Introduction - Remembering the Launch Command Sub-Theme from the 90s

In 1990, LEGO introduced a new sub-theme that would have Town and City passengers swooshing into space in the blocky yet classic United States Space Shuttle with set 1682 Space Shuttle Launch. An additional set was added to the collection in 1992 with 6346 Shuttle Launching Crew, a space shuttle with 4-stud wide truck and trailer transport; and in 1995, the theme was expanded with five additional sets including the large 6339 Shuttle Launch Pad. Classic Town fans can certainly appreciate the 4-stud wide vehicles, slope brick-built shuttles, and roadplates contained within the Launch Command sub-theme. Now in 2011, LEGO brings back the theme with a NASA license with 3367 Space Shuttle.

Statistics

Set Name: Space Shutle

Set Number: 3367

Theme: City

Sub-Theme: City-Space

Pieces: 231

Price: $29.99 USD found at ToysRUs

Minifigures: 1

Accessories: Space Telescope

Images

I was immediately drawn to the beautiful City/Space boxart with a ship that is based on the United States Discovery Space Shuttle. While the shuttle is not called the Discovery, images found on the boxart and instructions suggest that this is the U.S. Discovery with Hubble Telescope.

The box reads: In collaboration with NASA, with a small picture of the Discovery.

Upon opening the box, one will find two large bags numbered One and Two, with 6x16 black baseplate, and a sticker sheet:

An image of the sticker sheet with new and improved space logo/emblems:

Accessories include a space telescope similar to the Hubble Space Telescope and one lone astronaut:

Opening Bag #1, one is drawn to some of these unique pieces. I love the printed control panels reminding me of Classic Space:

Also reminding me of Classic Space is the use of wing-shaped baseplates, two white and two black (10x10). I think these are new pieces - please correct me if I'm mistaken:

A shot of the cockpit assembly. Unfortunately, it only fits one coffee-drinking minifig:

After using all the pieces in Bag #1, this is the base assembly of the shuttle:

Bag #2 has some unique and special pieces including, but not limited to these shuttle components:

As well as these additional components. Please Note: the set includes some other new pieces not shown.

The main landing gear assembly is three sections (2 landing gear wheel sections connected to a 4x4 frame). A seperate wheel assembly connects to the front/nose section of the shuttle allowing the shuttle to turn:

After completing the shuttle, the Hubble Telescope can be placed inside the Payload Bay. The astronaut's oxygen helmet with gold visor helmet can also be stored nicely inside:

Attaching the Hubble, the arm can lift it away from the shuttle:

A view with the Payload Bay doors closed:

The shuttle has three large engines and two smaller ones tucked behind panels that swing open:

The rear wings flaps also fold upward:

Interestingly, I thought I had done something wrong with the landing gear because the shuttle slopes forward. After looking at images of the actual Discovery, I realized this is an actual feature of the real shuttle:

A top view of the shuttle:

Removing the nose to see the cockpit once again:

A look at the Lone Astronaut, I will name Major Tom:

And lastly, a poster from the LEGO SAH website:

Strengths

I thank and applaud LEGO for re-introducing the Space Shuttle sub-theme of City. Just as LEGO has produced some amazing City sets over the past few years in Classic Town fashion, once again LEGO City fans can certainly appreciate this revisited theme with a new modern look. Blocky sloped bricks have been replaced by the new stream-lined front nose. The white shuttle with black and red accent colors/stripes create a nice visual appeal, and I like the use of a trans. blue window piece for a lighter more playful look, bringing me back to Classic Town. I love the 2x2 printed sloped computer pieces and like how the Hubble Telescope can neatly be tucked away inside the Payload Bay. This is a great "playability" feature.

Opportunties for Improvement

While the new Space logo is certainly nice with its black, blue, white, and red color scheme, and serves as a generic logo for Space fans of all countries, they are stickers which I hate to even place on my model. I may make some duplicates of these and tape them on just for added visual appeal. The single minifig is nice and I like the gold visored helmet with oxygen tank, but it is only one. A set this size should come with at least two figs so that Major Tom doesn't end up lost in space. Break out those space figs from the Minifigure Series 1 collection. Additionally, Major Tom has no tools to work on the Hubble with. Where's the Classic Space black spanner/screwdriver wrench, or a SF Super Chief monkey wrench for some added play? I suppose we have to create a small tool chest and make some room inside the bay. Lastly, I understand the limitations of the cockpit due to size and/or length, but it would have been nice for the crew cabin to fit "a crew" vs. lone Major Tom.

