May the 4th, Star Wars Day, is almost upon us, which means that LEGO is also debuting a variety of exciting new Star Wars sets. The crown jewel of these is undoubtedly Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing fighter. While LEGO does currently have an X-Wing set, it’s a small (474 piece) kit designed more for play than display.
With the Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter, LEGO has introduced its largest X-Wing kit yet, with a ton of detail. LEGO was kind enough to send over a set for review, so let’s take a look at what you’ll get in the box, and how it builds!
What Is The LEGO Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter?
The LEGO Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter, set number 75355, is a 1949-piece kit that includes two Minifigures of Luke Skywalker and R2-D2. It is a more complex set, meant for adults 18+. When completed, the X-Wing will be 11″ high, 18″ wide, and 22″ in length.
The set retails for $239.99, and will be available to order starting May 1st if you are a VIP member, or otherwise beginning May 4th, on the LEGO X-Wing page. And if you are not already a LEGO VIP member, it is free to sign up.
Additionally, from May 1 – May 7, you can get some free Star Wars gifts. With LEGO Star Wars purchases of $40 or more, you’ll also receive a miniature X-Wing Starfighter to be the Mini-Me to your full-sized X-Wing set. And for LEGO Star Wars purchases of $150 or more, you’ll receive a mini Death Star II.
Unpacking The LEGO Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter
The box for the X-Wing Starfighter is relatively compact, especially when you compare it to some of the other sets in the Ultimate Collector Series. Then again, the X-Wing also has far less pieces than, say, the 7541-piece LEGO Millenium Falcon.
Inside of the X-Wing box, you’ll find the 1,949 pieces divided up into 18 bags, along with two specialty parts. If you’ve built a larger LEGO kit before, you’ll know that there are often bags of smaller pieces within many of those bags, and multiple bags for each stage of the build.
There are two pieces unique to the set: a cockpit, and a nameplate.
Finally, there is the instruction manual, and a small sheet of stickers to apply during assembly.
Besides assembly instructions, the manual includes information on how the LEGO kit was designed, and how the X-Wing Starfighter itself was conceived and used in the Star Wars movies.
The LEGO Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter – The Build
So let’s get to the meat and potatoes. How was it to put together the X-Wing?
I was actually surprised when I opened up the first bag. Notice anything missing from the picture above?
If you said, “there’s no Minifigure parts,” you were correct! I’m so used to having a Minifigure to assemble right at the start of a LEGO set, but we won’t be seeing Luke or Artoo for a bit, yet.
The first bag does give you the cockpit and start of the main structure for the X-Wing.
As part of the cockpit, you’ll use half of the sticker sheet for the instrumentation of the ship.
I really like that you have a finished cockpit by end of the first stage of the build. You can already feel the starfighter taking shape, even that early.
With stage 2 of the assembly, the mechanism for mounting and operating the wings of the X-Wing are built. You can turn the dial above the mechanism to open or close the wings.
In the 3rd and 4th stages of assembly, you will be building out the exterior of the main body of the ship. This includes panels on the back and sides, and the nose of the X-Wing.
When attaching the side panels, I found that I had to be careful so as not to knock off other panels that I had previously placed. So be sure to be aware as to where you brace the model when you’re pressing the panels into position.
Here’s how things look at the end of the 4th stage of assembly:
Bag 5 was a good change of pace, coming about halfway into the build. With that one, you’ll be building the stand for the X-Wing:
There is a square opening in the bottom of the X-Wing where the top of the stand slots in. This is also when you build the two Minifigures:
Artoo has a space behind the cockpit, where he easily slots in:
This was also a very appropriate time to build the stand, as you’ll need the X-Wing on it for the next few stages of the build: constructing and placing all of the wings for the starfighter.
While building the wings can be a bit repetitive, each wing has some slight variations, just like it does in Star Wars. This, coupled with the fact that each wing is pretty quick to build, cuts down on any fatigue you might have during assembly.
Each wing has four pegs, which are locked into place on the wing mechanism after attaching them.
The 10th and final stage of assembly is putting together some back panels on the wings:
And assembling the four engines:
The engines easily slot into the wings.
And that’s the build! Here are some shots of the completed X-Wing Starfighter:
The LEGO Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter – Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed building the Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter. At every stage of the build, you can feel the X-Wing taking shape, which is exciting as a Star Wars fan. And I never felt like I was struggling to get through the more repetitive parts of the build, as there was always a bit of variation that kept those parts interesting.
Completed, the X-Wing is an impressive piece. As opposed to the smaller LEGO kit that’s currently available, this one feels true to scale for the mini-figures, and will look great on your shelf. There’s just a couple of elements missing from the set that would have been nice additions. For one, there is no landing gear, which would have been a great display option. It also would have been nice to have included a ladder, like the one Luke climbs to get into his X-Wing. But these are minor quibbles in an otherwise fantastic kit.
If you’re a Star Wars fan, I highly recommend picking up the LEGO Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter. You’ll have a fun time putting it together, and it will look amazing in your Star Wars collection. I’d love to see how it compares next to the Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon (hint, hint, Lego…).
You can purchase the LEGO Ultimate Collector Series X-Wing Starfighter starting May 1st for VIP members or May 4th for everyone else at the LEGO webstore, or at a LEGO store near you.
May the Fourth Be With You!
LEGO provided an X-Wing set for evaluation, but had no input into this review.
