Tag: Aircraft

  • Wings of the Rising Sun – Imperial Japanese Aircraft built in Lego

    Japan’s aviation industry in WWII produced some of the most iconic aircraft of the Pacific War. From the nimble Zero to experimental jet-age designs, these machines defined both Japan’s early dominance and desperate late-war innovation.

    Mitsubishi A6M Zero – The Legend of the Pacific

    The A6M Zero was Japan’s most famous fighter. Highly maneuverable, long-ranged, and deadly in the early years of the war, it dominated Allied skies. However, its light armor and lack of self-sealing fuel tanks made it vulnerable once newer Allied fighters appeared.

    Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” – The Long-Legged Bomber

    Nicknamed the “Betty” by the Allies, the G4M was Japan’s main twin-engine bomber. It had impressive range, enabling long missions across the Pacific, but like the Zero, it lacked armor and was highly flammable. Despite this, it carried out famous missions, including the attack that killed Admiral Yamamoto in 1943.

    This big model uses some brick bending to get the wings to align in the right way, striving for accuracy. It’s easier to do when the model is bigger.

    Aichi E13A “Jake” – The Recon Workhorse

    The E13A was a floatplane used extensively for reconnaissance, maritime patrol, and even bombing missions. Launched from cruisers and battleships, it served as the “eyes of the fleet” throughout the Pacific. Versatile and reliable, it was one of Japan’s most numerous seaplanes.

    Kyushu J7W Shinden – The Forward-Thinking Interceptor

    The J7W Shinden was a radical late-war prototype interceptor, designed with a canard layout and a rear-mounted engine. It was built to intercept B-29 bombers with heavy 30mm cannons. Only a handful were built before the war ended, but its futuristic design showed how far Japan was willing to push innovation.

    I decided to build this one because I saw it in the movie Godzilla Minus One.

    Yokosuka MXY-7 Ohka – The “Cherry Blossom” Rocket Plane

    One of the most infamous late-war creations, the Ohka was a single manned rocket-propelled Kamikaze aircraft. Carried under a bomber until close to its target, it would then detach and dive at ships at tremendous speeds. While devastating if it struck, its short range made it vulnerable to interception. The Ohka symbolized Japan’s increasingly desperate tactics as the war drew to a close.

  • Wings of the Luftwaffe: German Aircraft of WWII

    When people think of the German Luftwaffe during WWII, they picture sleek fighters screaming across the skies and powerful bombers darkening the horizon. The Luftwaffe introduced some of the most advanced designs of the war, from dive bombers to the world’s first operational jet fighter.

    And since I’ve already built these aircraft in micro-scale, it was time to give them a proper showcase! Below you’ll find some of the most famous German aircraft, complete with photos, fun facts, and tutorials so you can build them yourself.

    Messerschmitt Bf 109 – The Backbone Fighter

    The Bf 109 was the Luftwaffe’s workhorse fighter. Fast, agile, and deadly, it flew from the Spanish Civil War all the way to the end of WWII. It was Germany’s most produced fighter and racked up countless air victories.

    Bf 109 E-3 variant

    The Bf 109 comes in an array of colour schemes, but I think the best known one is the grey and yellow variant(Bf 109E-3), which I’ve made here.

    I used SNOT building techniques to achieve this paint scheme, but you can also interchange the tiles and bricks to fit another scheme of your choosing.

    The main body uses a modified brick with 5 studs(travis brick), a brick I use very often, because it allows for building on all sides. It also gives me a cavity to put a 1×3 bar inside, so I can have a rotating propeller.

    I was also able to fit some guns on the underside of the wings as well as landing gear.

    Having said that, the wings are only attached with one stud, which may seem a little flimsy, but the clutch power is enough to keep this thing soaring. Nothing beats the clutch power of Lego!

    Bf 109 B-2 variant

    Just to prove a point, I attempted to build the Bf 109 B-2 variant as well, which is no easy feat considering dark green parts are rarer, but I think it turned out nicely with some minor changes.

    Here’s a tutorial for the Bf-109:

    Focke-Wulf Fw 190 – The “Butcher Bird”

    Nicknamed the “Butcher Bird,” the Fw 190 gave Allied pilots nightmares. With its powerful engine, heavy armament, and excellent handling, it was considered one of the best fighters of the war.

    I never got around to making a tutorial for this aircraft, but the basic frame is the same as the Bf-109.

