LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V 92176 Outer Space Model Rocket for Kids and Adults Science Building Kit

Amazing. And HUGE! First, let me say that this is my first Lego set. I've built Legos before (as a kid) but never anything that came with instructions let alone nearly 200 pages of instructions! The manual was very detailed and easy to follow. I did make a couple of small errors that I caught quickly enough and was able to correct - just needed to pay extra attention when attaching the outer body panels as they do vary slightly. Some of the diagrams were a little tough to decipher due to the complexity of certain pieces but it was all easy enough to figure out. Total build time was around 7 hours at a leisurely pace. First impressions of the completed build: CONS- just a few minor details that would have thrown this set over the top for me. The main command module has no printed details like a hatch or window while the splashdown command module does. The launch escape tower is not easily detached as it would have been in real life. Would have been cool to have room inside the command and lunar modules for the minifigs to be stored - the Lunar module set up would be fine for 2 of the 3 figs to be displayed but the third can't be accurately displayed as the 3rd astronaut would have remained in the command module. I plan to display this with the individual stages separated so I will need to devise a way to make more stands - the three provided are a little disappointing. PROS - very detailed and nearly spot on to the real deal. Challenging but fun build. Amazing how stable and solid the finished set is, well thought out construction. Loved that the build was broken up into the actual stages of the rocket and that the stages are easily separated once completed. Also fun that the service, command and lunar module can be taken out and docked together. The lunar module can also be separated into its decent and ascent stages. And the most interesting detail of all that no one seems to have mentioned in any of the reviews that I've read....could it be a coincidence that the piece count is the same as the year of the first moon landing - 1969?!? I think not. I swore this would be my first and only Lego set but I saw that there may be a similarly scaled space shuttle released soon. Hmmm... Read more

this kit is amazing. You will be amazed at the level of detail that went into its design and how good it looks when put together. It is realistic, beautiful, and a pleasure to build. It's also larger and more imposing than I anticipated, reflecting the grandeur of the original Saturn V. The included figurines really help to put the scale of this rocket into proportion. It is one thing to have seen those spectacular launch images, but to see a physical, realistic model is quite another! It's modular, so you can easily snap the first, second, third stage, and CSM apart. There's even room for the LEM inside the Lunar Module Adaptor! The CSM separates as well allowing you to replay the major maneuvers of the Apollo mission. The model also includes a good looking LEM and 2 set-pieces so that you can mount and display the LEM with the astronaut figurines on lunar soil (US flag included!) and the CM after its ocean landing. I can think of only a few minor improvements. (1) The Launch Escape System is difficult to separate from the Command Module, meaning that you can't easily dock the CM with the LEM (one of the pivotal maneuvers of the Apollo missions). This is however possible with the LEM that is intended for the ocean landing set-piece (also a niece touch BTW!). The CM on the rocket is also just one single piece that is completely white with no detail whatsoever. This may approximate how it looked at launch time, but even a few small surface details would have made it look much better (2) The LEM is not easily mounted in the Lunar Module Adapter. It needs a stud that is already used by lunar set piece, but the kind of quick release snap used to keep the stages together would have been better. Overall I would say a LOT of pieces and detail went into the (often invisible) internals of the first, second, and third stages, but the the CSM, LEM, Launch Escape System, and Lunar Module Adaptor are not as well developed. That's a shame because those are arguably the most interesting parts of the rocket. That said, this is an amazing kit and you will not be disappointed. Thanks Lego! Read more

This is, honestly, a wonderful product. Standing around 3' tall, the model has wonderful detail on the outside but I was astounded by the complexity and ingenuity of how it is actually put together. It is extremely sound structurally and the way that the different sections are constructed internally is really astonishing. I have a mechanical engineering degree and I am in awe of how this was designed...truly remarkable. At $120 it is actually quite affordable for such a large set. With 1969 pieces exactly (pretty cool) it took probably five hours to assemble but the pieces come in 12 individual bags (with smaller bags inside the 12 larger ones for smaller pieces) and assembly is done bag by bag so there's no need to separate all the pieces beforehand. I wasn't missing a single piece and there were several extra pieces (the smallest ones) thrown in as spares. The directions couldn't be any clearer and I only made a small mistake or two along the way that I caught quickly after. Being in my 40's, I was hesitant to order LEGOs instead of a traditional model kit but this product has exceeded my expectations greatly. It is a lot of fun to build and the finished product is truly beautiful. Well worth every penny. Read more