Remembering when NASA stuck a Space Shuttle on top of a Boeing 747

'Black side down,' Lego style

Lego has released another NASA-themed set; this time, a version of the US space agency's Boeing 747-based Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with a Space Shuttle perched on top.

Lego Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with the Shuttle on top (pic: Lego) – click to enlarge

It is effectively two sets in one: Lego's take on a Boeing 747 and a scale model of a Space Shuttle (in this case, the test article, Enterprise).

At a shade under £200 (priced at €229,99 in the EU and $229.99 Stateside), it is not cheap. It is also, and it pains us to say this, not one of the company's greatest forays into NASA hardware. Certainly, when compared to the sublime Space Shuttle Discovery set.

The problem is one of scale. While the set is large – Lego lists it as being 27cm (11") high, 53cm (21") wide, and 63cm (25") deep – it is nowhere near the same scale as the Discovery set. It's more like the Saturn V set, and while that makes for some fun display opportunities, it's clear that Lego's designers have had to make some understandable compromises to bring the set to life.

However, let's start with the good. The build itself is a blast and will take approximately eight hours from start to finish. There are two instruction booklets with information about the real-life vehicles. The first takes the builder through constructing the Space Shuttle model, while the second deals with the more complex Boeing 747.

There are a lot of stickers in this set, which, considering its cost, is disappointing. Only the windows, nose stripe, and cockpit windows of the 747 are pre-printed. The rest require careful placement of clear-backed stickers. An annoyingly large number of stickers are needed for Space Shuttle Enterprise, although the vehicle's build is relatively straightforward, starting with the delta wing and moving on from there. There is some SNOT (Studs Not On Top) on show, but the scale gave Lego's designers little room for maneuvering. The result is recognizable as a Space Shuttle, but with plenty of inaccuracies for fans to obsess over.

And, of course, plenty of visible studs.

Space Shuttle from Lego SCA set - click to enlarge

Lego has to maintain a balance between introducing new or custom parts and sacrificing maximum visual accuracy. Overall, it did a good job with the Space Shuttle, even if the Aerodynamic Tail Cone is a little rough in places. Stashing the landing gear and engine components in the payload bay is a neat touch.

Lego Space Shuttle Tail Cone - click to enlarge

The Boeing 747 starts well, with some very impressive mechanisms within the fuselage to deploy and raise the landing gear – Lego's Concorde is another set with a neat approach to the same, but the designers have pulled off something rather remarkable with the 747. Even more impressive is that the aircraft's core is very sturdy, despite the complexity within.

Then the wheels come off, so to speak. Once again, this is more down to the challenges of scale than anything else, and the designers have had to make compromises to produce something that looks like a Boeing 747 at the desired scale.

The problem is that, for all the cleverness elsewhere in the design (the wings are angled upwards slightly – a nice feature), the front of the aircraft looks… odd. There is a limit to what can be done with standard Lego components, but the iconic visuals of the Boeing 747 look a little blocky and misshapen. Lines that should be smooth aren't. A glance around the World Wide Web will turn up designs where enthusiasts have attempted to iron out some of the issues, but the fact remains – the scale is just too small. Making it larger, however, would hugely increase the price and brick count (which already stands at 2,417) and require more space to display the resulting behemoth.

The Space Shuttle attaches to the top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, aka the 747, and the whole stack can be displayed on a stand. As with other models, such as Discovery and Concorde, the balance is impressive – the relatively small and lithe stand is quite capable of carrying the model (although be aware that it is not attached – lift the Boeing, and the stand will be left behind!)

Overall, this is a fun set to build and a good springboard for discussing how NASA tested the Space Shuttle before its first launch, and ferried the vehicle around. Its mechanisms also make it very playable, and detaching the Shuttle and reconfiguring it for orbital operations is a hoot.

For Lego fans looking for something neat to show off on an office shelf, it's a great build. For a NASA fan, however, too many inaccuracies cannot be waved away. The Discovery set is perhaps too fresh in the memory of builders as an example of what can be done, and the smaller version here suffers by comparison.

Aviation fans might also be disappointed by the Boeing 747. Yes, the landing gear mechanism is genuinely impressive, but compromises due to scale and component choice are difficult to ignore.

Readers casting around for something to amuse the kids during the long summer holiday could do a lot worse… although it's worth noting that the Space Shuttle in our set was soon removed and replaced with a Lego pet shop as the child got cracking with customization. ®