Largest LEGO model in history unveiled

[randomrogue]

...and of course it is an X-Wing.




mythbusters did some pointless experiment making a giant lego ball to roll down a hill, based on some youtube video, the veracity of which they did not trust. The best way to do it was basically to construct larger identical blocks out of standard sized lego blocks than slap them together. a modular design model, like the Sears Tower.

Yeah and if I remember correctly they had like 30 people putting those things together for like a week. If you didn't do it modularly it would take forever and then some. Plus you'd probably screw it up somehow.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

That is awesome, I cannot imagine having that kind of concentration to do that.

 

[Sonikku]

I think the biggest Lego model I ever saw was on the Colbert Report when he dressed in blue coat garb on an air craft carrier museum in NY and they had a to scale to mini fig model of the carrier built entirely with those things.

 

[waggy]

Never heard of Duplex... nor has Google?

oops duplo (got the name wrong) is part of lego.

the set im thinking of is mega blocks

 

[Homerboy]

oops duplo (got the name wrong) is part of lego.

the set im thinking of is mega blocks

I figured you were going for Duplo, but then was going to say "That's LEGO ya dingus! And they are nice!!!

yeah megablox suck.
Nobody is able to duplicate the quality that LEGO churns out.

 

[ultimatebob]

Tyco used to make some Lego clone blocks. They kinda sucked, but they were cheap if you wanted to build something big.

 

[zinfamous]

wait a tic...didn't that Top Gear guy build a house out of legos and live in it for a week?

I suppose this category has it's own qualifying seize standards to define "model"?

 

[Baked]

Speaking of the price, I would have thought that the design patent on legos ran out long ago. Why isn't there another company causing some competition, resulting in dropping prices. Does it really cost that much to manufacture those little plastic things?

There's KRE-O, who makes Transformers theme building sets. It's not bad, but it's just not LEGO. I have a few Star Wars LEGO sets which I got for the mini figs, but build mostly LEGO Technic sets and they're simply incredible.

 

[waggy]

There's KRE-O, who makes Transformers theme building sets. It's not bad, but it's just not LEGO. I have a few Star Wars LEGO sets which I got for the mini figs, but build mostly LEGO Technic sets and they're simply incredible.

kre-o ain't bad.

I have the tiefighter and X-wing lego's. i want the SSD to go with them.

Technic's are great. expensive but great.

 

[NFS4]

it belongs in a museum!!

"So do you!"

 

[JTsyo]

Pretty cool, not holding my breath for a scaled Death Star though.

 

[waggy]

Pretty cool, not holding my breath for a scaled Death Star though.

not going to ever happen.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/could-you-build-a-scale-lego-model-of-the-death-star/

great article on the size and cost.

 

[Ns1]

DUDE you can take a picture in it. that's awesome!

 

[phucheneh]

For the price, it should be capable of space flight.

 

[rockyct]

Speaking of the price, I would have thought that the design patent on legos ran out long ago. Why isn't there another company causing some competition, resulting in dropping prices. Does it really cost that much to manufacture those little plastic things?

I think the injection mold machinery is the key here. Lego has basically perfected those machines to incredibly high precision. A competitor has to either spend the money to recreate those machines with a similar tolerance, or cut costs and slack on the tolerances somewhat and possibly use a cheaper plastic. They also reduce the number of bricks in a set by having large pieces that make up most of a car body for example.

Lego has outsourced most of their Lego production as well. Most Lego bricks are made in Mexico (instead of Connecticut about ten years ago) and the Czech Republic (instead of Denmark). They recently announced the opening of a factory in China for the Asian market but some Lego elements are already being made there.

 

[BUTCH1]

I like it..

 

[Dari]

It's in Times Square? Going there right after work with son...

 

[phucheneh]

I think the injection mold machinery is the key here. Lego has basically perfected those machines to incredibly high precision. A competitor has to either spend the money to recreate those machines with a similar tolerance, or cut costs and slack on the tolerances somewhat and possibly use a cheaper plastic. They also reduce the number of bricks in a set by having large pieces that make up most of a car body for example.

Lego has outsourced most of their Lego production as well. Most Lego bricks are made in Mexico (instead of Connecticut about ten years ago) and the Czech Republic (instead of Denmark). They recently announced the opening of a factory in China for the Asian market but some Lego elements are already being made there.

I dunno if it's a precision thing. I would think it would not be that hard to duplicate Legos.

I always assumed it was some kind of proprietary plastic (well, that and lawyers). I always thought it was kind of amazing that those things could pop together and back apart seemingly infinitely without the little webs on the undersides getting worn and not gripping properly.

 

[rockyct]

I dunno if it's a precision thing. I would think it would not be that hard to duplicate Legos.

I always assumed it was some kind of proprietary plastic (well, that and lawyers). I always thought it was kind of amazing that those things could pop together and back apart seemingly infinitely without the little webs on the undersides getting worn and not gripping properly.

Lego uses standard ABS plastic. Nothing really that special with it as far as I know.