LEGOCreator Shuttle Adventure (10213)

---UPDATE (1/4/12): Another user commented on here about a Service Pack for this set. I emailed Lego and they sent me a 30 piece upgrade set to improve the EFT's(external fuel tank) playability. Boy, does it ever work! It also included a color 24 step instruction sheet on how to install the pieces. Bravo Lego for improving a great set. Now my son and I can actually play with this set. Please give us an add-on launch pad with tower and a shuttle crawler/mover. I would pay an another $99 for that set too.Original Review:This was a "no-brainer" for me. Although Lego.com still offers this set; I bought it from Amazon ($99) to get free shipping & no tax, saving me close to $30. Amazon packed the set well. The shuttle, EFT (external fuel tank), and SRBs (solid rocket booster) look great. The four pieces fit well together and sit nicely on the little launch pad. Being 30 I bought this set for myself in hopes that It would ignite my 5yr old's interest in the shuttle program which is about to end thanks to our "Fearless Leader". My 5yr old son built the EFT & SRBs mostly by himself. Playability is leaving me a little disappointed for a $99 Lego set. I built the shuttle which needed some modification to the rear landing gear: I turned the rear wheels around and moved the rear spring down one hole to make the shuttle roll better without the wheels collapsing. The shuttle has to be handled very deliberately otherwise parts will break free and you will have to halfway disassemble the rear of the shuttle. My son gets frustrated after about 30 minutes of the shuttle continually needing reassembly, but he is only 5 and Lego recommends 16+ (I can see why). Two Astronauts fit in the cockpit with their arms in the perfect position. The satellite barely fits in the cargo bay and I had to modify it's antenna connection. Also the EFT likes to fall apart unless you almost use two hands to pick it up (it likes to break in half under it's own weight). Great set for adults and Lego crazy kids 10 & up. Not easily playable though. Also for $99, Lego should have included a better launch pad with a tower.GET THIS ONE WHILE YOU STILL CAN, I fear this will be the last USA Space Shuttle Lego gives us.

I've collected several of the Lego Space Shuttle sets over the years, and this one is by far the most realistic set they've made. The scales of the orbiter to the external tank and SRBs are much closer than in previous attempts. The working cargo bay doors, Canada arm, and retractable landing gear really make this set fun to play with. This set is a must have for any Lego and/or NASA fans!My biggest gripe about this set is the blocky nose and windshield of the orbiter. I realize it's difficult to create smooth looking curved shapes with Legos (I've tried numerous times over the years!), but if you scour the Internet, especially MOC pages, you'll see countless examples of people who've figured out much smoother looking aircraft nose sections at various scales. I think the designers over at Lego could've borrowed some of these ideas to incorporate into this model. Also, I realize designing to true scale would've started to become a challenge, especially for the ET, but it would've been nice to see the whole thing to an accurate scale.Once it's built and put together, the orbiter is a pretty solid piece and can be handled easily. The combination of the orbiter, ET and SRBs, however, is not quite so sturdy, considering they're all held together with a handful of friction pegs. Still, the fact that you can fairly accurately recreate a Space Shuttle launch makes this set really cool!

I saw the shuttle a few years ago in a mall near my house and bought it then. it was ONLY the shuttle and the hubble space scope. no booster rockets or tank OR astronauts!!!! to top that all off it was more expensive. i am trying to remember but i know it was over $100well, the original took me three days as i get frustrated by lego and their instruction books, so when i got upset i went and did something else.this is a cool set and a lot fun. the cargo doors work as does the landing gear. it will be fun to put it all together again2/27/11 UPDATEOk, i am done with the new space shuttle. it is considerable SMALLER the the shuttle discovery set. It seems n parts, rushed together. the tail isn't as great as the Discovery the cargo doors and arm aren't GREAT. the cargo bay itself has some of the landing gear set up visible. the cockpit on the shuttle adventure is a piece of work. it doesn't stay together well. the rest is fun and great to look at as a modle, this was truely a fun set to put together

I was so exited about getting it! But what do I get? I get lego shuttle expedition! I already have it! Amazon took my birthday money!

We love lego. Cant beleive we found it at scuh a good cost! But it's pretty hard going when 3 pieces are missing!

I purchased this Lego set for my 9 year old son. He had looked at it prior to Christmas, saw the price and said "I can only dream of getting something like that!". It was well worth every penny spent just to see his face when he opened it! Although it is recommended for 16 and up, at 9 he was able to put it together without only a little help from his older brother (age 19) and it was finished in about 6 hours total. I would recommend this for any young boy who loves Legos!

My kids have lots of Lego... but dad got this one for himself. The build is a little complex for smaller kids due to the landing gear mechanism. My kids built the main tank and boosters, and I built the shuttle. I actually purchased 3 of these. One sits on the shelf above my desk, the other 2 are to give to my kids when they get older. I really feel this set will have some collectors value due to its excellent quality, and the coming retirement of the real shuttles. My advice is to get these while you still can. If you calculate lego sets at .10 cents a piece, this set is a bargain for the price since it contains over 1200 pieces. If you think it looks cool in the photos, it looks even better in person.