    Junkers Ju 87 Stuka – The Fearsome Dive Bomber

    The Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber is infamous for its screaming sirens (the “Jericho Trumpets”) that terrified soldiers on the ground. While effective in early Blitzkrieg campaigns, it became vulnerable against stronger air defenses later in the war.

    Messerschmitt Me 262 – The Jet Age Arrives

    The Me 262 was the world’s first operational jet fighter. With speeds unmatched by Allied planes, it was far ahead of its time. However, it came too late in the war to change the outcome, but it inspired post-war jet designs worldwide.

    Messerschmitt Bf 110 – The Heavy Fighter

    The Bf 110 was a twin-engine heavy fighter designed for long range and heavy firepower. It struggled against nimble single-seat fighters, but later proved effective as a night fighter.

    This ended up being my favourite build of the all the Luftwaffe, because it’s unique with it’s twin propellors and top MG turret.

    Horten Ho 229 – The Flying Wing

    The Horten Ho 229 was one of the most futuristic designs of WWII. Developed by the Horten brothers, it was the world’s first jet-powered flying wing. With its sleek, almost alien shape, it promised high speed, long range, and a reduced radar signature — earning it the nickname “the first stealth aircraft.”

    The Ho 229 was intended to combine the speed of jet propulsion with the efficiency of a flying wing design, making it a potential game-changer. However, only a few prototypes were built before the war ended, and it never saw combat. Today, the only surviving Ho 229 is preserved at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in the United States.

    If you like my post on this subject, stay tuned because there will many more of these coming! Also, leave a comment and let me know what else you would like to see in future posts. Thanks for reading!

    Tip: It’s all about trial and error. If you ask two people to build the same model in a certain scale, it will more or less look the same, but if you are experienced enough, you will know what the slight differences in technique and style are. Experiment for yourself!

  • The Mustang That Could Soar

    I always wondered why they named the North American Aviation P-51 “Mustang”. Horses can’t fly right?

    I digress, the P-51 was a long-range, single-seat fighter/fighter-bomber used in WWII and the Korean War. It used an engine called the Packard V-1650 Merlin and was armed with six M2 Browning machine guns, damn, that’s a lot of fire power for an airplane of that era.

    The Mustang was very good in a dog fight and would escort bombers during raids over Germany. It saw battle during the North Africa, Mediterranean, Italian and Pacific theatres too and apparently destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft by the war’s end.

    P-51's save the day in Saving Private Ryan
    P-51’s save the day in Saving Private Ryan

    The first time I saw it was in Saving Private Ryan, when Tom Hanks was on the brink of death facing a Tiger 1 and a P-51 swooped in to destroy it.

    Christian Bale's character with a P-51 behind him
    Christian Bale’s character with a P-51 behind him

    Or who can forget the scene in Empire of the Sun when Christian Bale shouts “P-51 Mustang, Cadillac of the sky!” as a squadron flies in to liberate the POW camp?

    I had built a P-51 before in a slightly larger scale(1:90) so it wasn’t too difficult to miniaturise it further. Some details are very hard to include when working in a small scale but I managed to fit wheels and guns into this MOC, both done using a 1×1 round plate with bar, a very versatile piece.

    This aircraft comes in many paint schemes and the first one I made is what I believe to be from the 375th Squadron, but you could easily change out a few pieces to get the squadron colours you like.

    For example, the second one with the blue nose is from the 487th Fighter Squadron, and I added in some stickers which I printed out on label paper and cut out. It’s a painstaking process but I did it just to add that little extra detail, although a printed tile would be much better on the eyes.

    I also used black and white tiles as the “invasion stripes”, which the allies used to differentiate between friend or foe.

    The last one is from the P-51 Tuskegee Airmen Red Tail Squadron, and was featured in the movie Red Tails. It was only after watching that film that I learnt about the brave African-American pilots who risked their lives during WWII, a period where segregation was still predominant. It’s an inspiring drama that is worth a watch.

    Red Tails escorting bomber aircraft
    Red Tails escorting bomber aircraft

    Here’s how to build my version of the P-51 Mustang:

    If you like my post on this subject, stay tuned and subscribe to my mailing list because there will many more of these coming! Also, leave a comment and let me know what else you would like to see in future posts. Thanks for reading!

    Tip: Using 1×1 modified bricks with studs gives you choices when building sideways so play around with these useful pieces, especially headlight bricks!