306 Lunar Landing Plates

Year Released: 1979

Piece Count: 2

Minifigs: 0

List Price: unknown

As part of the Classic Space Collection, Lego offered two sets of moon plates. One was a set of two crater plates, and the other, this very useful Landing Plate set.

Not much to review, but worth sharing a few images:

The landing plate:

And T-Plate:

The two plates connect to form this very nice Classic Space landing platform:

Set 497, Galaxy Explorer included the landing platform, but the one that I had was lighter in color than the one contained in this set (at least the yellow circle).

Future Lego space sets could benefit by having similar road plates. Share your thoughts.

These are my only space base plates from Classic Space.

Actually, with only 2 plates, I could not do much serious expansion with it. Instead, I merged it with my old city baseplates, and used it as a docking station for scientific purposes or restricted facilities that is guarded by the police.

These baseplates are very useful and is suited for creating a space command center, up in the space.

These are pretty good, but I think they look too much like the standard town roads from that period. I like the black space plates from the early 90s better (6710).

  CP5670 said:

I like the black space plates from the early 90s better (6710).

Awesome! I had not seen these before. They would really make nice plates for a SW Death Star scene. Thanks for sharing.

first, what i liked sooooo much was the cover of these plates, with this large picture of a classic space scene. I still have a '306' misb just to keep that nice feeling of taking it out of a plastic box, and look at it... there were different versions of the cover though.

second, the markings of the landing platform changed at some point. i'd have to check it later when i'm at home, think it had something to do with the interupted yellow lines...

  WhiteFang said:

Actually, with only 2 plates, I could not do much serious expansion with it. Instead, I merged it with my old city baseplates, and used it as a docking station for scientific purposes or restricted facilities that is guarded by the police.

You make a very good point there. I've used these plates to represent restricted areas, and even as simple airport runways, beyond their space uses.

I never liked the black plates (they were during my dark ages anyway, so I've never really seen one up close), but I have seen them used in a Death Star display as suggested and it turned out fairly well.

These plates are great in setting up your space base and giving your ships a place to land. My favorite, though, is the lunar crater plate, which I use to death in my comic. :)

Why pay $350 Dollars, just download the instructions on buy the pieces off Bricklink. This is was I did when I wanted to create the Blacktron II in the Futuron colour scheme. Also I tend to like both sets of base plates, I bought the black ones myself and they were of great use but there more for creating the idea of a city or space station, something more completely man made. The gray ones give a better look of the roads being laid over bare rock especially when you introduce the plates with the craters. I would love to see a 48*48 baseplate with roads through them which would allow more building space on the side and maybe some craters. Also 48*48 baseplates with craters but a few different kinds to create more or a realistic look and less of a repeating pattern. And with all those rocks you have to put everything up on supports, much better looking bases then.

  Lokix said:

Why pay $350 Dollars, just download the instructions on buy the pieces off Bricklink.

That's the problem; the instructions aren't anywhere to be found, not that I've seen.

The set does seem to have some rare parts, but I doubt $350 worth.

  CP5670 said:

These are pretty good, but I think they look too much like the standard town roads from that period. I like the black space plates from the early 90s better (6710).

Oh how I love these plates. Afew years ago I found a local retail store with about 6-7 sets of these in their basement warehouse I was given special access to (along with MANY other old space goodies.. hehe..)

I love the things, I have loads, and I've used them for multiple space bases and battles. Along with afew grey crater plates and the large grey plates (1.5x the size of a normal baseplate) you can get quite a monorail layout going.

*sigh*

I should really clean up and get one set up again, so I can take some pictures!

  Quote

Oh how I love these plates. Afew years ago I found a local retail store with about 6-7 sets of these in their basement warehouse I was given special access to (along with MANY other old space goodies.. hehe..)

I love the things, I have loads, and I've used them for multiple space bases and battles. Along with afew grey crater plates and the large grey plates (1.5x the size of a normal baseplate) you can get quite a monorail layout going.

*sigh*

I should really clean up and get one set up again, so I can take some pictures!

Wow, nice. You probably have enough to make that scene on the box picture. I got one pack off ebay a while ago and have another octagon plate from the Blacktron 6988 base. I'm building my carrier MOC around one but don't have anything planned for the others.

These baseplates are still relatively common on ebay for their age. I see MISB packs on there every few weeks and they tend to sell for around $20. The older kind (in the OP) are much harder to come by.

Edited July 9, 200816 yr by CP5670

  KDog said:

That's the problem; the instructions aren't anywhere to be found, not that I've seen.

The set does seem to have some rare parts, but I doubt $350 worth.

By looking at the pictures used to display this set I've a sneaky suspicion it did not come with instructions but meant for the pictures to be ideas. The whole set was suppose to teach children to use their imagination, giving them instructions would somewhat defeat this while trying to figure how to build things from looking at pictures would be a much better educational experience.

I also love these plates! I build a lot with them (e.g. this ). Unfortunately they are not available in bley ...

  Lokix said:

By looking at the pictures used to display this set I've a sneaky suspicion it did not come with instructions but meant for the pictures to be ideas. The whole set was suppose to teach children to use their imagination, giving them instructions would somewhat defeat this while trying to figure how to build things from looking at pictures would be a much better educational experience.

But I don't wanna use my imagination!