Subject:
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Re: review: Set 7134: Rebel A-Wing wih mechanic
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.starwars
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Date:
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Fri, 21 Jan 2000 23:32:16 GMT
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Viewed:
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506 times
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In lugnet.starwars, Kevin Kwan writes:
> (I modified James Simpson's B-Wing review to fit into a general format for the
> A-Wing...My apologies and much respect.)
>
> The Set: A-Wing with Rebel Alliance mechanic (# 7134)
>
> Piece Count: 123
> Minifigs: 2
> Price: $16.99 (as paid in Toys R'Us in Union Square, New York City)
> Price per Piece: $0.14
>
> My ratings:
> Parts Selections: 8 out of 10
> Playability: 9 out of 10
> Overall design: 7 out of 10
> My overall rating: 8.25 out of 10
>
> This set was actually not my first choice for purchase, as I am waiting for
> the 7180/B-Wings to hit New York City in full force. For some odd reason, the
> 4 major toystores in the New York Metro area (Toys R'Us, K-Mart, FAO Schwartz
> and Kay-Bee toys) seems to have a slow sales and stock cycle compared to their
> sister stores in Long Island. Unfortunately, I missed Noodle Kidoodle in
> Westbury on Sunday (my 4 year old cousin reported the presence of the 7180
> there) so I missed a great chance to buy some serious toys)...But anyways,
> They just restocked on Monday when I dropped by after work, and I had $40 left
> over from buying a weekly for the LIRR, so what the heck, I picked up an A-
> Wing because it's there and looks sorta cool...
>
> First, let me say that the Lego A-Wing is not exactly very accurate. the
> cockpit is a bit too large...In the real thing, the cockpit is smallish, but
> is sharply raked with a larger red spine...However, it can be fixed with a red
> marker...The guns are a tad too large, and the hull is not exactly round and
> plump like the real thing. It's a tad too short...The 4 S-Foils that surround
> the rear of the ship can be mounted 1 stub back...However, I think the blocky
> S-foils can be replaced with plates with a slanted side to make it look
> sleeker. The real plane's engines are supposed to have transparent ringslike
> the Y-Wing. However, In this incarnation it uses a barrel engine like the one
> on the X-Wing. For the sake of saving money to the designers for making less
> customized pieces, I would have to say that lego did a pretty good job with
> it. Just that from certain angles the plane looks great, while in other angles
> it looks awful. I think the unoffical "fan-set" A-Wings looks better. But
> not too bad.
>
> Oh yeah...I found it cooler if you turned the engines backwards when you built
> it, so the yellow engine is now surrounded by a red cowling.
>
> It has an interesting parts selections. The sets feature a computer with a
> pic of the Bridge of a Star Destroyer... I guess this is supposed to invoke
> the "suicide ship" flown by that unlucky Rebel Pilot (He has a name, right?)
> that slammed into the SSD Executor in SW6. Also, The clear cockpit was nice
> for making a Z-95 headhunter mod to your 7140 (X-Wing) set...In fact, if you
> buy 2 (Hey, It's still $35, and now you get a flight element) you can mod the
> X-wing's engines to red and add some cool color schemes to it. Perhaps you
> can do a Cloud car (another on the SW Lego Wishlist)
> The 2 2X2 Red Male overhinge plate makes a great piece for making landing gear
> struts or hidden gun placement actuators...or maybe one of those ceiling
> mounted robot arms like the ones seen in Rebel Assault 2.
>
> A few pieces worthy of note:
>
> 1 6X4X2 Round cockpit
> 2 2x2X3 Slanted Red blocks with the rebel Insignia
> 2 sensor sticks (Those with alot of lightsabers and the speeder bike set
> (7128) can use the black sticks to make electric prods for their stormtroopers
> or extend the side mounted blaster guns on the speeder bikes to make them look
> like Imperial issue blasters)
> 2 black cannons (More guns are cool)
> 1 2X2X1 Slanted Computer with the Star Destroyer tower printed on it
> 1 2x2X3 "mailbox" storage box that rests behind the pilot, which held a pair
> of Hoth style binoculars
> 2 2X2 3/4 side gray slanted brick (for making beveled noses)
> 2 2X2X6 Red engines
> 2 2x2x1 Transparent Yellow round bricks (Engines)
> 2 2X2X1 Red underhinge set
> 4 2X2X1 Gray Technic style round "cross-hatch rod" holder with 2 black rods
> 2 4X6 gray slanted plates
> 1 3X4X1 Red tapered "nose" unit
> 1 Green flightsuit with an awesome greenish yellowish visor, which has red
> Hebrew-like markings.
