No sooner do I write about my urge for minimalism than my girlfriend gives me the very LEGO Saturn V I mentioned for my birthday. The box itself is huge. I have no idea if LEGO sets were this big when I was a kid. But the box is big, and beautifully printed. Unfortunately, it’s not a flip-top box, but a simple carton. I expected more and cut it open on both sides. Top and bottom - stupid me.
Inside the box are twelve bags for twelve building stages. Inside those bags are more little bags for small parts. A huge pile of plastic waste. The bags contain a total of 1,969 pieces; I suspect the match with the year of the moon landing is intentional. 1,969 pieces in all the colors of the rainbow. A lot has changed in recent decades. There used to be no building steps and no color variation; instead, you had to sort the parts beforehand. Whatever, LEGO’s focus is no longer on producing toys for children.
Enough complaining, this post is in the Review category, not Gripes. Back to the Saturn V. Due to its round shape, the build is quite monotonous, as most parts have to be built four times. Every now and then there are two variations, but that makes little difference. On the other hand, some interesting building techniques and parts are used to switch from horizontal to vertical. With the engines, it’s not clearly shown that the rods are important for their stability. You only notice that when they start falling off one by one. At least, as an experienced LEGO builder; inexperienced buyers will probably either search for a long time or get annoyed. Overall, the build is straightforward, too straightforward for my taste thanks to the steps and colors.
A huge thing!
The size of the model is considerable
In the end, the LEGO Saturn V set is not a playset, and you only build it once. Granted, it’s sturdy enough to play with. But it might be too big for children. At a height of 100cm, it reaches at least up to a young child’s head. The size and weight of over two kilograms will limit the fun of playing with it.
But it looks damn good. You shouldn’t look into every nook and cranny, or you’ll see the colored parts. But from a normal viewing distance, the model is impressive. It looks good both standing and lying down (on the included stands). The lunar module and the landing capsule are a nice bonus. The sight of it definitely brings me a lot of joy. It’s also nice that you can separate the rocket into its different stages. The size is, of course, a problem when you’re looking for a place for the rocket.
But there is another point of criticism besides the colored parts. LEGO does provide stands, but only three of them. If you separate the rocket into its stages, you can’t display these stages. So the motto is all or nothing. In my opinion, however, it looks better lying down than standing up.
Conclusion
I’m passionate about space travel and I love building bricks. So the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (92176) is right up my alley. The build wasn’t very challenging, but I still had a lot of fun with it. I had a childlike joy watching the rocket grow and building it brick by brick. At almost €150, the model isn’t cheap. Too expensive for a playset, and really too expensive for a display piece as well. But I have so much fun with it! And I didn’t have to pay for it. Thanks to my girlfriend! In points, I would give it four out of five and would recommend it. At least for fans of space travel who want an impressive (large) model in their home.