LEGO just handed the keys to the real bridge to every adult who’s ever cobbled together a shoebox with cardboard nacelles. On November 28th, a $399.99 kit hits stores and online: it’s the Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D, set 10356, in all its glory – from the red-blue glow of the warp engines right down to the teeny tiny details.
When you open the box, you’ll find nine officers sitting in small plastic bags, each eager to beam aboard: Jean-Luc Picard with a teacup the size of a pea, William Riker attempting to balance a trombone smaller than a paperclip. Spot, Data’s cat, sits on a little 1×1 tile, resembling a fuzzy orange dot at the end of phrase. And there’s Worf, Guinan, Troi, Beverly Crusher, Geordi, and Wesley, all with their faces properly printed on; you can read their rank pips from across the room.
- BUILD AN ICON – Build the ultimate retro gaming display with the LEGO Game Boy (72046) model kit for adults ages 18 and up
- RELIVE THE EXCITEMENT – Remember powering up your Game Boy for the first time? Experience the thrill again with this authentic of the handheld...
- DISCOVER AUTHENTIC DETAILS – The instantly-recognizable Game Boy features classic button layout, contrast dial, and interchangeable Game Pak and...
You start building from the spine, where a long Technic beam runs right the way through the ship, strong enough to hold the saucer in place with no wobbling at all. Snap those oval rim bricks together one by one & the ellipse magically appears, as smooth as a coin that’s been dropped. Best of all, it’s all done with pure geometry in tan and gray – no bits and pieces held in place with stickers.
Add the saucer to the neck, and a concealed shuttle locks the two halves together with a gratifying click. Pull off one brick, and the saucer lifts cleanly off your shelf, perfect for the eventual Borg separation scenario. Two micro-shuttles hide inside the belly; flick a little lever, and the bay doors fly wide as if the ship were yawning at 3 a.m.
The warp nacelles measure 18 inches from tip to tip. Inside each, translucent bars flash behind grilles; put the lights down low, and the engines look exactly like they did on television in 1987. When you angle the stand at a 45-degree angle, it appears to be hovering in mid-air. Down at the base, there’s a plaque with all the information – launch date, crew complement, and the words “Galaxy Class” in classic Starfleet font.
If you’re one of the lucky ones who orders before midnight on December 1st, you’ll get a bonus – a palm-sized Type-15 shuttlepod called Onizuka. Wing doors swing open, the rear hatch pops open, & Ensign Ro Laren is standing inside, scanning a Romulan warbird on a sticker the size of a postcard… all totally free while supplies last – so don’t hang about.
The finished model measures 2 feet long, 10 inches tall, and 18 inches broad, making it large enough to be the focal point of your bookcase but small enough to sneak past airport security if you muster the guts. The innovative angled stand ensures that the entire thing looks clean after only one dusting.
What about the price? Four hundred dollars before tax. That gets you 3,600 pieces, ten minifigures (including Ro), two stands, a cat, and a weekend in which the only frontier is the carpet beneath your knees.
