LEGO Star Wars Snowspeeder 75144

Product Information

Laser cannons are bolted to the wings and these are represented more accurately than ever before, with Technic elements used to represent the energiser coils and other details along their entire length. Furthermore, each one is set at a slight inward angle so the laser bolts will meet at a distant focal point. This is accurate to the design from the movie and I was pleasantly surprised by their rigidity as I had been concerned that the introduction of turntables to angle the laser cannons might cause them to wobble. The Ultimate Collector's Series has experienced a difficult period over the last couple of years but 75144 Snowspeeder is a worthy addition to the pantheon of brilliant Star Wars models which make up the UCS collection. The level of detail is exceptional and I applaud the thoroughly impressive accuracy of the overall design, although there is still room for very slight improvement in certain areas.

Connect the LEGO® Star Wars™ 20th anniversary minifigure display stands for the perfect collector's item. The thrust nozzles are one of the best aspects of the entire set in my opinion. They are constructed quite simply but the arrangement of six 1x1 round plates around the gear in the centre looks great, perfectly recreating the design from the movie. I like the authentic hazard warning stripes on either side and the ventral air brake underneath is constructed very nicely, with an actuator that really works! My favourite play feature in the set is found here as moving the control yoke will cause the harpoon launcher to rotate. The mechanism is remarkably simple and works perfectly, even recreating the reversed controls we see when Wes Janson uses the harpoon in the movie. Moving the yoke to the left will turn the launcher to the right and vice versa, as shown in the image below. No franchise boasts the breadth of iconic vehicles offered by Star Wars and the T-47 Airspeeder is one of my favourite examples. Its deceptively intricate shape gives the immediate impression of outstanding speed and manoeuvrability and this is reflected in the design of the LEGO model. It measures 40cm in length so is slightly smaller than the earlier 10129 Rebel Snowspeeder but the accuracy of the angled armour is far superior, facilitated by the much larger range of parts available to current designers. Additional air intakes litter the underside of the Snowspeeder and a retractable landing leg is also included, allowing you to display the model without the stand if you wish. You can see the hole into which the display stand fits in the photo below, just behind the landing gear.Lando Calrissian minifigure is a reproduction of the original minifigure from 2003 and includes a 20th anniversary logo. Snowspeeder on display stand measures over 8” (21cm) high, 15” (39cm) long and 11” (29cm) wide, and over 4” (11cm) high without stand. Accessory elements include electrobinoculars, a Snowspeeder Pilot helmet and a Snowspeeder Gunner helmet. The T-47 Airspeeder is one of the most popular and recognisable vehicles from the Original Trilogy and it is therefore not surprising to see it rendered for a second time in the Ultimate Collector's Series. 10129 Rebel Snowspeeder was released in 2003 and remains comparably impressive today so I have high expectations that 75144 Snowspeeder will be even better! Box and Contents The armour at the front of the vehicle is angled quite severely and this was perhaps the weakest aspect of the original UCS Snowspeeder. A limited range of parts were available in 2003, forcing the designer to use 2x4 slopes which left some unsightly gaps. This model is far superior in this regard as small ball joints are used to connect different sections of armour plating, forming an accurate shape which lines up perfectly with the wings.

This LEGO® Star Wars™ construction toy is a reinterpretation of the 7130 Snowspeeder vehicle from 1999 and makes a great LEGO Star Wars gift for builders of any age. Snowspeeder is considerably larger than minifigure scale but includes two exclusive figures, the first of which is a Rebel Snowspeeder Pilot. The designer video suggests that the characters should be identifiable based on their helmet designs. On that basis the dark helmet of the pilot most closely resembles that worn by Zev Senesca, although the sides of his headgear are white in the film so this inaccuracy is a little disappointing. Nevertheless, I like the distinctive colour choice and the silver battle damage looks splendid. The front of the box displays the Snowspeeder in flight, with three AT-ATs bearing down upon the rebels in the distance. I love the billowing snow effect along the edge of the wing and the bright orange explosions present an attractive contrast against the white surface of Hoth. The golden Ultimate Collector's Series badge is printed on the box and this is certainly a set worthy of such distinction, meeting all the requirements of a UCS model in my opinion.Both minifigures feature a double-sided head, with smiling and frightened expressions as well as an orange visor and chin strap. I think a determined grimace would have been more appropriate than a grin and the inclusion of two identical heads is unfortunate. On the other hand, I like the designs on the torso and legs, due in part to the addition of arm printing which has not appeared on a Rebel pilot before and offers an extra dimension of detail.

Weapons include Lando Calrissian's original blaster, Luke's blaster pistol and blue Lightsaber, and the Rebel Trooper’s blaster. However, the minifigure looks great and is sufficiently generic that it could represent almost anybody. His helmet is not shown in the film but I like this simple design, with two red Alliance Starbird insignia and a dark bluish grey stripe in the centre. He wears the same orange flight suit as the pilot and comes complete with printed arms as well as a blaster pistol. Senesca is equipped with a pair of white macrobinoculars. Twisting the thrust nozzles will cause the dorsal air brakes to open, revealing even more mechanical detail inside! The motion is very smooth and I appreciate how the designer has ensured that the shape of the air brake is accurate, with an angled surface on the outermost edge. Rotating the nozzle in the other direction will close the flap and it fits perfectly to form a smooth surface.

The underside of the armour at the front is the least visually appealing area of the model. This could not have been avoided without compromising the accuracy of the design when viewed from above and I like the ice skates which line the leading edge to create some textured detail. The armour underneath is also angled using ball joints but relies upon rubber bands to maintain its shape. These are carefully hidden and are under little stress so they are unlikely to perish as has been the case for a few rubber bands in past LEGO sets.

Includes 4 LEGO® Star Wars™ minifigures: Luke Skywalker and Dak Ralter in their pilot outfits, a Rebel Trooper and a bonus anniversary Lando Calrissian on a detachable display stand. The Ultimate Collector's Series has come to encompass various kinds of products in recent years, ranging from enormous display models to what can only be described as prodigious play sets. However, 75144 Snowspeeder marks a welcome return to the original focus of the UCS range as a popular vehicle is rendered at a large scale and with an exceptional level of detail.The top of the Snowspeeder is richly detailed and a similarly pleasing standard is maintained underneath. The orange stripes match those seen on top and I like the combination of light and dark bluish grey panels very much. Some may reasonably argue that the entire T-47 Airspeeder should be light bluish grey as they appear this colour in numerous shots from the film. However, I favour the predominantly white colour scheme as I think it better represents the factory fresh model and presents a more attractive contrast with the orange areas.