And would you like an exclusive opportunity to visit the spectacular Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany? Then get on your mark and start building the Porsche of your dreams!

Now you can go in the legendary footsteps of Ferry Porsche and build the Porsche of your dreams using LEGO bricks. LEGO is giving you complete creative freedom to build within the Porsche brand design and LEGO Technic look and feel. Whether you prefer to build a sports car, a race car, a historical Porsche tractor, or another Porsche model, they invite you to build the Porsche of your dreams with no limitation to a specific era or model type. While this contest gives you creative freedom, there are a few rules as well, like your entry must be no larger than 20 cm height x 60 cm length x 30 cm width. Note that the contest is open to LEGO Digital Designer entries in case you don’t have enough LEGO Technic elements. The entry deadline for this contest is no later than August 1st, 2016 at 10:00PM CEST. You can check out the specific contest rules and guidelines here.

LEGO Contest LEGO Technic Porsche Contest Prizes

The contest entries will go through two stages of judging. In stage one a panel of three expert LEGO Technic guest judges will select 20 semi-finalists. They will judge all entries upon: overall coolness and originality, most inspired details and functions on the model, understanding of the Porsche brand design and competition theme, and overall LEGO Technic look and feel of the model. The guest judges are: Jim Van Gulik – LEGO Technic moderator on Eurobricks, Fernando de Carlos – creator of Sheepo’s Garage, and Fernando Correia – creator of TechnicBRICK. In stage two a panel of judges from LEGO Technic and Porsche will select one grand prize winner and nine runner-ups from the 20 semi-finalists. The judges are: Dieter Landenberger – Manager of the Historical Archives of Porsche AG, Niels Henrik Horsted – Senior Manager LEGO Technic, and Andrew Woodman – Senior Design Manager LEGO Technic.

There will be one grand prize winner, who will receive several amazing prizes: 1. Trip from their home country to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart Germany. 2. An exclusive guided tour of the Porsche Museum and the Porsche production facilities in Stuttgart. 3. One 911 limited die-cast model of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS scaled 1:18. 4. One #42056 LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS signed by LEGO designer Uwe Wabra. 5. One certificate of winning. There will also be nine runner-ups, who will receive the following: 1. One 911 limited die-cast model of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS scaled 1:18. 2. One #42056 LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS signed by LEGO designer Uwe Wabra. 3. One certificate of winning. In the video below you can learn more about the contest.

➡ LEGO MAKE SOMETHING CONTEST: Share your DIY skills in this contest and make something! Is your head spinning with ideas of how to use LEGO bricks to solve an everyday problem in a new, unexpected and awesome way? Or, can you see yourself using LEGO bricks to prototype your idea for a new invention or robotic creation that could change the world for the better?! LEGO wants you to be a LEGO maker, and share your idea with a photo or maybe a video in this contest presented by LEGO MINDSTORMS – you don’t even need a LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 to enter! The entry deadline for this contest is no later than August 10th, 2016 at 10:00PM CEST. You can check out the specific contest rules and guidelines here.

Please note that while this contest is open to all types of solutions made with LEGO elements, it is clear from the list of judges (see below), that they are looking for entries that can solve some pretty sophisticated problems. So while you may use LEGO bricks to prop up your tablet, or employ minifigs to hold cables, that will likely not be enough to impress the judges. Your project does not have to include LEGO MINDSTORMS, but it is a bonus in judging. You can take up to five photos of your creation and submit them to the contest. Make sure to show off all angles of your model. Optionally, you can upload a short video showing your innovation to a hosting site of your choice.

A panel of judges from the LEGO MINDSTORMS team will select one grand prize winner and 2 runner-ups. They will judge entries upon: overall project coolness and originality, project “maker spirit” DNA, innovative building technique and function, and innovative use of LEGO elements. The judges are: Kenneth Ravnshøj Madsen – Computer Engineer at LEGO MINDSTORMS, Jørn Kristian Thomsen – Designer at LEGO MINDSTORMS, Marc André Bazergui – LEGO MINDSTORMS Community Ambassador, Carlos Arturo Torres – Inventor and designer of the IKO Prosthetics System, and Filippa Malmegard – Community Manager at LEGO MINDSTORMS.

There will be one grand prize winner, who will receive several amazing prizes: 1. Trip to LEGO World Copenhagen 2017, which includes travel and accommodations. 2. A #31313 LEGO MINDSTORMS set. 3. A LEGO MINDSTORMS “ROBOT MAK3R” T-shirt. Exact dates for travel will be confirmed with the winner once it’s closer to the event. There will be two runner-up winners, who will receive the following: 1. A #31313 LEGO MINDSTORMS set. 2. A LEGO MINDSTORMS “ROBOT MAK3R” T-shirt.

#31313 LEGO Mindstorms EV3 Available Now

Please note that all contests at ReBrick are for teen and adult LEGO fans, so you have to be at least 13 years old to be eligible to enter. For contests for younger kids you can check out the LEGO Club magazine and website.

So what do you think? How do you like these LEGO contests? Are you planning to enter either of them? Do you have any ideas already on what you are planning to build? Feel free to share in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

{ 3 comments }

Next Posts Previous Posts

Brick Breakdown: LEGO City Air Show

Two new contests for teen & adult LEGO fans!

Get new posts by email: