The LAAT/i Republic Gunship was one of the most unusually designed and iconic vessels in the prequel trilogy. First making its dramatic appearance during the Battle of Geonosis, arriving just in time to save the necks of the surviving Jedi in the Petranaki Arena, these ships then went on to cause mayhem in the ensuing desert fight. Variants of the LAAT/i have since appeared throughout the new 'Clone Wars' animated series, on which this model is based.

LEGO has crafted a convincing replica of the formidable vessel, with startling attention to detail. It took me over five hours to build (I was in no rush, and took breaks), and I wouldn't suggest that children at the lower range of the age bracket be left to build it on their own, for I doubt if they'd have the patience to finish it. There are several tricky parts during the construction which may prove overly challenging for younger children or inexperienced builders, though the majority of the process is reasonably typical of a LEGO set and the use of TECHNIC parts is kept to a minimum (compared to other sets in the range anyway). There are some stickers to apply - including two different nose art designs, allowing for some degree of customisation.

Superbly capturing the minutia of their on-screen muse, LEGO have certainly managed to eke every ounce of skill from their designers with this set. Clever techniques have been used to create an incredibly similar hull configuration to that of the original, with its lines mimicked well. The doors to the troop transport bay make use of TECHNIC parts to open smoothly, with an authentic motion, though the forward half of the doors must be opened manually. There is plenty of playability involved, as every inch of the vessel has been utilised - a removable command centre is located in the forward compartment, with a bacta tank just behind it. A top compartment opens to reveal a pair of small probe droids, while a rear compartment allows a speederbike to disembark. There are four small compartments, two on either side, just above the main troop bay to store weapons and accessories.

Armed to the teeth, the LAAT/i gunship has two ball turrets on its bow, with a third at the rear, just above the speederbike hatch. On the top, set between the wings, are a pair of moveable missile cells replete with a total of eight flick-fire missiles. As a rule I have always taken a disliking to these missiles, but they are there as an option and add to the detail.

The Republic Gunship isn't quite as fragile as some reviews have been indicating, but then, I am an adult and have been gentle with the finished piece. Holding it with two hands from beneath (taking care to avoid placing too much pressure against the middle, just beneath the troop transport bay, which is definitely one of its weakest points) will allow for some degree of lethargic 'swooshing', but it is definitely true that too much vigour will cause problems. Younger children might be disappointed, especially as the set may be a little heavy for them to fly it around. Anyone with spare 6x4 stud (or similar) plates might consider applying them liberally to the underbelly of this beast to provide a little extra stability.

In addition, the front two ball turrets will come off frequently. The cockpits, both on the front and on the wings, are fastened to their hinges via studs rather than clips, and it is advised that you press a finger down on the connection when opening and closing them, or they will come loose.

The Republic Gunship is a masterpiece, there is no other word for it. But in their drive for aesthetic authenticity, LEGO have sacrificed structural integrity. As a display model, or the toy of a careful child (or adult!), it is perfect. In the hands of a young child or careless swoosher, however, things may well come to pieces quickly.

A regular Clone Trooper, Commander Cody (exclusive), Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi (exclusive) and Plo Koon (exclusive), and Dark Jedi Asajj Ventress accompany the Gunship. This, in my mind, is the biggest downfall here - more Clone Troopers would have been lovely, for there are four cockpits to fill and you still need soldiers to deploy as well! While the Clone Troopers, Plo Koon (his detailed rubber head being the star of the show) and Ventress are all wonderfully detailed, Kenobi could use some work - the expression on his face is daft, and the rear of his torso has no detail.

This product was well worth every cent! Spent a couple of hours building it, very enjoyable and the scale is really good compared to a few other LEGO Star Wars vehicles that aren't in the right scale. This was fun to build and looks great on my shelf with the others! Really recommend it to anyone!

This kept little fingers busy for two days solid.

Halfway through construction we discovered that some pieces were missing. My grandson has had a lot of LEGO kits and this is the first time there has been a problem. I entered the details on the LEGO website and the parts were sent, no quibble, no charge.

Fortunately, the missing bits were peripheral and he was able to virtually complete the model before they arrived. And I was treated to an enthusiastic demonstration of opening hatches, swivelling turrets and little droidy things.

My son loved getting this for his birthday. He enjoyed building it- quite quickly in fact, but he has become experienced over the years.

Unforts the box was damaged badly, so I think it should have been packaged better, even so the lego and instructions were fine and my son was pleased.

My son loved it but he is finding it quite tricky to assemble as he wants to do it completely on his own. He has just turned 9. He will be able to do it eventually but he is normally very good at stuff like this so others may find it hard.

Instructions are good, well packed, though numbered bags would have been helpfull so we did not have to sort the whole contents in one go.

My 8 year old son loved it, but it just kept falling apart. I spent a further two hours changing pieces and strengthening the ship.

Lego must understand these are not just models but toys, my eight year old wants to pick it up and play with it. For a sake a of a few more peices they let lego down.

This is a great model! BUT you need to be patient and follow the (good) diagramatic instructions carefully. Spent almost three hours Xmas day assembling it - well worth it though as finished model is great! My son has spent hours delivering troops and supplies to far flung reaches of different galaxies......

I bought this set on behalf of my 11 year old son, who is a bit of a Lego Star Wars fan. It took him about a day to make. He really liked it as it had a lot of detail, and enough characters. (More characters means more play value). He said it would have been better with more Clones. The best of the Lego Star Wars models he has made ( he also has the Imperial Star Destroyer, Jabba's Sail Barge, MTT, Rebel Battle Pack....). All the Lego models like this are expensive, but this is better value than some.

Mein Sohn hat mit 10 Jahren 4 Stunden gebraucht um es alleine komplett aufzubauen. Mit Stolz erfüllt spielt er täglich damit. Der kauf hat sich gelohnt.

組み立てての感想です

スターウォーズのシリーズは全て割高感が有りましたが、

55%OFFここまで下がると流石にお買得だと思いました。

完成品は結構大きく遊べるようにギミックも多数付いていて楽しめます。

ディスプレイする場合でも横長な作品では無いので嵩張らない方です。

フィグも充実でプロ・クーンやアサージ・ヴェントレス他にもコーディなど

レアなフィグも嬉しいですね。

満足いく内容でした◎

子供の誕生日プレゼントに購入しました。

近隣のお店で数店舗を探しましたが、

どこにもなく、amazonさんで見つけて購入しました。

子供も凄く喜んでくれ、毎日のように遊んでいます。

購入して良かったです。

Verpackung defekt . Nur 2/3 der Teile vorhanden

Lieferung umgehend und vollständig. Zustand ist gut. Unser Junior freut sich sehr und spielt viel damit. Er hate sich schon lage darauf gefreut.