Final Thoughts

The final question that I always ask myself when taking the time to review a set is: "Would I buy this set again after building"? Based on the above, my answer is a strong YES. I believe the strengths of this set far excede the limitations. While I think the set is a little pricey at $30 (USD), it is a nicely designed set that can appeal to both City and Space fans as an interesting "cross-theme" model. It also has an educational element for children with facts about the Discovery included within the instructions. I plan to break out some newer space-related Minifigures (ie. Robot, Alien, Blacktron fig), and take a little visit to Mars or the Dark Side of the Moon. I hope you have enjoyed this review. Comments are certainly welcome.

Edited March 5, 201113 yr by TheBrickster
Indexed

Awesome! I like this set, but last year's is much better, obviously

The new helmets are much more accurate IMO, which is great

Great Review! I Agree with 'Prateek' the shuttle exclusive last year was much better.

Well This NEEDS to go into my project for the brickcon! (Hint)

*Fuzzy*

I bhought this set yesterday and I thought it would be a great set, but it just doesn't do it for me. The shuttle looks a IMO to flat. Like someone smashed upon it with a hammer or something that made it look so flat. So I think it is a good set, but just something isn't right

Thanks for the review 'The Brickster', from what I can see last years is better, but in the price bracket for kids...it's perfect....dam, teachers at schools will get sick of these being used for science projects or show'n'tell !

Though do I spy a new 2x1 modified plate/hinge piece in red ?

I know that this set is designed for kids to play NASA controller games with, but man that landing gear would burn off on re-entry and stickers showing air vents....man, there is no air in space or is it to heat the inside of cabin on re-entry eh ?

I'll only buy this if my son wants it and it's on sale, a good friend of mine has just ordered last years shuttle, so I can't wait to see it built up !

Brick On Everyone !

Thanks for the review. I think it is a good set for 1/3 the price of last year's Shuttle Adventure:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45009&hl=shuttle%20adventure&st=0

Definitely more affordable for parents.

I see Lego is making good use of that nose cone piece from planes to helicopters to shuttles. They're sure getting their money's worth on that mold.

I think it's difficult to compare this set as part of the City theme with 10213 Shuttle Adventure exclusive. It would be like comparing a small City building with an exclusive Modular. I don't plan to buy 10123 because of the price point, but I may consider a few of the other 2011 City/Space sets. To me, the new sets are more along the line of Classic Town.

I think it is a good set for 1/3 the price of last year's Shuttle Adventure:

http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=45009&hl=shuttle%20adventure&st=0

Thanks for that link dr_spock. That's a very nice review as well. You make a good point about the price point.

Nice review Brickster!

I like this set, the engines are beautiful ...great details!

Great review Brickster I guess its available to us in US now? I don't think I will be owning this set though. Its not that I don't like it but, as I have most of all the classic sets with the smaller black and white shuttles, this one doesn't look like it will fit in. I am however, not a fan of the added colors of red and blue. Some of the other details beat the h**l outa the older sets. The coffee mug is a funny little piece to have. Not real sure how that plays into this set (take-off/ gravity deficiency ) I think this set would be above average or, maybe, even outstanding if TLG would have giving us pieces for three boosters and made it compatible with the new launch site or at least a transport truck. Then I might consider buying this set

Edited March 5, 201113 yr by Leg Godt Gud

As always, an excellent review TheBrickster! I think this is a pretty decent set for its size, sure it's less accurate than last year's Shuttle Adventure, but it's a practical way to get a space shuttle for a fraction of the price of the Exclusive version. The only thing that bothers me is the huge gap of the wing flaps, I'm pretty sure there's a viable solution without having those visible gaps.

Thanks for that link dr_spock. That's a very nice review as well. You make a good point about the price point.

Thank you.

The only thing that bothers me is the huge gap of the wing flaps, I'm pretty sure there's a viable solution without having those visible gaps.

I suppose one could use some 2x4 or 2x2 or 1x2 tiles on top to cover the gap. You can still lower the flaps but I'm not sure about raising the flaps.

I think it would be fun to build a 747 to mount the 3367 shuttle on its back. I wonder what the bottom of the 3367 looks like.

You could always modify the 787 Dreamliner set to become a carrier for this (or the Shuttle Adventure)

Great review. This is a set I may or may not end up picking up-- I somewhat prefer the simplified aesthetic of this over the extremely-complex and detailed Shuttle Adventure from last year, but I'd want to pick up the Shuttle Adventure first just so I have the parts I need for the Solid Rocket Boosters and Liquid Fuel Tank. I saw it on store shelves for the first time yesterday in a Borders book store-- I love the little "Hey!" guy in the corner, keeping with the tradition of all recent City sets.

I agree that some stuff like a tool chest could have improved the set. Normally I have no problem with stickers (often I even prefer them to prints), but here I would have at least preferred the stickers to cover the whole tail, so that they could be more easily aligned. Lining up circular stickers on a larger, angular tail like this is no fun.

Overall, I'm very happy that LEGO brought back the Space subtheme, since the Launch Command (the 1995 Space theme, which was a Town subtheme in some countries) was around the time of my first exposure to LEGO, and I have fond memories of it (one of my pillowcases at home has the Launch Command set Shuttle Launch Pad on one side and the Aquazone set Neptune Discovery Lab on the other).

Overall, they did a really great job as well-- I love the new logo for "near-Earth" space sets, taking cues from the classic Space logo, and I think the astronauts with the Atlantis helmets work fabulously. The color scheme of white, black, red, and transparent light blue also works amazingly well. I've never been a huge City collector, but some of these sets really excite me, and I might end up picking up one or two over the course of the year if my finances allow it.

Good points Aanchir. I like the new logo as well, but alignging on the tail would be difficult.

I can't help to think how this set would rate if LEGO did not release the exclusive last year.

Great review, Brickster-- I've ultimately decided to pass on this, but I love how TLG has offered a space shuttle in two very different price points. You have the $100USD set for the true collectors and AFOLS who are after a big and truer-to-size shuttle Lego experience. And then you have this, which is far more affordable to the cost-conscious enthusiasts as well as the kids and their parents. Either way, it gives people options, especially now that the 'shuttle' concept is going to be phased out of the space program.

If I weren't trying to pull back on the Lego spending, I'd have probably went after this one!

Awesome! I like this set, but last year's is much better, obviously

You mean a $100 set is better ythan a $30 set? Crazy times.

It's certainly enjoyable to see the old Brickster style review in Eurobricks.

It was definitely an enjoyable experience to have a chance to read such detailed interesting review. I am a little tempted to grab this set but I am not in a hurry to collect. The Space Shuttle may have make use on the typical City aeroplane model structure but ultimately, the designers are able to model it similar to a space shuttle. My only complain could be lacked of astronauts. I don't see how a lone astronaut could work and survive without boredom by not giving him a companion.

your review was great! I just don't like this shuttle as much as the ones in the early 90's the early 90s model even though didn't do as much stuff as this one or have near the amount of nice parts it seamed more real to me which is a huge plus. the red I find a little off setting and the ENORMOUS gap between the back flaps and the wing I find a VERY off setting. these are the main things that keep me from purchasing this set. I still build my old 90's models. I even had the launch tower which was and probably still my favorite set of Space sets.

But again great review you did an excellent job on this.

This set looks better then I thought. Also those wings look pretty nice I hope we get them in grey at some point.

Thanks for the review.

Felt pretty emotional when I watched the Discovery on its final approach and landing... and for some reason once the wheels touched the tarmac, I immediately thought of your review Great job as usual, Brickster!

I really don't think we'll ever see another space shuttle by LEGO, so it's good to know they've tried to make the best of it!

It's certainly enjoyable to see the old Brickster style review in Eurobricks.

Thanks WF!

I still build my old 90's models. I even had the launch tower which was and probably still my favorite set of Space sets.

Thanks Syn. I never had any of the 90s sets, so maybe this is why I really appreciate this new line-up. In comparison, I really like the new front-nose piece. While it's not as classic as the use of slopes, the new nose piece with black detailed print is rather nice.

This set looks better then I thought.

I think so. It really is a neat little set. Some additional accessories would have made it even better.

Great job as usual, Brickster!

Thanks MetroiD. It's always pleasant to see ones' topics blogged. I missed that last landing, but it's great to hear that everyone made it home safe. I don't follow the Space Shuttle much, but life for an astronaut must be pretty difficult with long durations in a ship. Considering so many things could go wrong, it's amazing how technology has allowed them to venture into space.

Excellent review "TheBrickster"! I agree that Major Tom needs another crew member as well, the only other thing I don't like is the "air breaks" attached to the wings. To me they seem "bulky".

Ralph

Really great review, thanks!

This set is very appealing, I just might get it.

Does anyone know if the shuttle fits with the launch tower of 3368? Should probably be possible with minor modifications otherwise.

Edited March 10, 201113 yr by Ampersand

Great review! I would certainly buy this set after reading it - if I hadn't just gotten Shuttle Adventure for Christmas! Still, the rest of the new City space line looks promising as well.

Thank you for the review! I picked this set up last week at the LEGO Store downtown. This was the only one out of the space theme available, which is probably a good thing since I'm an impulse buyer!

I voted Above Average- I think it's a cheap way to get a nifty space shuttle loaded with features. Sure it could use booster rockets and extra crew, but I know that would kick it up into the $40-50 price range. I rejoiced when I discovered the wings were real plates and not another giant piece. In fact, I felt like I was building Classic Space during the first few steps! All in all, a very nice set for the price.

In case anyone was wondering, here's the shuttle riding in style on top of the CITY Passenger Jet. It is very secure- nice and swooshable. I can even turn it upsidedown without the shuttle falling off!