Germany brick-build set company BlueBrixx made their way into the Star Trek universe in late 2020, and their second wave of products caught fans interest this summer with giant construction kits for the Deep Space 9 space station, a full-sized Starfleet phaser rifle, and more.
These kits, both small and large, have been making their way to fans worldwide (as the company is only licensed to sell their Trek wares in Germany) over the last few months, and today we take a good look at the first-wave Galileo shuttlecraft and second-wave runabout Rio Grande builds, with a review from TrekCore reader @IronCaniac.
All review photos courtesy of IronCaniac.
Ever since I was a kid and saw the first LEGO space themed set, I hoped that there eventually would be a Star Trek theme. Alas, despite LEGO adding licensed sets from many pop culture franchises like Marvel, Disney, and Jurassic World over the years, there was never a Star Trek set. That all finally changed when began selling officially licensed Star Trek sets – and as I’m partial to minifig scale vehicles, the first set I chose to get was their 493-piece Class F shuttlecraft.
It’s been a few years since I’ve built a brick set, but I was able to finish this shuttle in just under three hours. Even though these weren’t LEGOs, the build experience was completely indistinguishable from building with LEGO bricks. The pieces fit together just like LEGOs do, likely because LEGO’s patents have expired and now other companies can make brick pieces exactly to LEGO’s specs.
What impresses me the most is just how closely the brick model resembles the onscreen Galileo shuttle from the Original Series. It’s a good thing that shuttle was so blocky in appearance, but it’s also a testament to BlueBrixx’s attention to detail in what they chose to re-create in brick form. The pieces fit together very tightly, making this model very sturdy… except for its nacelles.
The nacelles are the only weak point in the model. As in, literally, they’re a weak point — the front third of the nacelles have a tendency to disconnect if you accidentally put downward pressure on the model’s bow; this is because the shuttle model actually rests its full weight on the nacelles.
Without anything to support the shuttle’s front half, the nacelles’ front sections bear a lot of strain at the segments that contact the surface. This minor shortcoming doesn’t detract from the model at all, though, because the nacelles hold together surprisingly well, all things considered — as long as you’re careful about where you’re putting pressure. You could also solve the problem by placing something like an extra brick or a small display stand underneath the forward bow to support it.
Being in minifig scale, the model naturally has an interior that can accommodate them. There are no minifigs included with the set, but as with the onscreen shuttle, there are seats for up to 8 figures – plus some standing room behind the helm too. Interestingly, the Memory Alpha entry for the Class F shuttle is officially listed as having a crew complement of only 7, so perhaps the extra seat is intended to be for one of the pilots when then they need a break!
The interior is every bit as detailed as the exterior and accurately replicates what was seen onscreen to the extent that is possible in small plastic bricks. There is also an aft compartment that I don’t believe was ever seen onscreen (and is not accessible from the main compartment unless you remove the door).
That could present an opportunity for creativity: customizing the space using other bricks, which I look forward to trying at some point.
The USS Rio Grande was one of the three original Danube-class runabouts assigned to Deep Space 9. It was the only runabout of the original trio to survive the full run of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series. Over the course of the series, the Rio Grande discovered the Bajoran wormhole, crossed over into the Mirror Universe, and even singlehandedly destroyed a Jem’Hadar attack ship.
A vessel with such an illustrious career deserves a tremendous tribute, and BlueBrixx fittingly has made sure that its 3090-piece Rio Grande model lives up to the distinguished runabout.
As with the Galileo shuttle, the most striking initial impression is just how closely this brick-built model resembles the onscreen Rio Grande, both in its exterior and interior. BlueBrixx has recreated just about everything that was depicted onscreen, even the rear sleeping and dining compartment — complete with a replicator! – that wasn’t even seen in Deep Space Nine, but in TNG’s “Timescape.”
Most impressively, the designers have also included things that were never seen onscreen, such as the specialized mission modules in the midsection and engine components in the pylons.
The build experience on this one is best described as similar to running a marathon; proper planning and pacing is a must. The runabout may look sleek and compact when finished, but this massive set is a beast, and more than likely will take you at least a few days to complete.
I wouldn’t consider it a set for beginners, and it’s definitely not a set for kids. The build is still a very rewarding experience, especially when you finally snap on the top cover and start to hear the DS9 theme play in your mind. (Well, maybe that’s just me!)
As the BlueBrixx product page shows, the set includes a rollbar that was seen on some runabouts, most notably in “The Jem’Hadar.” I’ve opted not to include this rollbar on my model, because the Rio Grande was only equipped with this module in just one out of its 40 appearances.
One of the great things for me about brick sets is that you can inject your own creativity as you build. For example, I wasn’t crazy about building the toilet that BlueBrixx included in the instructions, so I used some spare LEGO bricks and custom minifig accessories to create an armory in its place. I think the armory turned out pretty well, and the LEGO bricks fit seamlessly in case anyone was wondering about compatibility.
Now that I’ve built multiple BlueBrixx Star Trek sets, it’s becoming increasingly evident to me is that these kits are clearly a labor of love, developed by devoted Star Trek fans. I’ve noticed many places where the designers could’ve opted for a simpler build but went with a more complex, intricate setup to match more closely the appearance of the onscreen ship as much as possible.
For someone who’s waited a long time for Star Trek themed LEGO sets, it’s such a joy to see Star Trek building brick sets being made by people who really care about paying homage to the franchise and doing their best to recreate some of its icons. I look forward to many more BlueBrixx sets, especially more small craft in minifig scale!
In addition to the new products BlueBrixx announced earlier this summer which are now making their way to collectors’ homes, the company also unveiled a host of new Star Trek builds at the recent Destination Star Trek Germany convention last weekend.
While their convention video is of course presented in their native German language, the new starships and other brick-build designs speak for themselves — expanding the BlueBrixx catalog from the earliest days of warp spaceflight to the far reaches of the Delta Quadrant.
All of BlueBrixx’s available Star Trek build sets are for sale through their website, which ships internationally from their Germany distribution center. (If you’re interested in any of their newly-previewed products, you can sign up to be notified when each becomes available on that page.)
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Have you bought any of BlueBrixx’s builds from their first or second wave of Star Trek releases? Do any of the new Wave 3 builds grab your attention? Let us know in the comments below!