> Well, for a small set, it does have some cool parts...
>
> Now, a couple of bones to pick with it:
>
> 1. Could look a bit sleeker. I dunno...This is supposed be the Rebel
> Alliance's TIE Interceptor killer? Looks cool in certain angles, but
> absolutely ugly in others...Looks like a whale on the side view...Looks cool
> on an off-center isometric (The side of the box features a kickass picture, as
> does the instructions, but the top of the box? ugh...Does not look "blended
> in"...I think it can be stretched longer by moving the S-Foils back a bit...or
> extend the spine behind the cockpit...Maybe allow the mechanic to crop a
> joyride once in awhile (Which is currently possible if you remove the 2X4X1
> slanted red "couch" the pilot rests on, remove the stoareg box and the wrench,
> and jam the mechanic on his side and tilt the hat sideways)
>
> 2. Can come with a droid.
> I know, I know, th A-Wings are like suicide ships in the SW universe...But at
> least back in the hangar I can use an R-4 droid like the ones in the Y-Wings.
> I mean, if the B-Wings have one, why not the A-Wing? I would rather take the
> R-4 than the mechanic...Perhaps I would like another Hoth soldier...or an
> Imperial pilot...or even (God forbid) Luke Skywalker...Jedi Clone.
> (why do I have 3 Lukes? Every 1999 SW classic set seems to come with a
> Luke...maybe the lugnet folks can do a parody of the "Clone wars" in which all
> the Lukes fought each other)
>
> 3. The notch on the front side where the cockpit opens up to can be covered
> With a slanted red lock or a red 1X2 tile...The notch really breaks up the
> clean silhouette.
>
> 4. Should be featured in a twin set alongside an Imperial counterpart...
> You know, I owned virtually all the SW classic Legos (except the 7180 and the
> Y-Wing/TIEx2 combo)...I mean, my rebel base is growing, but I have no
> opponents...C'mon, Lego Group, make some Imps already! I am tired of only
> having a speeder bike Stormtrooper! I want a Tyderian shuttle filled with the
> Emperor and the Red Imperial guard for this Christmas already! Is that coming
> in May 2001?
> A TIE Interceptor would be real nice to twin with this set.
>
> Despite my complaints, I have to say that I'm probably getting another one.
> It's a good set to buy to give to your little cousins, siblings or offsprings,
> as it is rugged (It's pretty hard to break and stands up to abuse, unlike the
> Fusial engines in the X-Wing, which tends to snap off in play and really needs
> a Technic styled cross-hatched rod to reinforce in its sitting, like the rods
> in the solid rocket boosters of the old US Space Shuttle Lego set, as does the
> laser cannons, which tends to fall off the Wings easily) and have relatively
> large parts which is easy to find if it's misplaced. It's also a good "spares
> pile" for making mods or original designs.
>
> I would recommend this set to anybody...While true-blue SW fans would find
> this set somewhat lacking, it is a pretty good set to have around the Rebel
> base...and for $4 more than the speeder bikes you can buy a plane that can
> match up against Darth Vader's TIE.
Kevin:
I'm honored that you chose my review to modify. I agree with your review of the
A-Wing. You know, I really don't expect too much accuracy from Lego regarding
SW model design any longer. IMO, the only ship that was done accurately was the
X-Wing. I think that the A-Wing set is very good in terms of parts, and,
despite the fact that it leaves a lot to be desired regarding an accurate
rendition of the A-Wing...I really like the little bad boy. It fits right in
with my Lego collection because it is "roughly" SW in the same way that most of
my SW MOCs are "roughly" members of the SW universe. IOW, taken for what it is,
it is a GREAT Lego set. Sure, it could have been done better, but...when
compared with the sets produced by Lego over the past 2 or 3 years (most have
been rubbish, IMHO), this set shines! As a SW set, I agree with you that it
deserves an 8.25 rating, but as a straight-up Lego set, I'd say that it deserves
a 9.
Sincerely,
James Simpson
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | review: Set 7134: Rebel A-Wing wih mechanic
|
| (I modified James Simpson's B-Wing review to fit into a general format for the A-Wing...My apologies and much respect.) The Set: A-Wing with Rebel Alliance mechanic (# 7134) Piece Count: 123 Minifigs: 2 Price: $16.99 (as paid in Toys R'Us in Union (...) (25 years ago, 21-Jan-00, to lugnet.starwars)
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