The newest addition to the grand list of Coolest Things Ever is being unveiled in New York today: the Lego X-Wing, the largest Lego model ever built. The model of the classic Star Wars fighter being unveiled in Times Square has a wingspan of 44 feet and comes complete with R2-D2 and a full range of sound effects. It’s a super-duper-sized version of Star Wars Lego starfighter set #9493 and was made with 5,335,200 Lego bricks. That, according to Lego, makes it the largest model ever built, eclipsing the Lego robot at the Mall of America by some 2 million bricks. This replica of the Rebel Alliance dogfighter is 42 times the size of the Lego version we’ve all built and a bit bigger than a real X-Wing. (Yes, yes, we know they’re not real. Just go with it.) The X-Wing Luke Skywalker and his fellow rebels flew was about 41 feet long, 2 feet shorter than this Lego masterpiece. The X-Wing was built at the Lego Model Shop at the company’s facility in Kladno, Czech Republic. It took 32 “master builders” (Note: This is a real job, and we’re preparing our resumés.) 17,336 man-hours to construct the X-Wing.
Plans for the model were created using Lego’s proprietary 3-D design software, and the construction team had to work with a team of structural engineers to ensure that the model was safe, master builder Erik Varszegi told Wired. “This has been a wild and exciting project for us, and it’s taken an international team of designers, engineers, structural consultants, model builders, and logistics personal over a year to bring this model from a conception to reality,” Varszegi said in an email. “In one respect, designing it was the ‘easy’ part, as we were creating a scaled version of an actual toy construction set.” Once completed, the model — which weighs 45,980 pounds — was broken down into 34 pieces to be shipped to New York by boat (the voyage took two boats two months to complete). Lest the West Coast feel left out, the starfighter is coming to Legoland California after its tenure in Times Square and will remain there until the end of the year. Twenty-three tons is a whole lot of anything, especially Lego bricks, but much of the model’s weight lies in the model’s steel skeleton, which it needed in order to withstand the vibrations from the subway that runs beneath Duffy Square in Manhattan and any seismic activity it could face in Southern California.
While a slightly larger-than-lifesize Lego X-Wing would be awesome even if were made for no particular reason at all, the model was built to celebrate the forthcoming premiere of the latest Lego Star Wars series The Yoda Chronicles — a three-part animated miniseries launching on Cartoon Network next Wednesday. That’s the official reason this was built, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Lego made this thing just for the thrill. “My fellow Master Builders and I are always looking for a challenge — and for projects that push our skills to the next level,” Varszegi said. The team chose the X-Wing because it “is one of the most iconic vehicles in the Star Wars universe and the sheer size and scope of the building and engineering challenges was one we couldn’t resist.” We’re awaiting the day these Lego master builders create a Death Star for this X-Wing to annihilate.We all have fond memories from our younger years putting together fun LEGO sets like cars, planes, houses, and more.
But if you were especially lucky (or especially wealthy), you might have had the opportunity to construct truly massive LEGO sets like the Taj Majal, Shield Helicarrier, or even the fabled Death Star Itself. Below are the 11 biggest pre-made sets the LEGO company has ever released, sorted by number of pieces. exclusives or are out-of-print, so don't expect to nab them for their MSRP. For the ultimate Marvel Cinematic Universe fan, the Shield Helicarrier comes with five Avengers minifigures, a big bunch of manofigures, and functioning turbines powered by AAA batteries with a special add-on. Along with a few thousand other tiny details. The Ultimate Collector Series version of the Imperial Star Destroyer is full of interior detail that doesn't actually show up when the entire beast is assembled. But the most impressive thing about this set is its sheer size - it's over three feet long! Long out of production, it now routinely sells for over $2,000. Did we say the Imperial Star Destroyer was big?
If you want to build this Super Star Destroyer, you're going to need an even bigger table - this massive model is more than four feet long when fully assembled. Its custom minifigs are a nice touch. The Grand Carousel is an epic set for its detail, not for its sheer size. Its complex, colorful, and is (of course) fully motorized. If you're a big Star Wars fan, these probably are the droid you're looking for. In addition to several fun droid minifigs (Gonk Droid!), this 2014 version of the Sandcrawler model comes with functioning treads, and of course a ridiculous amount of internal detail. It's also got nearly twice as many pieces as the original 2005 UCS edition. After its fully assembled, this Eiffel Tower stands over four feet tall! It's a challenging build, making it perfect for LEGO pros. Newbies might want to pick a set that isn't almost all grey pieces. The Death Star II, like every model on this list, is absolutely massive, of course. But it includes a lot of neat smaller details, too.
I'm especially found of the physical lasers. LEGO's 2008 Death Star is a different kind of LEGO set. Plenty of these massive models have interior detail, but it's usually hidden away. This Death Star takes a diorama approach, allowing you to see lots of movie scenes all in one model. This set is rumored to end its long run and go out of production soon. Some hardcore LEGO fans dislike the Tower Bridge build since you basically have to build the same tower twice, but it's still a hugely impressive and aesthetically pleasing model. What is there left to say about the Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon? It's just plain awesome, all-around. Fantastic build experience, epic scope, nice minifigs, and great detail. If you didn't snag one when it came out in 2007, expect to shell out as much as $6,000 to buy it in-box now. LEGO's Taj Mahal set clocks in at almost 6,000 pieces, making it the biggest individual LEGO set ever made. The finished model is over 20 inches wide and over 16 inches tall, making it an imposing model to say the least.