Although info on this had started leaking on various fan sites earlier in the week, today at BrickMagic was the official debut of the new 10213 Shuttle Adventure kit. It's an excellent set with a great part/price ratio and many exciting parts (including several in new or rare colors - note the beautiful new dark orange elements). Also, you can build a neat space shuttle with it!
Here's the official boilerplate that you may have seen on other LEGO blogs earlier today (one downside of attending the real debut is that you miss the chance to blog in advance):
10213 Shuttle Adventure
Ages 16+
1,204 pieces
US $99.99 CA $129.99 UK £ 79.99 DE 89.99 €
Blast off on an outer space mission!
Standing 17.5″ (44cm) tall and 10″ (25.5cm) from wing tip to wing tip, this detailed and realistic space shuttle is ready to count down and blast off on its next exciting mission into space! You can take off from the launch pad, separate the detachable fuel tank and booster rockets, and deploy the satellite with unfolding antenna and solar cell panels. Shuttle model features realistic engines, retractable landing gear, an opening cockpit with seats for 2 astronauts, opening cargo compartment with a crane that can hold the satellite and a ground maintenance vehicle. Includes 3 minifigures: 1 male and 1 female astronaut, as well as 1 service crew member.
Includes 3 minifigures: 1 male and 1 female astronaut as well as 1 service crew member!
Features realistic engines, retractable landing gear, opening cockpit with seats for 2 astronauts and even a ground maintenance vehicle!
Take off from the launch pad!
Separate the detachable fuel tank and booster rockets!
Deploy the satellite with unfolding antenna and solar cell panels!
Open the cargo compartment to reveal the crane that can hold the satellite!
Shuttle Adventure stands 17.5″ (44cm) tall and measures 10″ (25.5cm) from wing tip to wing tip!
Details: This is a SHIP. Contrary to popular opinion, the term "SHIP" does not refer to the fact that this is a spaceship. See, SHIP is really an acronym - it stands for Seriously Huge Investment in Parts, as in, "building this out of LEGO will require a Seriously Huge Investment in Parts". With a large old grey hull, this spaceship definitely qualifies. There is no messing with this level of dedication to the classic space theme. Naturally, photographing a SHIP this large also requires a ton of photos - sorry if the 223 in this flickr set are a bit much for one day.
Details: There aren't many people building Pokemon characters these days, and there are still fewer building truly great Pokemon-themed models. Most of the more unusual connections are handled by various plates with clips.
Details: While mulling over the thought of trying to put together a boat for a LEGO boat race (an increasingly popular challenge at Adult Fan of LEGO gatherings), it occurred to me that using the off-the-shelf remote controls wouldn't be terribly effective due to light distortion near the water's surface. The obvious solution is to use bluetooth instead, and devise some sort of remote control to steer the boat. Here's a spectacular implementation of that idea. Two small propellers steer the boat, and the motors are safely on board the boat (which is the only way I'd recommend trying to build something like this, although I understand some builders have had luck with risking their motors and other electronic parts touching the water). This design actually changes the angle of both propellers to steer - a nice trick I wouldn't have thought of.
Klodsfest 2010 happened in Denmark a few weeks back. I haven't been able to track down an official website for this (had I known about this in advance, we'd have the official information on our calendar for you), but I've gathered some photos from the event anyway. Klodsfest 2010 Flickr pool colonel's Brickshelf Gallery gerth6000's flickr photos
Have more information of photos? Send 'em in to legomodeloftheday@gmail.com
As I'm sure some of you have noticed, we've been a bit under the weather this week. We're still recovering from the festivities at Maker Faire NC, and we're gearing up for BrickMagic! If it weren't for the weather, we'd say this was actually a good time to be in North Carolina. In between trying to sort out my own MOCs and determine what I'm bringing to BrickMagic, I've also been reading Jonathan Bender's new book, LEGO: A Love Story - I was sent a review copy and I have every intention of finishing it before the book's launch event at BrickMagic. So far, I'm about 40 pages in and impressed with how he's woven information about the larger LEGO fan community into his own story - if he keeps this up for the rest of the book, it'll be a helpful and informal guidebook for newcomers to the hobby. I'll be writing a full review of the book for this blog sooner or later as well.
We've added photos of the festivities (LEGO and otherwise) at Maker Faire NC to the official Maker Faire NC flickr pool. The display went off well and there are even videos of some of my LEGO models in motion.
Look for coverage of BrickMagic to start dripping in near the end of the week. We're even still aiming to showcase a model each day during the convention as well (not to mention catching up on the days I've let slip recently - I meant to highlight those Maker Faire photos here on the day of the event!)
Details: Naturally, with all of those farm kits LEGO is selling now, there's a need to build a barn. A good sturdy barn that you can put in the middle of a respectable town layout. A barn with a removable roof and full interior, complete with tractors. Don't miss the clever windsock technique or the rooster statue at the top of the barn (both visible in the photo above). There's plenty more farm goodness from this builder as well.
Details: The LEGO Prince of Persia Battle of Alamut (7573) kit includes lots of fun and exciting new parts, including some in the fairly rare color of pearl gold. Of course, when you only own a handful of pearl gold (which, let's face it, is most of us - it's not an easy color to stock up on), it's hard to build much of anything. Here, though, we have one example of something you can build in that rare pearl gold color - Pac-Man! It only takes a few pieces, too, so you can build your own without using up the whole kit.
Although info on this had started leaking on various fan sites earlier in the week, today at BrickMagic was the official debut of the new 10213 Shuttle Adventure kit. It's an excellent set with a great part/price ratio and many exciting parts (including several in new or rare colors - note the beautiful new dark orange elements). Also, you can build a neat space shuttle with it!
characters these days, and there are still fewer building truly great Pokemon-themed models. Most of the more unusual connections are handled by various plates with clips. 
- I was sent a review copy and I have every intention of finishing it before the book's launch event at BrickMagic. So far, I'm about 40 pages in and impressed with how he's woven information about the larger LEGO fan community into his own story - if he keeps this up for the rest of the book, it'll be a helpful and informal guidebook for newcomers to the hobby. I'll be writing a full review of the book for this blog sooner or later as well.
kit includes lots of fun and exciting new parts, including some in the fairly rare color of pearl gold. Of course, when you only own a handful of pearl gold (which, let's face it, is most of us - it's not an easy color to stock up on), it's hard to build much of anything. Here, though, we have one example of something you can build in that rare pearl gold color - 
! It only takes a few pieces, too, so you can build your own without using up the whole kit.
